Housing.com News, Analysis & Opinion: Friday Housing News

Although I'd generally prefer working with a broker face-to-face as much as possible, utilizing the Web to scan listings of new real estate and get quick access to property values and quotes should be a no-brainer. Why the NAR would choose to stifle this potentially valuable asset is beyond me. It's not like they lack a Web presence in any way. Just run a search for "National Association of Realtors," and you'll find over two million results. If the NAR sponsored Web listings of properties and put ads on the sites, couldn't brokers who participated get a percentage of the ad revenue? Or am I missing something?

I can only think this is the last gasp of "middleman" industries, as we can add property sales to the list of things like travel and retail services that we can get off the Web instantly, and often for a lower cost.

CNN Money has a comprehensive review of Home Equity Lines Of Credit (HELOC). The upshot is that HELOCs are useful for long-term investments and major purchases, but don't be tempted to think of them as credit cards. Because just like credit cards, the hidden fees, unexpected debt increases, and dangerous "fine print" clauses can leave you even worse off than when you started.

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The Department of Justice has filed an anti-trust lawsuit against The National Association of Realtors, for restricting the ability of brokers to list new properties for sale via the Internet. Although I'd generally prefer working with a broker face-to-face as much as possible, utilizing the Web to scan listings of new real estate and get quick access to property values and quotes should be a no-brainer. Why the NAR would choose to stifle this potentially valuable asset is beyond me. It's not like they lack a Web presence in any way. Just run a search for "National Association of Realtors," and you'll find over two million results. If the NAR sponsored Web listings of properties and put ads on the sites, couldn't brokers who participated get a percentage of the ad revenue? Or am I missing something? I can only think this is the last gasp of "middleman" industries, as we can add property sales to the list of things like travel and retail services that we can get off the Web instantly, and often for a lower cost. CNN Money has a comprehensive review of Home Equity Lines Of Credit (HELOC). The upshot is that HELOCs are useful for long-term investments and major purchases, but don't be tempted to think of them as credit cards. Because just like credit cards, the hidden fees, unexpected debt increases, and dangerous "fine print" clauses can leave you even worse off than when you started.