Real Estate News

Just when you thought you have heard the last of Nadya Suleman (aka “Octo-mom”) comes word that she could be evicted from the home she occupies with her 14 kids.

Suleman leases this home from her father, who has a mortgage agreement with Amer Haddadin. Haddadin sold the home to Octo-mom’s father in March 2009 for $450,000 under these conditions: Monthly payments of $4,139, and a final balloon payment was due on March 10 to fulfill the entire $450,000 mortgage. Haddadin reports the last $4,139 payment was never made, as well as the final balloon payment. Now, Haddadin is planning on going to the courts to foreclose on the family.

> See more celebrity foreclosures

Read more here:
Foreclosure Looms and Octo-Mom Could Face Eviction

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Good news, all you Android users….we just rolled out the Zillow Android App!

We heard from many of you that you’d like to be able to access Zillow’s rich real estate info (we have data on 95 million U.S. homes) on-the-go from your Android device, and today we’ve responded with the launch of the free Zillow Android App. With our app, you can view Zestimate® home values, homes for sale, homes for rent, recently sold homes, and more.

You can search for any home using Android’s voice search feature in which you simply say an address,  neighborhood or city and the app will instantly take you there. You can also check out homes as you walk or drive through a neighborhood with the built-in GPS technology. When you see a home you’re interested in, just click through to see photos, home details and contact info. And unique to the Android, you can view homes curbside with Google Street View. We think it’s pretty useful.

Give it a try: Go to the Zillow Android App page and watch a video, read about the features, and download it — for free!

Have an iPhone? Download the most popular real estate app on iTunes, the Zillow iPhone App.

See original here:
Zillow Introduces the Zillow Android App

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A great question just popped into Zillow Advice from the South Side neighborhood of West Palm Beach. The question from home384 is:

Can I dispute an appraisal as ordered by the bank?

Good question, home384! See the answer to that question and other refinance questions in Zillow Advice.

Go here to see the original:
Can I Dispute an Appraisal as Ordered by the Bank?

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Former boxing champ Thomas Hearns might be in retirement, but he’s facing a new opponent: foreclosure.

According to the Detroit News, Hearns is past-due on taxes and mortgage payments, owing a total of $961,156. Just on Hearns’ home alone, he owes $512,965 and the bank has filed notice that his home is scheduled for a foreclosure sale on March 23, according to The Legal News (free subscription required to access article).

Hearns is an eight-time world champ whose 15-year pro boxing career spanned six different weight categories.

According to Hearns’ lawyer, the former champ is working on keeping the house and paying off his debts.

> See more celebrity foreclosures.

Read more:
Former Boxing Champ Thomas Hearns Facing Foreclosure

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Heads up: If you’re in need of a new refrigerator or washer or dishwasher or other home appliance, you might want to buy one now under the “Cash for Appliances” program that is underway.

The savings could range from $50 to $250, depending upon the product being purchased, the purchase price, and other variables. Appliances that could qualify include:

• Boilers
• Central air conditioners
• Clothes washers
• Dishwashers
• Freezers
• Furnaces (oil and gas)
• Heat pumps (air source and geothermal)
• Refrigerators
• Room air conditioners
• Water heaters

When I saw this list, I wondered “What about clothes dryers?” Click on that link and you’ll see the answer. The biggest thing to watch out for is to make sure you purchase “a qualifying ENERGY STAR-appliance.”

Even though the money comes from the federal government through the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” it will be handled on the state level and will run until 2012 or until states run out of money. For example, Iowa, Kansas and Minnesota have already spent their funds.

>> FIND YOUR STATE’S APPLIANCE REBATE PROGRAM

Related articles:

> Let Uncle Sam Pay to Replace Your Drafty Windows

> Incandescent Light Bulb Ban in 2012

> Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency

More here:
Cash for Appliances Program

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Mortgage rates for 30-year fixed mortgages rose this week, with the current rate borrowers were quoted on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace at 4.78%, up from 4.76% at this time last week. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose and fell the past week with a Monday spike to 4.85 percent.

Additionally, 15-year fixed borrowers were quoted on average, 4.22% and for 5/1 ARMs, 3.52%.

What are the rates right now? Check Zillow Mortgage Marketplace for up-to-the-minute mortgage rates for your state.

Read the original here:
30-Year-Fixed Mortgage Rates Rise Slightly to 4.78%

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As actor Mel Gibson proceeded with his highly publicized divorce from wife Robyn last year, it was revealed that a lot of Gibson’s wealth is tied up in real estate. Last year, he put his Old Mill Farm estate on the market for $35 million and it looks like it’s still for sale, but at a big price cut. The Greenwich, CT property is now listed for $29,750,000. (See more celebrity price cuts).

Now, another Gibson estate is up for sale, but this one is on the other coast. Gibson’s Lavender Hill Farm is for sale for $14.5 million. Located in a secluded area of Malibu known as Serra Retreat, it is Gibson’s own private escape. The 2.75-acre grounds have mature trees, a fruit orchard, and organic gardens.

The home is newly remodeled and has 6 bedrooms and 6 baths with a hardwood/stone floors. The master bedroom is on the upper floor and includes a sitting room. Extras include a lighted tennis court, pool, three guest houses, two offices, a detached gym, library, and a garden cabana with game room. It sounds, well, divine. But, don’t take our word for it — see more photos of Mel Gibson’s Malibu home.

> See Malibu real estate

> See Malibu home values

See the rest here:

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When an agent uploads a photo, you’ll notice their name is attached to the bottom of the photo when you are on the overview page of a listing (aka the home details page).  Occasionally, agents think that the agent under the photo is falsely claiming the listing.  This is not the case. This simply means the agent uploaded the photo. To get rid of the agent’s name, you can do two things:

1)  Rearrange the photos so that the main photo is a photo you uploaded. This will ensure that your name pops up under the main photo on the home details page.

2)  Delete all photos not uploaded by you.

We have seen many posts asking how to remove old or incorrect photos on owners’ home details pages. Until recently, only the person who added the photo could remove it, or one of us Zillow folks would have to remove it for you.  Now you can remove photos yourself!

Caveat: You need to be the claimed owner or the current listing agent to remove photos from a home details page.

To remove photos as the owner:

• First, claim the home as the owner
• Remove photos by clicking the button. Then click the remove link on any photos you want to delete. (Note: Once they are removed, they cannot be retrieved by Zillow).

To remove photos as the agent:

• As an agent, once you have a home details page in your listings queue, you will have the same access to the photos as the owner. Read this thread to learn how to claim a listing

Read more:
Wrong Agent Underneath Main Photo!

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Today I am very pleased to announce a partnership which enables John L. Scott Real Estate, one of the most productive regional real estate companies in the nation, to automatically feed all of their listings to Zillow on a regular basis.

This partnership is great news for home buyers in John L. Scott’s markets (Washington, Oregon, Idaho)  because they will now see 15,000 additional homes for-sale in their local area. If you’re a John L. Scott agent, it’s time to celebrate and to thank your broker for doing you a huge favor.  Your listings are now on one of the largest real estate websites at no additional cost to you, complete with multiple photos and open house information.

John L. Scott brokerage joins more than eight hundred partners participating in the Zillow Listings Feed program, which launched in November 2007 and has grown to more than four million for-sale listings, and 60,000 homes for-rent today.

In addition to being displayed on the Zillow.com Web site, John L. Scott’s listings will also appear on the Zillow iPhone app, which has been downloaded nearly one million times since launch in April 2009 and is the number one real estate application in the iTunes Store.

If your MLS or brokerage has more than 50 listings and would like to send them to Zillow, please contact me or watch this video to learn more.

The rest is here:
Zillow Partners with John L. Scott Real Estate

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The home shopping season is fast approaching and with over 4 million homes for sale, Zillow is a great place to start house hunting. This morning, real estate guru Barbara Corcoran appeared on the Today show to showcase just a sampling of the real estate deals that can be found on Zillow. If you missed the segment live, you can view it here.

Brandon, Mississippi

For Sale: 239,900

See more Brandon homes for sale

Albuquerque, NM

For Sale: $389,900

See more Albuquerque homes for sale

Exeter, New Hamphshire

For Sale:  $515,000

See more Exeter homes for sale

More here:
Today Show Features Zillow Real Estate Deals

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The Harper Family home in Lake City, GA, received an Extreme Home Makeover in January 2005. Last year, we reported the Harper’s avoided foreclosure for a second time. Their financial woes stemmed from a $450,000 loan they took against their home to start a business.

Now comes word that the Harpers may have tried to hold a raffle to win their home, with possible beneficiaries of the raffle proceeds earmarked for the Georgia Transplant Foundation and Susan G. Komen affiliate. Here is the raffle page, which advertises:

The Because We Care Foundation and the Harper Foundation have collaborated to uplift lives in 2010. Several at-risk transplant patients have been identified. Your donations will not only support the medical needs of the patients, your donations will also give you entries to win this Mortgage Free, 6300 square foot home designed by the Extreme Makeover Television team. The donations of the 2010 giveaway will be operated, conducted and administered under the direction of the Because We Care Foundation.

The date of the raffle was Feb. 28, but it is not known whether it was held or not. Home raffles are held to strict guidelines state-by-state and usually need to be affiliated with a non-profit.

Go here to see the original:
Extreme Home Makeover Harper Family Held Raffle to Avoid Foreclosure?

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American pro tennis player Andy Roddick, known for his blistering serves (he has the fastest serve on record at 155 mph) and his inability to solve his rival, Roger Federer, is selling his Austin, TX home for $4 million. It’s the same home where he married his fiancee, Brooklyn Decker, last year.

Roddick’s home at 4104 Shimmering Cove, Austin, TX, is located in a gated community on Lake Austin, with popular Mount Bonnell — all of 775 feet — “towering” just behind. Roddick’s home is perfect for water lovers and includes a boat house, plus it has an oversized parking area with a two-car garage. A large kitchen opens to living areas and an outdoor covered patio. Scored concrete and hardwood floors flow throughout all rooms except the master bedroom on the main level and oversized bedrooms and media room upstairs. Additional rooms include an office/study/game room, formal dining, and breakfast area.

As we reported in 2008, Roddick purchased this 5,558 sq ft home in November of 2003 for $1,463,000. See more photos of Roddick’s Austin home.

> See more Austin real estate

> See Austin home values

This must be the week for tennis stars to post their homes for sale. See Pete Sampras’ home and the home of Jennifer Capriati.

Read the rest here:

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We’re still feeling some Oscar® fever, so allow us to indulge with yet another home owned by an Academy Award nominee — Glenn Close. Yes, we still have vivid memories of her role as deranged stalker Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction and were curious to read about the sale of her Manhattan “aerie” from none other than Real Estalker.

Close’s Upper East Side condo is on the market for $11,800,000 and her apartment, 19-D, is described as being one of Central Park West’s most glamorous since it’s part of the “… coveted “D” line east over Central Park, south over the Planetarium and all the way down the Park to the Manhattan skyline.” A spacious 19

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Mortgage rates for 30-year fixed mortgages declined this week, with the current rate borrowers were quoted on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace at 4.76%, down from 4.80% at this time last week. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate fluctuated between 4.76 and 4.82 during the past week.

Additionally, 15-year fixed borrowers were quoted on average, 4.24% and for 5/1 ARMs, 3.47%.

What are the rates right now? Check Zillow Mortgage Marketplace for up-to-the-minute mortgage rates for your state.

Here is the original:
Rate for 30-year Fixed Mortgage Fell This Week to 4.76%

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The Florida home of former professional tennis sensation Jennifer Capriati is on the market for $2.1 million; it was first listed in 2008 for $2.35 million.

Located in Wesley Chapel, about 40 minutes outside of Tampa, Capriati’s home is part of the Saddlebrook Resort community, which is known as a haven for developing tennis and golf talent.

Capriati’s two-story, custom-built contemporary is on one acre and has a pool, plus hot tub. Views include a lake, plus one of Saddlebrook’s two championship golf courses. It has four bedrooms and five bathrooms, a personal theater, where first-run movies can be shown and a unique drive-through garage. See more photos of Capriati’s house.

Saddlebrook residents have access to 500 acres of recreation, including two championship golf courses, 48 tennis courts, a European spa, fitness center, three restaurants and three swimming pools.

Capriati turned pro just weeks before her 14th birthday in 1990 and became the youngest player to ever reach a tour final that same year. After taking two years off due to personal issues, she executed one of sports greatest comebacks by winning three Grand Slam titles — the Australian Open (twice) and French Open.

> See more Wesley Chapel real estate

> See Wesley Chapel home values

Originally posted here:

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