In the latest edition of Better Homes and Gardens I was interviewed for an article called “Before You Refinance” which I believe is a worthwhile piece for anyone considering refinancing their current home loan.  You can read a PDF of Before You Refinance here; or pick up the November issue of Better Homes and Gardens.
The […]

Use of concocted offers is to be the focus of a newly appointed Toronto Real Estate Board task force
It seems that Maureen O’Neill, President of the Toronto Real Estate Board, who only recently heard about the practice of “phantom bidding” has now made the revolutionary discovery that there should be “more transparency” in the real […]

I had written about my friends Jill and Tim, whose home was featured on the TV show “The Riches”.
This just in, horrifying photos taken from their patio of the hills and homes around their home, on fire.
Incredibly, their neighbor who is a firefighter, suggested that the best way to save their home would […]

Here is the email we received from Countrywide after its 3rd quarter earnings were released. I think that in general Countrywide may have survived this round, but is far from out of the woods. The letter below seems like every other press piece put out by Countrywide; but what do I know? […]

No surprise here.  A day after Merill Lynch reported losses of $8 billion related to subprime mortgage losses in the company’s collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) Merill CEO Stan O’Neal is on the hot seat with the Board of Directors - and his job is on the line.
O’Neal admitted during yesterday’s earnings call that losses were […]

Countrywide posted its first operating loss in 25 years today, reporting a quarterly loss of $1.2 billion related to subprime mortgage losses and restructuring charges. The company stock surged more than 15% after the announcement as Countrywide stood by their stockholder dividend and forecast a profit in the 4th quarter. From Market Watch:
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Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has just released the 2007 edition of its flagship publication the Canadian Housing Observer. It presents a detailed annual review of housing conditions and trends in Canada and of the key factors behind them. The report is supplemented by online data resources accessible to anyone interested in exploring trends further […]

With the 2nd most decorated holiday right around the corner, I thought it would be a great time for me to discuss a home staging issue that comes up each year”¦ Should a home seller put up holiday decorations?Typically, I advise sellers to use VERY little or NO decorations for ANY holiday. WHY? Well, for […]

With the 2nd most decorated holiday right around the corner, I thought it would be a great time for me to discuss a home staging issue that comes up each year”¦ Should a home seller put up holiday decorations?Typically, I advise sellers to use VERY little or NO decorations for ANY holiday. WHY? Well, for […]

With probably the most anticipated earnings call in the history of Countrywide’s existence ahead of us tomorrow; what are your guesses for the results? How bad will it be? How big a write down will they take? How far will the stock tank? Or…will it not be that bad at all?
I’m […]