Yesterday, we touched on the current housing market woes as the National Association of Realtors proclaimed that its index of signed purchase agreements dropped to the lowest level on record. And today, we’re looking for a side of hope to go with that gloom and doom. No one’s arguing that the market is bad — and probably about to get worse — but good news: Some people and programs are trying to turn it around. Help with lending. Homeowners finding their bank isn’t giving them a decent rate due to the bank’s problems or imperfect credit might benefit from trying…

More dour housing market news — The National Association of Realtors announced today that its index of signed purchase agreements fell 6.5 percent to its lowest level on record. (Now, granted, the NAR has only kept a record since 2001, but it’s hard to feel much better when you still consider that means the least amount of people in the U.S. in six years decided to buy previously-owned homes in August.) Given that the index of signed purchase agreements fell 11 percent in July, it’s not exactly a total shock — but we’ve read too many "lowest point" and "new…

In just over a month, the U.S. Green Building Council will roll out its LEED for Homes standards. Since August 2005, 6,000 home projects have been part of the LEED pilot program, ranging from large — like the 44-home development in Walker, Mich., to small — such as the 1960s-era home in Phoenix being remodeled with environmentally-friendly paint, carpet and other materials. (A complete list of certified projects can be found on the LEED site.) We’ve been talking about this for ages. But what does LEED for Homes mean for the industry? What to Expect from LEED for Homes The…

As office hours get longer — thanks to the longer work week and always being available via cell phone, e-mail and other things that ring and beep — personal time is getting shorter. It’s hard to find a balance between both. Your local developer may be able to help. Mixed-use developments featuring stores and restaurants have, in the past, addressed our lack of free time, providing "one-stop shopping" (sometimes literally). And now, mixed-use communities are evolving to tackle the tenacious balance between work and what happens when work ends for the day. Two interesting examples: The "Busidence." Although it was…

New Orleans has been struggling to rebuild since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005, but more help is on the way — from Hollywood. Brad Pitt, speaking Wednesday at the Clinton Global Initiative, announced plans for a new community of homes in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward, the area hardest hit by Katrina. The plan is to: Form a core team of local, national and international architects to construct 150 sustainable homes. Involve the Lower 9th Ward in the rebuilding. Create an affordable, green-designed, sustainable community to serve as a model for future rebuilding efforts. The new homes are…

When making an argument for green building, one of the first things green proponents will bring up is the over-time savings — which can balance out the initial extra sustainable building costs. However, the green building focus thus far has largely been on commercial green building. That’s partially because of the scope of commercial construction — larger building projects use more materials and create more waste, so building green buildings will make a greater impact on the environment than building smaller home structures would. But that’s not to say the residential market has totally ignored the green trend. It’s become…

Within the housing industry, there are so many wonderful, dedicated builders and developers who carefully construct beautiful, quality properties. Their creations provide homeowners with places to live that are both showpieces and solid investments. But unfortunately, not everyone builds quality homes. As a result, homeowners are becoming increasingly concerned about housing defects. And with good reason. A homeowner’s recourse may vary, and fixing defects can be expensive. We live in a litigious society, and the truth is, even if you’re doing solid work, things can go wrong — other contractors can install something incorrectly, affecting your work; materials you thought…

It’s been a long, sobering week of anticipation and announcements from the Fed, from the Fed testifying to Congress, from news sources reporting the housing decline is still declining … But now it’s Friday. So let’s talk celebrities. Or, more specifically, celebrity real estate. For the non-famous, buying property is a big decision.  Although an increasing number have second homes for vacations or other uses–The National Association of Realtors says 3.34 million second homes were bought in the U.S. in 2006, up 16 percent from 2005 — it’s unlikely we commonfolk are going to buy and sell property on a…

Yesterday, we talked Dubai: Big growth, some Michael Jackson sightings and the fact it’s considering going green. But Dubai isn’t the only global power looking to add some green to its geography. Several growing countries are making efforts to incorporate sustainability in their construction plans, including: India — The real estate sector in India is growing 30 percent by 2010, to a $50 billion industry, according to Al Bawaba — prompting green building talk. The savings and environmental impact are starting to register with the country, who in 2003 had only 20,000 square feet of green new construction. Australia —…

Yesterday’s MHN news included an item about Dubai, which is mulling over a green building policy that could significantly increase its amount of sustainable buildings (the area currently has three.) What you have heard about Dubai may vary — but you’ve likely heard that it’s in the Middle East (true — it’s in the United Arab Emirates), has many wealthy residents (also true) and is somewhere Michael Jackson has been known to live (oddly enough, once again, true.) Oil was discovered in 1966, and following the first exports three years later, Dubai began to economically expand — fast. That growth…