Weekly Roundup: NYC condos, U.S. inventory, all-time low rates, Airbnb, pet furniture, most diverse metros, housing forecasts and much more

Brownstones increasingly go mod

Number of new listings of new condos turns up in Manhattan along with prices there and in Brooklyn, Queens

Causing 15 percent increase in materials and monopolizing workers, Sandy raises construction costs

Buyers of lower Manhattan apartments so far unmoved by storm

Rents continue to climb as vacancies reach 32-month high, and biggest October increases hit smaller units

Report suggests that multiple bids for renovations may encourage homeowners to overpay

And don’t expect financing for renovations to be a breeze

Five brokers investigated on complaints that they demanded extra fees from HIV renters

Region remains least-affordable major housing market in nation

Foreclosure filings surge in metro area, more than anywhere else

With her Georgia home foreclosed, she has reason to sing the blues

Media mogul pays record $54 million for 12,000-sf duplex co-op on Fifth Avenue

They buy mansions, don’t they?

Late movie producer’s home goes for $20.1 million

Falling supply of bank-owned homes limits foreclosure discounts

Demand for single-family rentals outstrips supply

Inventory plunges to more than five-year low

Rates slide to all-time depths

Bernanke: Lending standards ‘overly tight’

Loan activity soars following Sandy slowdown

Most borrowers stick to loan duration when refinancing

Big drop in mortgage delinquencies which is trend explained by MBA’s economist

But foreclosure filings edge up in October

Negative equity recedes in Q3 as rising home prices lift 1.3 million borrowers above water

New short-sale program helps underwater borrowers who keep up with payments

Debate rages over role of third-party firms that vet reliability of settlement service companies working for lenders

Michigan’s economy causes changes in ownership of second homes

Cheap not best predictor of positive moving experience

Airbnb now knows where you live in seven cities around the world

Different slopes for buyers from various countries

Growing number of listing sites let users search for homes by individual school

Some moneyed buyers seek high-tech self-sufficient safe houses able to withstand storms, power outages

Heated floors have their pros and cons

New breed of pet furniture offers streamlined style, built-in features, bespoke finishes

Architects report sustained demand for bookcases, home libraries in era of e-books

When installing a dishwasher, take four issues into account

If you choose art to match your home’s décor, well, that’s your first mistake

High-end homes newest great room is a. . . kitchen

With many of most diverse metros near nation’s perimeter, San Jose tops list and New York next

Share of householders 75 and older grows from 6 percent in 1960 to 10 percent this year

Median-income families enjoy greater housing affordability in Q3 than in Q2

Homeownership rate continues its decline, falling to 64.6 percent last year

Merrill Lynch analysts revise price prediction upward

J.P. Morgan CEO says everything about housing ‘flashing green’

Two homebuilders report sales increase, raise forecasts

Freddie expects market to grow healthier, more solid over next five years

You have the option to search privately for all New York City properties, though I encourage you to be in touch with me for assistance and advice. You also may want to see my critiques of properties that I visit in Out and About, which I will resume posting on Mondays or Tuesdays after Thanksgiving.

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Malcolm Carter
Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker
Senior Vice President
Charles Rutenberg Realty
127 E. 56th Street
New York, NY 10022

M: 347-886-0248
F: 347-438-3201

Malcolm@ServiceYouCanTrust.com
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