This Week’s Relevant News: 4/22 – 4/28

 “You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,
Love like you’ll never be hurt,
Sing like there’s nobody listening,
And live like it’s heaven on earth.”
William W. Purkey

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US home-buying season finally signaling a recovery

the spring home-buying season is pointing to a long-awaited recovery

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-04/D9U5D9D80.htm

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On loans, right stuff gets tougher

valuable benchmarks for anyone thinking about financing a home purchase

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2017946164_harney15.html

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Existing home sales dip 2.6 percent in March

Home resales fell in March but the supply of properties on the market tightened and prices inched higher

http://economywatch.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/19/11285745-existing-home-sales-dip-26-percent-in-march?lite

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Homebuying warms up in many parts of nation

Reduced prices, record-low mortgage rates, higher rents and an improving job market appear to be emboldening many would-be buyers

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2017991284_homesales16.html

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Big weekend for open houses is coming up

part of a nationwide open-house event sponsored by local Realtor associations.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2018003861_realbrownbox22.html

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Putting new shingles over old is unwise

Check if there is a manufacturer’s warranty before anything is done to make sure that you don’t inadvertently void it

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2018024632_realhomefix22.html

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Consumer default rates almost back to levels seen before the housing crisis

a sharp decline in the composite index, led by a 14 basis point drop in first mortgage default rates

http://www.housingviews.com/2012/04/19/consumer-default-rates-almost-back-to-levels-seen-before-the-housing-crisis/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HousingViews+%28HousingViews+-+S%26P%27s+Blog+on+the+Housing+Market%29

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Lay groundwork carefully on buying your first home

It’s a process that’s frightening, somewhat frustrating and fun — all at the same time

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2017996531_realfirsthome22.html

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Renters Scramble as Market Takes Off

In San Francisco, Big Demand for Apartments Boosts Prices, Putting the Squeeze on Tenants

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304299304577348033620139396.html?mod=WSJ_RealEstate_LeftTopNews

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Breaking Down Existing Home Sales

Podcast, Diane Swonk talks with Jim Chesko about today’s report showing that existing-home sales were weaker than expected in March

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2012/04/19/breaking-down-existing-home-sales/

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Ultramodern Seattle Home Looks Like Robot

http://www.aol.com/video/ultramodern-seattle-home-looks-like-robot/517332267/?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl5|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D151996

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Rental property investing 101 – tips for future property moguls

The media and real estate professionals continually report that 2012 is the year to buy real estate

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/04/15/rental-property-investing-101-tips-for-future-property-moguls/

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Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott List Their Malibu Home

and has listed it with Coldwell Banker agent and star of Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing, Madison Hildebrand

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304356604577337782928579536.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

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So you want to re-create ‘Mad Men’ style at home?

Start by looking at books and magazines from the period to see what real interiors looked like

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2018024598_realmadmen22.html

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6 Worst Home Fixes for the Money

“We’ll get it back when we sell.”!?

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/6-worst-home-fixes-money-070151422.html

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“Links” are edited each week by John Deely