Realities of Real Estate: Is it better to rent or buy? 
BY: Bob and Donna McWilliams
POSTED: May 4, 2012
Tags: buy, home, home ownership, housing, loan, market, mortgage, Multiple List System, Real Estate, realities of real estate, rent
These days, many people think that renting might be a better deal than making the leap to home ownership. Much of the decision is a function of your financial condition and overall ability to buy. For some, a poor credit rating or lack of cash on hand might put buying a home momentarily out of [...]
Harbor Point off new Enterprise Zone map
BY: Alexander Pyles
POSTED: May 3, 2012
Tags: Baltimore, baltimore development corp., Enterprise Zone, Harbor East Development Group LLC, Harbor Point, map, maryland, Michael S. Beatty
![Michael S. Beatty, president of Harbor East Development Group: ‘To me, [Harbor Point] is the poster child of what an Enterprise Zone should be.’](http://thedailyrecord.com/files/2012/05/3a-Beatty-MichaelMF23_web-150x150.jpg "3a-Beatty-MichaelMF23_web")
Baltimore’s proposed new Enterprise Zone map excludes the waterfront Harbor Point parcel in Harbor East, complicating the developer’s plans to build a $120 million office tower for Exelon Corp. The map — which outlines areas eligible for large property tax credits — was approved Thursday in a 4-0 vote by the Baltimore City Council’s Taxation, [...]
New plan to raze Mechanic
BY: Melody Simmons
POSTED: May 1, 2012
Tags: arrow parking, baltimore planning commission, Baltimore Sun, charles center, Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation, david s. brown enterprises, demolition, Development, downtown partnership, howard brown, Kirby Fowler, mechanic theatre, morris a. mechanic theatre, onewest llc, parking garage, razing, Retail
A local group is seeking to demolish the 45-year-old Morris A. Mechanic Theatre and replace it with two 30-story towers that would add 600 market-rate apartments to center city, a 150,000-square-foot retail complex and an underground parking garage. The $150 million project at Baltimore and Charles streets would commence this year — if hurdles are [...]
Realities of Real Estate: Major changes in real estate
BY: Bob and Donna McWilliams
POSTED: April 27, 2012
Tags: bob mcwilliams, changes, donna mcwilliams, industry, market, price, Real Estate, realities of real estate, sale
Over the past decade, we have witnessed changes in the real estate industry that literally dwarf any previous adjustments to the nature of this business. Both prices and volume went through the largest rise and fall of any previous point in history. At the same time, the process of how homes are bought and sold [...]
Real Estate Weekly: 4/27/12
BY: Daily Record Staff
POSTED: April 27, 2012
Tags: Baltimore Design School, BGE Home, Corporate Office Properties Trust, first potomac realty trust, fort ritchie, host hotels & resorts inc, housing, iCore Networks, lasalle, leases, Mackenzie Commercial Real Estate Services, real estate weekly, St. John Properties Inc., the bozzuto group
LaSalle FFO, revenue up on higher rates LaSalle Hotel Properties, of Bethesda, a real estate investment trust that owns upscale and luxury full-service hotels, reported first-quarter funds from operations of $14 million, or 16 cents per share, on revenue of $172.3 million, versus FFO of $8.5 million, or 8.5 cents per share, on revenue of [...]
Contracts for homes across U.S. rose last month
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: April 26, 2012
Tags: builders, buyers, contracts, foreclosure, housing market, mortgages, national assocaition of realtors, new-home sales, Real Estate, realtors, sales agreements, sellers
WASHINGTON — An index that tracks the number of signed contracts to buy U.S. homes rose to its highest level in nearly two years last month, the latest sign the battered housing market is slowly improving. The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that its index of sales agreements increased 4.1 percent last month to [...]
Building council considers green standards, Plan Maryland
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: April 25, 2012
Tags: General Assembly, gov. martin o'malley, green building construction codes, green technology, international green construction code, maryland green building council, plan maryland
Comments: 1
ANNAPOLIS — The Maryland Green Building Council is scheduled to receive presentations on Plan Maryland and new green building construction codes enacted by the legislature earlier this year. The council is expected to meet Wednesday morning to consider the measures. The new construction codes passed by the General Assembly mirror that of the International Green [...]
Green Spring Station plans spur opposition
BY: Melody Simmons
POSTED: April 24, 2012
Tags: baltimore county planning board, Development, green spring, maryland, plans, station
Inside the upscale corridors at Green Spring Station, window displays show the latest fashions and whimsical accessories. But the ornate and colorful frills offered daily to hundreds of visitors to the Lutherville development mask a tug of war that has been going on behind the scenes for years over future growth of the center. Last [...]
Foreclosures squeeze U.S. home prices, sales
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: April 24, 2012
Tags: buyers, commerce department, construction, Financing, foreclosure, homes, inventory, National Association of Realtors, new homes, new-home sales, sales price, sellers, standard & poor's/case-shiller home-price index
WASHINGTON — Rising foreclosures are weighing on the U.S. housing market, reducing prices and keeping new-home sales weak. Foreclosed homes are usually sold at steep discounts, thereby lowering average prices. And by expanding the supply of low-priced previously occupied homes, foreclosures tend to limit demand for new homes. Some economists expect foreclosures to keep prices [...]
City Council to get Superblock tax proposal
BY: Melody Simmons
POSTED: April 23, 2012
Tags: baltimore city council, baltimore development corp., Lexington Square Partners, litigation, mayor stephanie rawlings-blake, payment in lieu of taxes, pilot, superblock, Taxes, westside initiative
A 20-year city property tax break for the developers of the $150 million Superblock development downtown was introduced in the City Council Monday night to provide an incentive city officials say is needed for the long-stalled project to move forward. The payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, calls for a 95 percent tax break [...]
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