A blog posting by Heather Hopkins, analyst for Hitwise, a company that measures Web traffic, showed that Google was not among the top 10 real estate Web sites in the week ending July 4. Realtor.com, the National Association of Realtors’ site, had the biggest number of visits by far, with 7.6 percent of all real estate site visits. Zillow came in second, with 3.7 percent. Then came Yahoo real estate and Zip Realty, each with about 2.9 percent, and Trulia and Rent.com, each with 2 percent. Rounding out the top 10 were RE/MAX Real Estate, Homegain, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Homes.com, each with less than 2 percent of all visits to real estate sites.

An interesting article by Jeff Yeager I found in the EcoBroker newsletter this week:

The recession may have a silver lining in the form of better quality of life. Learn how to save money and live well.

My father-in-law had a saying: “If you don’t have a good time, you usually learn a good lesson.” I’m reminded of that a lot these days during the current economic recession.

I’m not saying that the economic downturn is a good thing, particularly for people who have lost jobs or their homes. But fortunately that’s not most Americans. For the rest of us, some involuntary belt tightening might have some silver linings. In other words, I think the current market corrections we’re going through might just trigger some long overdue — and ultimately very positive — lifestyle corrections for many Americans.

Consider:

* We’re borrowing less and putting more into savings. We’ve truly learned a lesson — albeit the hard way — about living beyond our means. In 2008, savings rates rose to 1.7%, coming off the lowest savings rates since the Great Depression. And figures recently released for April 2009 are even more impressive, showing the personal savings rate for the month at a 14-year-high of 5.7%.

* We’re wasting less. AKA Using it up, making it last, doing without. This is clear from the increase in thrift store and re-sale store sales. Goodwill Store revenues in February were up 7.2% over last year, and for the first time in generations, many thrift stores are selling their wares faster than additional merchandise is being donated.

* We’re building smaller homes. It’s bad for your bank account and bad for the environment to construct, heat, cool, electrify, decorate, maintain and pay taxes and insurance on unnecessary square footage. For the first time in more than 10 years, the average size of new homes being built dropped by nearly 300 square feet, or 11%. Studies show that we, as humans, are inherently uncomfortable living in too large of spaces, and the recent economy has shown that we’re definitely uncomfortable trying to pay for them. In with “Not So Big” and “Little Boxes”!

* We’re driving less and staying around home more. When gas was at $4 a gallon, two-thirds of Americans said they changed their habits and drove less...and nothing awful happened because of it. It save resources, generates less pollution, and, because we’re spending more time closer to home, it stands to bring our families and communities closer together. That’s why I still continue to pay $4 a gallon at the pump, or, rather, pay myself the difference in my “$4 a Gallon Savings Club.”

* We’re eating lower on the food chain, which is usually healthier. Sales of poultry are up, red meat are down. We’re buying more staples, and fewer processed foods. We’re eating more fruits and vegetables, and raising a lot more of those ourselves: Home vegetable gardens are projected to be up 40% this year compared to 2007. If these trends continue, the next dire headline out of the recession might just be “American Obesity Epidemic Declines!”

* Hard times might help to revitalize local businesses/economies. In the long run, it stands to reason that the current recession might actually help to revitalize long struggling local businesses and economies. Consider these factors: * Transporting products from far away becomes less cost effective, making the produce at local farmers’ markets, for example, more cost competitive. * Big national chains are going under in record numbers, opening the door to local/independent businesses. * Local businesses are more responsive to changing demands and have fewer, if any, demands by shareholders for higher returns on investment. * And many local communities, like those in the Berkshire region of Massachusetts, are taking matters into their own hands and finding creative ways to help local business not just survive, but thrive.

Check out Jeff Yeager talking about saving money on ABC News Now
Jeff Yeager is the author of the book The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches. His Website is http://www.UltimateCheapskate.com.

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/save-money/how-to-save-money-recession-460609?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr#ixzz0K2PUZqPu&C

My compliments to Phoebe Chongchua for the following article.  It shows how air quality plays SUCH a big part in how we feel day to day: 

Selling Home May Be Influenced by What Buyers Can’t See
by Phoebe Chongchua

It’s not always what buyers can see in a home that causes them to want to buy it or not. Sometimes it’s the way the home feels. I’m not talking about staging, the size, or how spacious the home is, although those factors are important too. In this column I’m focusing on how buyers’ allergies may be affected when they tour your home.

“We have about 300 million Americans and about 60 million of them have allergies or asthma,” says, Mike Tringale, Director of External Affairs for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).

Allergy problems can be debilitating for sufferers. Many will go to great lengths to avoid any possible influences that might bring on symptoms. Allergies and asthma are increasing, Tringale says, “some of that may actually be because of the houses we’re living in.” He adds, “it all comes down to the air quality in the home.” According to AAFA, there are some simple steps that you can take to help clear the air in your home and reduce any harmful fumes—making it more appealing to those with allergies and even those without.

Tringale says do this three-step process: take an organized approach to looking at how your home is built, look at materials used in your home, and understand the types of cleaning agents that you’re using and how they can affect indoor air quality.

Check for mold. Mold is one of the most common indoor allergens. “Look for cracks in foundation. Check to see if the windows are completely sealed or if moisture is getting in—too much moisture can lead to a mold problem,” says Tringale. He adds that there are also housing products, such as wallboard, that are mold resistant. So be sure to check for those items when replacing housing materials.

Clean with hydrogen peroxide or sodium perborate not bleach. Bleach is a common cleaning chemical but it has a very strong odor and, people with highly sensitive allergies to bleach, often immediately can sense symptoms coming on even if with just a brief exposure to the chemical.

Use PVC-free shower curtains. Hard to imagine that a pretty shower curtain can wreak such havoc on people’s allergies, but the polyvinyl chloride shower curtains can release more than 100 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including two (toluene and xylene) that are classified as hazardous pollutants by the Environmental Protection Agency. Having PVC shower curtains hanging around while your home is being shown can make those suffering from allergies feel the need to escape quickly.

Opt for area rugs instead of wall-to-wall carpeting. The U.S. Green Building Council provides information on “going green,” the Council says carpeting can be particularly troublesome because the padding underneath is very difficult to clean or remove for drying. Carpets also harbor dirt, organic detritus, and moisture and can become a significant source for mold and mildew. Instead use area rugs over a hard-surface floor. The Council also recommends avoiding all biocide-treated (moth repellent) wool or cotton carpets.

Use products that contain low volatile organic compounds (VOCs). A lot of homeowners will paint just before they list their homes for sale. But Tringale says, if you do, be sure to use paints that contain low VOCs. “Many paints contain volatile organic compounds and smells that can linger for weeks and cause all kinds of symptoms including eye irritations for people,” says Tringale.

“If you’re re-staining your floors ask for the low VOC stains, or even better, put in pre-treated floors rather than raw wood that you then have to apply polyurethane over the top of,” says Tringale. He cautions sellers to “Make smart choices; otherwise you’re going to have a house that is really chemically offensive to buyers who are walking through.” For more information visit asthmaandallergyfriendly.com.

Published: June 19, 2009

May 28, 2009, By Nick Timiraos of the Wall Street Journal:

Why do borrowers default? Many have assumed it’s because mortgage payments are too high. But a new paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta argues that unaffordable loans—with high mortgage payments relative to income from the time they’re originated—are “unlikely to be the main reason that borrowers decide to default.” Instead, unemployment and future home price declines are likely to play a bigger role. (The paper looks at loans that are unaffordable from the time they’re originated, and not at loans that may start with low “teaser” rates before jumping higher.)

The Fed paper estimates that a 1-percentage-point increase in the unemployment rate boosts the chance of a 90-day delinquency by 10%-20%, and a 10-percentage point fall in house prices raises the probability of a default by more than half. A 10-percentage-point jump in the debt-to-income ratio, meanwhile, increases the chance of a 90-day delinquency by 7%-11%.

The paper also takes a look at whether it’s really in the interest of investors and lenders to modify delinquent loans instead of foreclosing on the homes backed by those loans. After all, some estimate that the gains from modifying loans rather than foreclosing on them runs as high as $180 billion. The authors note, “It is natural to wonder why investors are leaving so many $500 bills on the sidewalk.” Their answer: modifications don’t save much. While investors do save some money by modifying loans, they still lose money on those that work–and many modifications still fail.

So how to prevent defaults and foreclosures? An important question amid news Thursday that mortgage delinquencies hit record highs. While the authors recognize the value of loan modifications as one practical tool, the paper argues for more attention on programs to help people who lose their jobs to get through stretches of unemployment without resorting to the loss of their homes. Another approach: to boost short sales, where the lender allows the sale of a home for less than the value of the mortgage

June 9,2009----

Mortgage rates across the board jumped this week, with conventional mortgages reaching their highest point so far this year.

Freddie Mac reports a jump in the 30-year fixed mortgage rate to a 25-week high of 5.29 percent during the week ended June 4, up from 4.91 percent the prior week. As recently as two months ago, rates had been 4.78 percent.

The 15-year fixed rate also increased, rising to 4.79 percent from 4.53 percent, with Freddie Mac chief economist Frank Nothaft indicating that the gains follow a surge in long-term bond yields.

Meanwhile, the five-year adjustable mortgage rate climbed to 4.85 percent from 4.82 percent, and the one-year ARM surged to 4.81 percent from 4.69 percent.

Source: Chicago Sun-Times, Francine Knowles (06/05/09)