Currently in the News

• 9 May 2012: Tax Terms Amended in Empire State Building IPO – The Malkin family that controls the Empire State Building has agreed to change the terms of the skyscraper's public offering, making the tax treatment less punitive to small investors.
• 10 May 2012: Old Europe on the Upper East Side – This 1,900-square-foot duplex apartment on New York's Upper East Side is home to a number of centuries-old European antiques and paintings that give the space an aristocratic touch.
• 10 May 2012: Pointed Spat Over World Trade Spire – One World Trade Center's owners are sparring with their architects over what goes on top—a dispute that could stop the structure being recognized as America's tallest.
• 11 May 2012: Hong Kong Peak Property – Perched near the top of Hong Kong's priciest neighborhoods is this European-style townhouse with panoramic views of the city skyline and subtropical forests covering the mountainside.
• 11 May 2012: Cool Again, Britannia Invades the Home – Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee has inspired designers to come up with products that capture the moment. With so much merchandising to choose from, this is the perfect opportunity to flex your collector's muscle.
• 14 May 2012: Restored French Monastery – This 11-bedroom property in southwest France includes a restored 18th-century monastery and two cottages set in 40 acres of parkland and hazelnut plantations.
• 14 May 2012: Equestrian Estate in Pennsylvania – This 135-acre equestrian compound has been in the same family for more than a century. It includes four homes, pastures, horse stables and plenty of land for generations to come.
• 14 May 2012: Is Now the Time to Buy Your First House? – Yes, says RBC Global's Eric Lascelles, who believes homes are more affordable than they've been in quite a while. No, says economic consultant A. Gary Shilling, who contends that home prices have 20% or more to drop before they hit bottom.
• 15 May 2012: Fearing the Worst on Park Avenue – The national luxury-home builder Toll Brothers is moving to alter two small, pre-Civil War houses that survive amid the tall co-ops of Park Avenue, despite lobbying efforts by neighbors to save them.
• 15 May 2012: Florida's Next Frontier – A parcel of timberland in Florida that is nearly the size of Rhode Island and owned by a who's who of elites from the worlds of business and diplomacy is now slated to be the next frontier in the state's real-estate development.
• 15 May 2012: CBRE Taps New Vein From Old Deal – The real-estate company's top-of-the-market acquisition of Trammell Crow Co. has turned out to be the deal that keeps on giving, in the form of incoming CEO Robert Sulentic.
• 15 May 2012: Brookfield to Spin Off Holdings – Brookfield Asset Management plans to bundle together its wide array of commercial-property holdings into a new publicly traded subsidiary, with an eye toward further growth.
• 15 May 2012: More Real-Estate Loans Default in Europe – European commercial real-estate markets are struggling with a sharp increase in mortgages falling into trouble, just as more European countries slip back into recession.
• 16 May 2012: Billings Slip Back – After five months of positive readings, the Architecture Billings Index slipped back into negative territory during April, an indication that demand for design services declined.
• 16 May 2012: If Kids Can Play, Will Mom Shop? – In their bid to keep shoppers from deserting to the Internet, more malls are adding sprawling play spaces.
• 16 May 2012: Asian Contemporary in Bel Air – A dynamic art collection and a soothing verdant backdrop led to the marriage of Asian influences in this 5,375-square-foot Southern California home.
• 17 May 2012: Foreclosures Show No Sign of Decline – The percentage of homeowners delinquent on their mortgages in the first quarter fell to the lowest level since the end of 2008, but the share of loans in foreclosure remains high.
• 17 May 2012: Deal Is Near to Develop Willets Point – The Bloomberg administration is nearing a deal with the Related Cos. and a real-estate firm controlled by owners of the New York Mets to build a retail and residential development on a gritty swath of Queens near Citi Field.
• 17 May 2012: Modern Country Home – This recently completed five-bedroom house is located in quiet countryside about an hour from central London.
• 17 May 2012: On the (Old) Road to New York – This 18th-century estate in New York's Westchester County includes a centuries-old milestone used to direct stagecoach drivers and once had its own baseball team.
• 17 May 2012: A Jungle Retreat in Bali – Set within the Balinese hinterland is this four-bedroom house built from old telegraph poles. The two-acre property includes a two-story guesthouse and an infinity pool.
• 17 May 2012: Istanbul Villa – This six-bedroom home on the European shore of the Bosphorus was built in 1999 in a fashionable district close to the center of Istanbul.
• 18 May 2012: A Riverfront Jaguar Lair – This 14,000-square-foot house on the St. Johns River is coming up for auction on May 24 with no minimum bid. The owners used to own the Jacksonville Jaguars football team, thus the painting of three jaguars that hangs over the fireplace in the living room and which comes with the house.
• 18 May 2012: 'Painted Lady' for $2.295 Million – A Queen Anne Victorian, one of San Francisco's 'Painted Ladies' overlooking Alamo Square Park, is on the market for $2.295 million.
• 18 May 2012: Alpine Retreat in New Zealand – This seven-bedroom house in Queenstown, New Zealand, with lake and mountain views has been used as a bed and breakfast for the past decade.
• 18 May 2012: Chelsea's Perennial Inspiration – If last year was about big, manly architectural statements at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, this year is about exploring the softer, more sensual side of gardening, with smells and sounds featuring heavily in show spaces.
• 18 May 2012: Should You Keep Secrets From Your Real Estate Agent? – Even if pushed, you don't have to share the details of your bank account or personal life.
• 18 May 2012: Private Properties – Celine Dion lists a private Canadian island for $29.3 million; Ryan Seacrest is in escrow to buy Ellen DeGeneres's home for $37 million; a midtown Manhattan duplex lists for $12 million.
• 20 May 2012: The New First Family of Real Estate – An $85 million L.A. mansion with a 500-worker renovation team. A $70 million London home with a bowling alley. The Ecclestone sisters are swiftly amassing a global property portfolio. The new generation of wealthy buyers.
• 20 May 2012: Plunging (Carefully) Into Real Estate – Many small businesses are finding ways to minimize the downside risk of getting into real estate.
• 12 September 2008: Tackle Credit Cards Now – People ages 25 to 34 hold an average of $4,358 in credit-card debt and not many of them complete a "get out of debt" plan in less than three years. But it is possible. Here are some tips on how to begin -- and stick with -- a debt diet.
• 15 September 2008: Kids Get Money-Wise at Camp – Financial education is expanding to an unlikely audience -- younger kids, even grade-school students. This summer, school-age children will attend finance camp, where they'll take trips to a bank or delve into investing simulations.
• 20 September 2008: Loan Delinquencies Reappear – Loan delinquencies jumped at the fastest pace since last year in August for many categories.
• 22 September 2008: Your Cash: How Safe Is Safe? – Strategies on how to keep hundreds of thousands of dollars safely stowed away under FDIC protection.
• 7 October 2008: Car Loan Delinquencies Rise – Auto-loan delinquencies are on the rise as cash-strapped Americans increasingly struggle to repay car and truck loans, according to a study.
• 14 October 2008: Debt-Relief Firms Attract Complaints – Regulators say many companies that promise to clear up unpaid bills don't deliver. The consequences are trashing customers' credit scores.
• 5 November 2008: 'Underwater' vs. Foreclosure – Why most people who owe more than a property's worth will still keep their homes.
• 24 August 2009: When Credit-Card Rules Take Effect – Starting Aug. 20, credit-card users will get new protections, the first of a series of federal actions that constrain card issuers from changing terms on customers. A look at some of the rules.
• 21 October 2009: Fixing Troubled Mortgages for Elderly – Option adjustable-rate mortgages are proving nearly as toxic as subprime mortgages. To help certain seniors, banks are using a novel strategy.
• 16 December 2009: How Much Is a College Degree Worth? – Families are evaluating the reasons to pursue higher education and how much tuition they want to pay.
• 17 December 2009: More Borrowers Drawn to 15-Year Mortgage – Lured by rock-bottom interest rates, a growing share of borrowers looking to refinance are opting for a 15-year mortgage instead of the traditional 30-year one.
• 23 December 2009: Tamer Cards for Tougher Times – When the economy was roaring, charge cards requiring users to pay balances in full took a back seat to revolving credit cards. Now charge cards are making a comeback.
• 29 December 2009: New BofA CEO Seeks Credit-Card Fix – When Bank of America Corp.'s new chief executive takes over next week, one of the first problems he will face is one he's already been grappling with—the bank's credit-card business.
• 8 March 2010: Defaulted Loans May Haunt Seniors – A little-noticed law could result in smaller Social Security checks for hundreds of thousands of seniors who owe the U.S. money from defaulted loans and other debts more than a decade old.
• 8 March 2010: Home-Saving Moves Afoot – Pressure is growing on U.S. banks to ease terms for distressed homeowners on home-equity loans and other second-lien mortgages.
• 10 March 2010: BofA Ends Some Overdraft Fees – Bank of America plans to announce that it is eliminating $35 overdraft fees on debit-card purchases as the bank tries to stay ahead of a sweeping round of regulations.
• 29 March 2010: Data Theft Hits 3.3 Million Borrowers – Company and federal officials said they believed last week's theft of identity data from a student-loan guarantor was the largest-ever breach of such information and could affect up to 5% of all federal student-loan borrowers.
• 10 April 2010: Is It Time to Refinance Your Mortgage? – With interest rates on the rise, more homeowners are asking that question. The answer depends, in part, on how long they plan to live in their current home.
• 12 April 2010: New Help for College Borrowers – Buried in the health-care bill is some modest help for parents borrowing to pay college costs. But the legislation doesn't address current and former students who are wrestling with education debt.
• 19 April 2010: Reverse Mortgages Now Look Cheaper – Some of the country's biggest reverse-mortgage lenders are slicing costs—helping even some affluent homeowners who want to generate additional income.

Mark Eastburn NMLS# 128552 | Eastburn Group | Portland Oregon Home Loans | Portland Mortgage Banker | Portland Mortgage Broker | Portland Mortgage