The great Jimmy Cagney line — “You dirty rat” — is being heard more and more around town these days. Especially in the 10 cities that d-CON has announced as the worst cities for rat infestations.
So here you have it, this year’s winners:
Top 10 Worst Cities For Rodents in 2009
New York City, NY
Atlanta, GA
Houston, [...]

Interesting opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal. Here are some highlights:
The Treasury’s inpector general for tax administration, J.Russell George recently told Congress:
74,000 filers hadn’t purchased a home but claimed the homebuyer tax credit for a total of $500 million.
500 people under the age of 18, including a 4yr old claimed the homebuyer credit.
The point [...]

An excerpt for the Boston Herald:
The 235-room W Boston opens today, Massachusetts’ first outpost of Starwood Hotels and Resorts’ trendy hotel chain.
But Bostonians may want to bone up on their “W speak” before visiting the hotel. While guests remain “guests,” the W brand likes to convey its “world of wow” through its own lingo.
So, a [...]

A video of Stossel on home buyer credit fraud. In the middle of the interview he lambasts the real estate lobby for participating in crony capitalism and uses Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae as examples. Give it a watch and tell me your feelings on it.

Condominium Sales and Selling Prices
3rd Quarter Regional Comparisons
Click here: Boston condos
Source: The Massachusetts Association of REALTORS

McDonald’s is to close its business in Iceland because the country’s financial crisis has made it too expensive to operate its franchise.
Read the full story
File Under: Where will the real estate agents eat lunch?

Did a disputed bill put the kibosh on your refi? Possibly, according to Ken Harney’s column at latimes.com.
Could a little-known and potentially controversial practice by mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac kill or stall your next loan application? Absolutely.
Picture this scenario: You’ve got outstanding credit scores close to 800 and solid equity in your [...]

Nice interactive chart in the NYT, in an article that shows Boston home prices down -4%:
“ …..concerns are growing that the real estate market will be severely tested this winter.
Artificially low interest rates and a government tax credit are luring buyers, but both those inducements are scheduled to end. Defaults and distress sales are rising [...]

Sometimes tenants are victims in foreclosure proceedings. Sometimes they’re not.
Now the city of Boston is going to have to learn how to distinguish between the two with its latest buyback foreclosure program. The city is also going to learn that handling foreclosed properties is easier said than done.
Whether responsibility for a specific foreclosure lies with [...]

From the Boston Herald: Housing rebound is in sight. Excerpt:
Statewide homes sales rose 4.5 percent last month to 3,785, up from 3,623 in September 2008. The median home price slipped 1.4 percent to $285,000, but the decrease was the smallest price drop in two years.
Condominium sales also perked up by 3.7 percent in September. The [...]