Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:47:06 -0800

Regional MLS adds augmented reality to iPhone, iPad apps

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:00:17 -0800

Top 10 U.S. real estate hotspots for international house hunters

Florida is top state, Las Vegas the No. 1 city

Inman News
Inman News®

Florida remained the most popular U.S. property search destination among foreign house hunters during the last three months of 2011, according to a quarterly report from real estate technology and marketing company Point2.

Point2's International Real Estate Traffic Report, which debuted in December, tracks visits from non-U.S. consumers to listings pages on the company's public-facing property portal, Point2Homes.

During the fourth quarter. Point2Homes had an average of 800,000 U.S. listings, and international traffic accounted for 35 percent of traffic to the site.

The 10 most popular areas -- nine states plus Puerto Rico -- captured 84.9 percent of the site's international traffic overall, little changed from the third quarter of 2011 and the same period a year ago.

"International interest presents a good opportunity for the savvy (real estate) agent. Those who can effectively market to international buyers interested in their city, by better understanding who they are, will be better equipped to tap this opportunity," said Saul Klein, senior vice president for Point2.

Source: Point2

Florida was by far the most popular state, capturing 31 percent of international traffic to all U.S. listings, a slight drop from its 33 percent share in the third quarter. Arizona and Nevada held their No.2 and No. 3 spots, each increasing market share to 19.4 percent and 8.6 percent, respectively. California, U.S. territory Puerto Rico, Michigan, Texas, Hawaii, Georgia and New York also stayed in the top 10, though Michigan and Texas traded the No. 6 and 7 spots.

Top 10 states by share of international real estate traffic (Q4):

State	%
Florida	31%
Arizona	19.4%
Nevada	8.6%
California	7.1%
Puerto Rico	5.6%
Michigan	4%
Texas	3.6%
Hawaii	2.8%
Georgia	1.4%
New York	1.4%

Source: Point2

Canada was by far the biggest source of international traffic for these 10 areas, accounting for the highest share of foreign traffic in all and the majority of foreign traffic in six: Arizona, where Canadians made up 93.6 percent of foreign traffic; Hawaii (78.3 percent); Michigan (74.1 percent); California (73.7 percent); Florida (65.9 percent); and Nevada (63.2 percent). Point2 is based in Saskatoon, Canada.

"We continue to see consistent international interest in U.S. real estate, particularly from Canadians, who typically travel to the U.S. for holidays. Many Canadians own property in the U.S., typically in warmer regions. We also find that there is interest in states with close proximity to Canada where the opportunity to own or invest in real estate seems very attractive, such as Michigan," Klein said.

"In our opinion, the key drivers include a relatively strong Canadian dollar, ample inventory and motivated sellers."

As in the third quarter, the United Kingdom and Mexico were the second- and third-biggest sources of international traffic to these 10 areas last quarter. Georgia had the biggest share of traffic from the U.K. among the 10, accounting for 11.3 percent of that state's overall international traffic. Texas saw the biggest share of international traffic from nearby Mexico, making up 10.2 percent of the territory's overall foreign traffic.

Las Vegas was the most popular city for foreigners, accounting for 14.5 percent of overall international visits to U.S. cities. Mesa, Ariz., was second, followed by Orlando, Fla.

Among the top 20 most popular cities, Florida accounted for seven, down from eight in third-quarter 2011; Arizona, five, up from three in the third quarter; Puerto Rico, three, up from two; California, two, down from four; and Nevada, Michigan and New York, one each.

Las Vegas attracted nearly all of Nevada's international traffic in the fourth quarter (90.1 percent) with Canada as the leading source (62.1 percent), followed by Russia (10.7 percent), and Australia (3.7 percent).

International traffic was more evenly spread across Florida's cities. Orlando attracted the biggest share (9.8 percent), followed by Pompano Beach (9.3 percent) and Kissimmee (7.5 percent). In Orlando, Canada accounted for 28.5 percent of foreign traffic, followed by Puerto Rico (20.8 percent) and the U.K. (12.7 percent). In Pompano Beach, Canada led the vast majority of traffic, 90.1 percent, followed distantly by Venezuela at 2.9 percent.

Canada also accounted for the vast majority of international traffic in Mesa and Detroit, the second and fifth most popular U.S. cities, respectively.

Mesa attracted 29 percent of overall international traffic to Arizona. Canada made up nearly 98 percent of international traffic to the city, followed by Albania at 0.6 percent.

In California, Indio was the most searched city, attracting 17.9 percent of the state's international traffic. Canada accounted for 91.6 percent of the city's foreign traffic, followed by the U.K. (4.9 percent), and Mexico (3.6 percent).

In Puerto Rico, San Juan was the most popular city with 18.1 percent of the territory's fourth-quarter international traffic. Canada led among site visitors (24.5 percent), followed by Spain (12.7 percent), and Mexico (6.4 percent).

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Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:04:31 -0800

Listing syndication debate heats up

Philadelphia-based broker defends Trulia, Zillow, Realtor.com

Andrea V. Brambila
Inman News®

The real estate industry's debate about listing syndication continues to heat up.

Less than a week after a San Diego-based brokerage announced via YouTube video it would no longer display its listings on third-party websites, Philadelphia-based real estate and mortgage broker Fred Glick has posted his own video rebuttal defending listing syndication.

Jim Abbott, president and managing broker of San Diego-based ARG Abbott Realty Group, last Thursday publicly announced his brokerage's decision to stop syndicating listings to third-party websites, including Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com.

Abbott complained that the exposure listings receive on third-party sites was of little benefit to the firm's clients. The sites "act as middlemen and post our valuable listing data alongside the contact information of other agents and brokers who rent ad space on their sites," Abbott said.

Wednesday, Glick released his response to Abbott's announcement in a video titled "Buyer Brokerage, Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Against Dual Agency and Why They Matter." Glick is principal at real estate brokerage U S Spaces Inc., which is licensed in Pennsylvania and California.

"I believe he's doing a disservice to his sellers, potential buyers and to the real estate community as a whole," Glick said, referring to Abbott. U S Spaces has 15 agents and covers the Philadelphia area, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. The brokerage does not compete with ARG in the San Diego area and does not plan to, Glick said.

Glick took particular issue with Abbott urging consumers to call a property's listing agent, who Abbott said "is the best qualified and most logical person to respond to questions from buyers and buyers' agents."

Calling the listing agent can encourage dual agency, where the same agent or broker ends up representing both buyer and seller, while third-party sites offer other agents as alternatives, according to Glick.

"Someone who lists a property and it aggregates out to these sites and others, the idea is not to call the listing agent -- it's to call someone who will represent you and only you as a buyer broker. I'm not scared of that," Glick said.

"Is (Abbott) scared of losing the other half of the commission? Is that why? Mr. Abbott decides to say to you that the only person who's going to know about this property and the area is the listing agent. Well, thank you Mr. Abbott, for absolutely demoralizing buyer brokers."

In responding to the video, Abbott told Inman News, that "in 2011, ARG Abbott Realty Group transactions involved a cooperating broker 96.3 percent of the time. The remaining 3.7 percent of our transactions were in-house sales where the principals were represented by two separate ARG agents."

Abbott said his video advises consumers to talk "to a licensed Realtor with experience in the area and knowledge of the specific property. My comments have nothing to do with dual agency or our desire to increase it within our office. They have everything to do with getting the correct and timely information to the homebuying public."

Philadelphia-based real estate and mortgage broker Fred Glick's YouTube video.

Glick told Inman News that he was inspired to create his video "because I'm an advocate for consumers and the ending of dual agency. I think it's just a brutal practice."

In a court trial, Glick says in the video, "You don't want to be represented by the same lawyer who is prosecuting you and defending you ... correct? Well, you don't want the same real estate agent representing the seller and the buyer, do you?"

His own brokerage represents both buyers and sellers and does not practice dual agency, Glick said. He suggested consumers find themselves a good buyer broker, rather than directly calling a listing agent.

"Talk to people. Talk to friends, family, co-workers. Search out the recommendations that are on Trulia and Zillow. Call the people. Interview a few of them. That's the way you buy a house," Glick said.

Third-party sites benefit both buyers and sellers, according to Glick.

Buyers can find a good buyer broker, "maybe through Zillow or Trulia where they have agent rankings and where they tell you exactly what these people cover, who these people have dealt with in the past and have written reviews about," Glick said.

"And as a seller you absolutely want your listing aggregated on these sites," he said, adding that it costs agents nothing to post a listing to Trulia, Zillow and Realtor.com.

"Why would you not want it on there? It's more advertising, it's reaching more people, and it just makes sense," Glick said.

Consumers already don't trust real estate agents, and hiding information they need and want "is not the right thing," Glick said.

"Buyers want information. They're going to find it. So why not let them do it on the sites that already have the information? Trulia, Zillow, Realtor.com are probably the top three that show up when you Google real estate in your city. So let's give the consumers what they want: transparency," he said.

Glick said he has no financial stake in either Zillow, Trulia or Realtor.com other than being a subscriber to all three. Though he could not quantify how much business the sites have brought him, he did say the sites have both brought him leads and helped him build up a database of contacts.

Phoenix broker Jay Thompson, who admits he is "pro-syndication," also responded to Abbott's video on his blog, the Phoenix Real Estate Guy.

"If you feel syndicators are harming consumers by making it difficult to contact listing agents, they you must, must, also keep your listings out of IDX distribution," Thompson said.

IDX -- Internet Data Exchange -- is the system used by participating brokers to display each other's listings on their own websites. IDX listings are administered by multiple listing services, and can only be displayed on approved MLS, broker and agent websites.

"The exact same issue of not reaching the listing agent that seems to bother so many in syndication also exists in IDX," Thompson said.

"Trust me, we get calls and emails -- seven days a week -- from people searching on this very site who think we are the listing agent for the property they are viewing. Every. Day."

Thompson added that he loves IDX and "it's the lifeblood of my prospect generation efforts," but "the same problem exists in both systems. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Pulling out of syndication but using IDX smacks of hypocrisy."

While Abbott faults third-party sites for inaccurate listing data, Thompson points out that MLS data is not completely accurate either.

"The MLS is not a sanctity of data integrity. I don't believe the data in the MLS is as bad as it is on the syndication sites, but it's clearly bad enough that the 'integrity of the data' argument is moot," Thompson said.

"And lest we forget, every major syndication site has a way to correct inaccurate data. If you aren't correcting bad data, that is just as much your own fault as it it is the syndicators."

Abbott said third-party listing sites take listing data and its accompanying content "without compensation to the brokers, agents, photographers, and videographers who create, pay for, and own the content."

Thompson said agents are compensated -- in the form of a commission check.

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Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:19:04 -0800

Mortgage rates probe new lows

Eight out of 10 loan applications are for refis

Inman News
Inman News®

Mortgage rates plunged to new all-time lows this week as investors in bonds that fund most home loans reacted to news that the economy grew more slowly than expected during the last three months of 2011.

Freddie Mac's weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 3.87 percent with an average 0.8 point for the week ending Feb. 2, down from 3.98 percent last week and 4.81 percent a year ago. That's a new all-time low in Freddie Mac survey records dating to 1971.

Rates on 15-year fixed-rate loans averaged 3.14 percent with an average 0.8 point, down from 3.24 percent last week and 4.08 percent a year ago. Rates on 15-year loans have never been lower since Freddie Mac began tracking them in 1991.

For five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) loans, rates averaged 2.8 percent with an average 0.7 point, down from 2.85 percent last week and 3.69 percent a year ago. That's a new low in records dating to 2005.

Rates on one-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.76 percent with an average 0.6 point, up slightly from last week's record low of 2.74 percent. At this time last year, the one-year ARM averaged 3.26 percent.

"Most mortgage rates eased to all-time record lows this week as fourth-quarter growth in the economy fell short of market projections," said Freddie Mac chief economist Frank Nothaft in a statement. "The gross domestic product rose 2.8 percent in the final three months of 2011, below the market consensus forecast of 3 percent, while consumer spending in December was flat. One bright spot, however, was that fixed residential investment increased for the third consecutive quarter and residential construction spending rebounded in December, rising 0.7 percent."

Looking back a week, a separate survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association showed demand for purchase loans was down a seasonally adjusted 1.7 percent during the week ending Jan. 27 compared to the week before. Demand for purchase loans was down 4.3 percent from the same time a year ago.

Requests to refinance accounted for 80 percent of all mortgage applications, down from 81.3 percent the week before.

"The Federal Reserve surprised the market last week by indicating that short-term rates were likely to stay at their current low levels until the end of 2014," said MBA chief economist Michael Fratantoni in a statement. "Longer-term Treasury rates dropped in response, and mortgage rates for the week were down slightly as a result."

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Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:47:00 -0800

Presidential hopefuls' housing plans compared

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:38:00 -0800

Historic real estate offers glimpse into the past

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:19:41 -0800

Obama administration details refinance plan for underwater borrowers

Borrowers would need minimum credit score of 580

Inman News
Inman News®

Last week, in his State of the Union address, President Obama introduced a proposal to help millions of homeowners, who are underwater on their mortgages, refinance their loans at current low rates. Today, the administration released details of the plan.

The plan, which must be approved by Congress before it can become active, would expand access to federal refinancing initiatives for holders of mortgages that are not currently backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

"No more red tape, no more runaround from the banks," the president said during the address, referring to the underwater mortgage assistance plan that his administration estimates could save qualified homeowners up to $3,000 a year by refinancing their loans.

The refinance initiative would be available to owners of single-family, owner-occupied homes who meet several basic "responsibility" criteria. The criteria include that qualified borrowers:

have been current on payments for the past six months and have not missed more than one payment in the previous six months;
have a FICO credit score of at least 580; and
have a loan not higher than Federal Housing Authority loan limits for the home's geographic area.

"A small fee on the largest financial institutions will ensure that (the plan) won't add to the deficit, and will give those banks that were rescued by taxpayers a chance to repay a deficit of trust," said President Obama during the State of the Union address. The administration estimates the initiative could cost from $5 billion to $10 billion.

Other aspects of the plan include a proposed "Homeowner Bill of Rights," which would encourage streamlined, simplified mortgage forms and limit the practice of "dual-tracking," in which banks concurrently work on restructuring a loan and pursue a foreclosure for the same property at the same time.

"Before they can start foreclosure, banks will have to show they took all reasonable steps to modify a borrower's mortgage," wrote Robert Freedman in a Realtor Magazine article published today.

Another key part of the plan is a pilot project to turn vacant and foreclosed-upon homes into rentals to revitalize neighborhoods with many empty, unused houses. The Obama administration and the Federal Housing Finance Agency are working together on a plan to convert real estate owned properties (REOs) into rentals.

Ethan Handelman, vice president for policy and advocacy for the National Housing Conference, which advocates for affordable housing, said in a statement, "We urge Congress to take up these proposals in a spirit of bipartisanship and the administration to move swiftly to implement the elements that it can do on its own."

And Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders trade group, also expressed support for the plan. "The nation's home builders commend President Obama for highlighting the vital role that housing plays in the U.S. economy, for recognizing the high value that Americans place on homeownership, and for focusing on how to address the nation's housing problems," Nielsen said in a statement.

"Clearly, more decisive actions are needed to increase refinancing opportunities, to reduce the inventory of foreclosed homes and to prevent additional homes from going into foreclosure."

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Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:37:04 -0800

Real estate price index continues downward price trend

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:58:59 -0800

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate expands in the South

Franchise network adds brokerages in Texas, Georgia and South Carolina

Inman News
Inman News®

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate has begun the year by signing up three new brokerages in Southern states, adding 202 agents to its network.

The franchise network's latest addition is Spartanburg, S.C.-based brokerage Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Young & Co., formerly known as Prudential C. Dan Joyner Co., Realtors.

The brokerage adds two offices and 75 agents to the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate network and will continue to be headed by owner and president Evelyn K. Young.

"The technologies and resources that are now available to our agents, along with the national brand recognition, are going to be key factors in continuing the growth of our corporate relocation and residential real estate business," Young said in a statement Tuesday.

Last week, Augusta, Ga.-based Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Executive Partners, formerly Executive Partners, also signed up, adding two offices and 104 agents to the network.

"As a company that values a fast-paced, technology-driven work environment, we are excited to use the innovative tools and resources that are offered by the brand to help best serve our clients," said owner Tommy Stephenson in a statement.

College Station, Texas-based brokerage Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Preferred Living was the first brokerage to join the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate network this year. The newly formed brokerage has 23 agents and will open its office later this month.

A subsidiary of Realogy Corp., Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate operates a network with about 7,000 sales associates and more than 200 offices in 24 U.S. states and Canada.

The franchise network last added a new brokerage, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Safari Realty, in November. The Staten Island brokerage is the network's first in the New York City market.

In October, the network announced it had signed a 25-year master franchise agreement to expand the brand across Canada, its first foray outside of the U.S.

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Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:14:54 -0800

Century 21 Super Bowl ad to feature Donald Trump, Deion Sanders, Apollo Ohno

30-second spot during big game is first by a real estate franchisor in more than 20 years

Paul Hagey
Inman News®

This year, the Super Bowl brings to an anticipated 110 million-plus U.S. television audience its perennial cast of characters: two iconic National Football League powerhouses, more than a few carmakers, beer companies, and big-studio movies. And for the first time in a long time, a real estate brokerage company will be part of the mix.

Century 21 Real Estate -- among the largest global real estate franchisors with about 7,600 franchise offices in 71 countries -- is set to air a 30-second spot during the third quarter of Sunday's Super Bowl, which begins at 6:30 p.m. EST on NBC this Sunday, Feb. 5.

The Super Bowl ad continues the brokerage's "Smarter, bolder, faster" national campaign, launched earlier this year, and will feature Century 21 real estate agents besting celebrities at their own game.

In the ad, a Century 21 real estate agent takes on and overcomes the "smarts" of real estate don Donald Trump, the boldness of NFL hall-of-famer Deion Sanders, and the speed of U.S. Olympic speed skater Apollo Ohno. A series of about a dozen teaser ads will run during the 4.5-hour pregame show on NBC, which starts at 2 p.m. EST. Century 21 is also the sponsor of the pregame show that runs between 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. EST.

"It's the perfect springboard to the springtime selling season," said Beverly Thorne, chief marketing officer of Century 21 Real Estate, of the Super Bowl ad.

It's the first Super Bowl ad by a real estate brokerage in 21 years, said Thorne, and signifies the company's optimism that the housing market is on the rise. Real estate hasn't been completely lacking from the game in the last few years. A real estate-related company, Homeaway, which provides vacation home-location services, ran ads in each of the last two big games.

Beyond this year's sporting drama of whether the New England Patriots will avenge their devastating 2007 Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants is an expected record-setting TV U.S. audience. The last two Super Bowls set all-time U.S. TV viewership records, with an average of 111 million viewers in 2011 and 106 million viewers in 2010, according to Nielsen data.

"The Super Bowl's a crazy couple of hours," said advertising industry analyst Bryan Michurski. "Optimism comes with Super Bowl hype," he said, "which Century 21 may be able to capitalize on."

"There are 10 car ads this year," said Michurski, "and only one real estate company." Century 21, by purchasing a 30-second Super Bowl spot -- with an average price tag of $3.5 million apiece, according to NBC Sports -- might be able to get a good return on its investment, he said.

NBC Sports sells 70 30-second ad slots for the game, which have historically been dominated by advertisements from car and beer companies and movie studios.

Reflecting the depressed housing market and a changing media landscape, Century 21 had temporarily suspended its national TV advertising in 2009.

View the Century 21 Super Bowl pregame ads:

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Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:00:01 -0800

Real estate e-document firm Cartavi integrates with DocuSign

Subscribers can access both services with single login

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Inman News®

Cloud-based real estate document management company Cartavi today announced integration with e-signature company DocuSign, which will allow subscribers of the two services to access both via a single sign-in process after an initial setup process.

Cartavi, founded in 2009 by Glenn Shimkus and Paul Koziarz, formally launched last year during the Real Estate Connect conference in San Francisco.

Shimkus said Cartavi has worked to simplify document management by making the various stages of the transaction process "very visual," with images of parties involved in the transaction. Document storage areas are labeled "rooms," and users can create "folders" for transactions and "envelopes" that serve as folders for documents that require e-signatures.

"You can go to a transaction room, you can view the document, you can see the activity of who has done what with it," Shimkus said.

Messages can be sent via email or smartphone notifications to parties involved in the transaction to prompt them to e-sign documents, and documents can be tagged to denote where an e-signature is required. E-signature activity can be monitored in real time.

"The key is you know what's happening as it's happening," Shimkus said. Cartavi users can access the company's tools via its mobile apps for Android and Apple devices.

Cartavi is available for free on a limited basis, with paid plans starting at $10 per month after an annual commitment, and DocuSign offers 30-day free trial and a $14.99 service that allows an unlimited number of monthly documents and signers.

Shimkus noted that his wife, Shantel Shimkus, is a real estate agent who served as an inspiration and "sounding board" for Cartavi's development.

Cartavi was designed, he said, as a "business application that has a very consumer-facing look and feel," in order to be accessible to even those real estate professionals who tend to shy away from new technologies.

And people who are participating in a transaction that utilizes Cartavi can do so in low-tech ways if they choose to, he said. "What I don't want to do is say, 'You have to work in the (Cartavi) transaction room.' If you want to fax, or email -- great. It's not about changing the way you work," he said.

While the service was initially designed with individual real estate professionals in mind, Shimkus said there has been "substantial demand ... from brokerages," and the company plans to release a new, enterprise-level version in April for brokerages.

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Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:48:09 -0800

'Man caves' fit for Super Bowl Sunday

Bars, billiards and bowling among amenities

Inman News

Editor's note: This article is republished with permission of Zillow. View the original item: "Who Needs Super Bowl Tix When You've Got a Man Cave?"

By LAUREN RIEFFLIN

It may sound like a football fan's dream to attend a Super Bowl game live and in person. But really? Indianapolis? In February?

Unless you are a rabid fan of the New York Giants or the New England Patriots -- the conference champs who will square off in Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, Feb. 5, at Lucas Oil Stadium -- there really are better places to watch the National Football League title game ... like from a tricked-out, beer-tapped man cave!

Homes with "man caves" -- or rooms with giant TVs, sports memorabilia, wet bars, and comfy couches -- have grown in popularity over the years and have become the go-to place on big game days. Or, dare we say, big movie nights?

Just in time for the big game, we found some homes for sale with man caves that offer the ultimate place to watch the tube on Super Bowl Sunday. So, sit back, pop a cold one and pass the chips and dip while we tour a few man-cave beauties.

9124 Eagle Point Loop Road SW, Lakewood, Wash. (above)
For Sale: $1.3 million

Cars, kitchen, couches, and TVs -- what more could a guy ask for? "Designed for a car enthusiast," this 7,800-square-foot home sits on a gorgeous, waterfront parcel of Lakewood real estate with three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, two dining rooms, library, hobby room, and a 1,000-square-foot entertaining deck. The only space needed this weekend, however, is the "man cave," which is equipped with a full kitchen, car elevator, bathroom, workshop and adjacent billiards room.

1445 W. Grande Circle No. 7, Washington, Utah (above)
For Sale: $7 million

Gentlemen, start your drooling. Located in Washington, Utah, this 24,500-square-foot home sports the ultimate man cave amenity: Its very own sports pub. Four ceiling-mounted TVs offer a 360-degree view of the game, and the hardwood floors, full bar, bar tables, and a pool table complete the pub ambiance. As an added bonus, there's also a two-lane bowling alley, swimming pool, gym, theater, spa, and arcade room for alternative means of entertainment during halftime. This resort-like estate is currently listed on the Washington real estate market for about $7 million.

15 Cape Harbour Place, Spring, Texas (above)
For Sale: $3 million

Talk about an architectural tongue-twister: Here's a "French colonial constructed of vintage old Chicago brick with an English Pub-inspired man cave in Texas." That's a mouthful, but believe it or not, this home really does exist and is listed on The Woodlands real estate market with a recently reduced asking price of about $3 million. The five-bedroom, seven-bathroom home is Super Bowl-ready with a "one-of-a-kind man room" that includes a poker table, full bar, kitchen, pool table, dartboard and more.

3317 Dartmouth Ave., Dallas, Texas (above)
For Sale: $3.7 million

With its marble columns, wrought-iron chandelier and painted ceiling, the man cave in this ornate Dallas estate takes you back to the Renaissance. A mounted, flat-screen TV, dartboard, pool table and arcade games, however, make it an elegant and appropriate destination for hosting Super Bowl festivities. Recently taking a $300,000 price cut, this four-bedroom, six-bathroom home is currently listed on the Highland Park real estate market for about $3.7 million.

3675 Decoursey Bridge Road, Cambridge, Md. (above)
For Sale: $30 million

Noted as "one of the most significant hunting and equestrian estates" — not only on the Cambridge real estate market but in the entire United States — this property called Tudor Farms is sprawling: 6,250 acres and an 11-bedroom, 10.5-bathroom lodge-style home. Super Bowl Sunday festivities wouldn't be lacking for a proper space here, either. Among the 14,000 square feet of living space is a cabin-like man cave with log columns, corner-mounted TV, pool table, shuffleboard and bar.

1255 Pacific Ave., Laguna Beach, Calif. (above)
For Sale: $8 million

Outfitted with white floors, ceilings and walls, there's no place for messy tailgate appetizers at this gleaming property. A contemporary piece of Laguna Beach real estate, this 9,500-square-foot luxury home includes a sharp entertainment lounge with wet bar and media area for a more sophisticated Super Bowl get-together. Additional amenities include a wine cellar with tasting area, professional-grade gym, sauna, elevator, and outdoor entertaining area with a 74-foot lap pool, spa, and a rooftop deck.

151 Haggetts Pond Road, Andover, Mass. (above)
For Sale: $6.5 million

If a mid-game dip is more your style, then a home with poolside TVs and full bar may be your best Super Bowl bet. Currently listed on the Andover real estate market for $6.5 million, this 9-bedroom, 9.5-bathroom home features an indoor pool with slide conveniently situated next to a bar with two TVs. The massive 20,000-square-foot home also includes a full basketball court, theater, arcade, exercise room, custom locker rooms, billiard room, and bowling alley.

Other related Zillow articles:

See homes of NFL stars.
See more man caves.

More from Zillow Eye Candy:

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Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:39:04 -0800

LPS asks Nevada court to throw out consumer fraud suit

'Robo-signing' is not illegal, company says

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Inman News®

Lender Processing Services Inc., provider of real estate technology, services, and mortgage performance data, today filed a motion to dismiss a consumer fraud lawsuit against the company filed by the state of Nevada that alleges the company falsified foreclosure documents.

The state's attorney general, Catherine Cortez Masto, filed the suit on Dec. 15, 2011, in a state district court in Clark County. The suit names LPS, its predecessor Fidelity National Information Services Inc., and LPS subsidiaries including DOCX LLC and LPS Default Solutions Inc.

The complaint alleges "widespread document execution fraud, deceptive statements made by LPS about efforts to correct document fraud, improper control over foreclosure attorneys and the foreclosure process, misrepresentations about LPS's fees and services, and evidence of an overall press for speed and volume that prevented the necessary and proper focus on accuracy and integrity in the foreclosure process," the state attorney general's office said in a statement about the suit.

In a statement, LPS said that "the attorney general's complaint fails to allege that any document executed by subsidiaries of LPS was incorrect, contained errors, or caused any borrower financial harm."

"Although we have to defend ourselves against allegations that we believe are untrue, we remain committed to working with the attorney general's office to resolve these matters," stated Hugh Harris, LPS president and CEO.

In its legal response filed today, LPS asked the court to dismiss the suit, asserting that the law the company is accused of violating -- Chapter 598, Nevada's Deceptive Trade Practices Act -- "does not apply to allegedly deceptive mortgage foreclosures or allegedly deceptive foreclosure related documents, but rather is limited to sales of goods and services."

Furthermore, LPS said, neither "robo-signing" or "surrogate signing" are illegal in the state of Nevada and do not constitute "forgery."

"Plaintiff's claims are a collection of suppositions, legal conclusions, and inflammatory labels that entirely fail to link the alleged conduct with any transaction in this state that could give rise to a claim under Chapter 598," the motion said.

The attorney general's office stated that LPS required employees to execute or notarize as many as 4,000 foreclosure-related documents a day.

"The robo-signing crisis in Nevada has been fueled by two main problems: chaos and speed," Masto said in a statement. "We will protect the integrity of the foreclosure process. This lawsuit is the next, logical step in holding the key players in the foreclosure fraud crisis accountable."

According to the Nevada attorney general's office, LPS is the nation's largest provider of default mortgage services and processes more than half of all foreclosures annually.

According to a report from RealtyTrac, Nevada had the highest state foreclosure rate for the fifth straight year in 2011, with more than 6 percent of the state's housing units, or 1 in 16, receiving at least one foreclosure filing last year.

That was despite a 35 percent decrease in foreclosure activity from the third to the fourth quarter, RealtyTrac said, partially due to a new state law that took effect in October designed to crack down on documentation irregularities by foreclosing lenders.

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Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:13:58 -0800

Top 10 real estate websites in December

Yahoo Real Estate No. 1 for sixth straight month; Zillow recaptures No. 2

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For the sixth month in a row, Yahoo Real Estate was the most popular real estate-related website in December, according to the latest rankings from Web metrics firm Experian Hitwise.

Zillow once again took the No. 2 spot on the list, after dropping to third place in November, and Realtor.com dipped to the No. 3 spot. Yahoo Real Estate gained considerable ground in December, capturing 8.27 percent of visits to the real estate category, compared to 7.02 percent the month before.

Zillow also increased its market share, to 6.89 percent, while Realtor.com lost ground at 6.41 percent of visits.

Under the terms of an advertising alliance that went live last February, Zillow powers for-sale listings on Yahoo Real Estate and sells targeted ads to real estate agents and brokers that appear on both sites. Together, Yahoo Real Estate and Zillow's market share was 15.16 percent in December, up from 14.52 percent in October and 10.79 percent last January.

Trulia stayed in fourth place in December with 5.33 percent of visits, followed by AOL Real Estate and Homes.com, each of which rose one spot with 2.76 percent and 2.72 percent market share, respectively. MSN Real Estate dropped two spots to No. 7, with 2.5 percent market share last month.

Rent.com (1.46 percent), MyNew Place (1.37 percent), and ZipRealty (1.27 percent) rounded out the top 10 last month, with the former retaining its No. 8 ranking and the latter two switching places in the No. 9 and No. 10 spots.

Hitwise reported that sites on its top 10 list captured 39 percent of traffic among all real estate category websites in December.

That compares with the 9.33 percent combined market share of the next 10 most popular sites: Apartment Guide (1.22 percent), LoopNet (1.19 percent), Re/Max Real Estate (0.99 percent), Apartments.com (0.97 percent), Rentals.com (0.87 percent), Weichert.com (0.86 percent), Redfin (0.85 percent), HomeFinder (0.82 percent), ForRent.com (0.8 percent), and Listingbook Services (0.76 percent).

On average, users spent 8 minutes, 54 seconds in visiting a real estate-related website in December, one second more than the month before.

Eight websites entered the top 100 last month: House Radar (47th), AgentAchieve (79th), echeapapartments.com (83rd), UltraForeclosures (89th), renttoowncentral.com (90th), RealtyNow.com (97th), Condo.com (99th), and Sublet.com (100th).

The eight sites leaving the top 100 list in December: RatePlug (115th). homes.point2.com (102nd), About Home Buying/Selling (101st), WhereForeclosures (109th), Monmouth County Association of Realtors (120th), National Association of Realtors (119th), Utah Real Estate (118th), and Property Shark (111th).

For the third month in a row, "zillow" was the top search term in December, with "realtor.com" at No. 2. Among the top 10 real estate search terms tracked by Hitwise in December, they were the only two search terms to account for more than 1 percent of search clicks (at 1.62 percent and 1.47 percent, respectively). Every other search term accounted for less than 1 percent of clicks.

The other popular search terms in the real estate category were, in order, "trulia," "realtor," "zillow.com," "remax," "homes for sale," "century 21," "real estate," and "har.com."

Fast-moving sites last month included Brown Harris Stevens (up 422 places to 164), MSN House & Home (up 1,912 places to 975), image1.apartmentguide.com (up 1,448 places to 1,161), www.crye-leike.com (up 32 places to 44), UltraForeclosures (up 51 places to 89), renttoowncentral.com (up 45 places to 90), c.homestore.com (up 263 places to 561), GAMLS (up 26 places to 59), Prudential Carruthers Realtors (up 700 places to 1,446), and El Paso Times Real Estate (up 764 places to 1,660).

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Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:26:59 -0800

Park City, Utah, ski mansion for (just) under $50M

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