Joel Hall's (joelhallrealtor) Blog

It seems 2011 was the year for sitting — or perhaps cowering — in your house, not buying a new one. Lawrence home sales declined by 14.7 percent in 2011 from the previous year, and sales of newly constructed homes plummeted by nearly 45 percent for the year, according to recently released figures...

BEDMINSTER — Donald Trump may be a proud New Yorker, but he’s thinking about spending eternity in New Jersey. The colorful real estate mogul will soon seek the blessing of a state board to build a private cemetery beside the rolling hills and silken greens of his prized Trump National Golf Club i...

In swift response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, James Pethokoukis, a columnist for American Enterprise, characterized Obama’s housing proposal as “a housing policy bombshell” for the real estate and banking industries. The president was sketchy about the details but talk...

DENVER, Jan. 24, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- This month, global real estate franchisor, RE/MAX rolls out an entirely new national ad campaign focusing on "all the things that move you." The innovative campaign strikes an emotional note with consumers and features the sentimental Jim Croce song, "I've...

Originally published: January 23, 2012 7:38 PMUpdated: January 23, 2012 9:24 PMBy DEREK KRAVITZ. The Associated Press   The nation's five largest mortgage lenders have agreed to overhaul their industry after deceptive foreclosure practices drove homeowners out of their homes, government officials...

First-time homebuyers face multiple challenges even before they get the house keys: getting approved for a mortgage, finding the right agent, searching for the perfect home and staying within a budget. With planning, they can avoid mistakes that might jeopardize a deal. Many decide to buy when th...

New York - US stocks rose Wednesday as confidence rose among US homebuilders and the International Monetary Fund said it was seeking additional lending funds. The National Association of Homebuilders expressed the highest level of confidence since 2007, pushing up shares in builders. Financial st...

Exercising caution Forecasting and predictions from the National Association of Realtors for 2012, predicting a very small rate of improvement for the year, especially regarding home prices and sales as they are so intertwined with the health of employment levels in America. A new report from the...

Unfortunately, in this day and age, discrimination in housing is still alive in many parts of the country.  In California, the Fair Employment and Housing Act makes it unlawful for a landlord, managing agent, real estate broker, or salesperson to discriminate against any person because of the per...

Just wanted to wish everyone a great start to the week!   For all of your real estate needs, make the call... Joel Hall