As the housing market continues its recovery, prospective home buyers in some areas may have found, much to their dismay, that the inventory of houses for sale is somewhat limited, and sellers are receiving multiple offers. A recent analysis by the real estate site Zillow, for instance, found that while some improvement has occurred, the inventory of homes for sale nationally in April was down about 14 percent from the same time last year. The National Association of Realtors, meanwhile, […]

Jeff is the Lead Buyer’s Agent on the Broughton Properties Team, a Gay Owned & Operated five-person real estate team at the KW Capital District Market Center — Upstate New York’s largest KW office. Broughton Properties specializes in residential sales, with both buyer and seller programs, relocations, short sales, with an investment property specialty (investors welcome!). Jeff is a Capital District native, and truly loves helping buyers find their dream home, whether it is their first or their last, and […]

Originally from Washington DC, I moved to Northern California in 1975 after joining Hewlett-Packard’s Commercial Computer group. In 1996, I and 11 other gay and lesbian employees performed a “Readers Theater” before the president and his executive committee, relating personal experiences of being gay in Hewlett-Packard. I was a General Manager and the highest openly gay manager at the time. Three months later, Hewlett-Packard extended domestic partner benefits to its employees, the first fortune 500 company to do so. Retiring […]

The five-year extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) last July was an achievement hailed by the National Association of REALTORS® for bringing stability and certainty to the federal program that enables property owners to access affordable flood insurance when required for a mortgage. But the new law also phases out government subsidies for some properties, which has caused confusion and consternation among practitioners who need to explain the abrupt rate increases to home owners and buyers. If you […]

The Federal Reserve should withdraw some of its housing policies aimed at boosting housing since the real estate market is well on its way to recovery, Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher told attendees at the National Association for Business Economics. The Fed has been buying up $85 billion of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities each month, which has helped to keep mortgage rates near historical lows. “I think we can rightly declare victory on the housing front and [dial back] our […]

Construction on new homes posted a 16.5 percent drop in April after reaching a nearly five-year high the previous month, the Commerce Department reports. The National Association of Home Builders called the dip in April a “correction from an unsustainably high level of production on the volatile multifamily side.” “The big decline in April housing production was mostly on the multifamily side, which recorded a similarly dramatic increase in the previous month,” says NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. But Crowe […]

Builders are feeling more confident about new-home sales, sales expectations for the next six months, and prospective buyer traffic, according to the May reading on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. The index—which gauges builders’ sentiment on those three indicators—rose three points to 44 in May. Still, it takes a number over 50 on the index to indicate that more builders view conditions as good rather than poor. All three indicators posed gains in May, with […]

Looking for the vibrancy of New York’s LBGT community in a cheaper, more relaxed setting? Check out Indianapolis. Long stuck with the reputation of being just another faceless Midwestern factory town, Indy has been shedding its duller image as it increasingly becomes a mecca for young people in search of jobs, low taxes, non-stop nightlife and affordable living space. Along with the booming economy and population growth has come a vibrant artistic community, swarms of musicians keen to make it […]

Chastin is a native Texan and is no stranger to Texas Real Estate. His background in Sales and Marketing has equipped him with all the necessary tools to effectively be a superstar in the Real Estate profession. Chastin has a never ending strive to produce the best results for his clients ~ Chastin possesses an enthusiastic attitude with a strong work ethic and can be noted as one of North Texas’ top agents. Contact Chastin today for all your real […]

To say that Tom is enthralled with fine homes, architecture and design is truly an understatement. Over the years, Tom has accumulated numerous personal properties as a result of his passion, but it wasn’t until 1996 when his enthusiasm led him into the professional real estate sales arena. Since making that move he has excelled as one of the top-producing brokers in New Jersey in the residential and commercial marketplace. Licensed both in New Jersey and Florida, Tom came to […]