Mark L. Ostrovsky's (marcopolo) Blog

Don't hold your breath if you're waiting for the real estate market to return to what it was like before the downturn. The author of a new study called "Housing in America" claims that we can look forward instead to what he calls a "new normal." John McIlwain, the Urban Land Institute's resident ...

"I expect my agent to hold an open house every weekend until my house sells." When your property is first listed on the M.L.S. your real estate agent should hold a broker's open house because this is a terrific opportunity for your property to be exposed to the local real estate community. Here e...

"My house isn't selling because my agent isn't spending enough on advertising." Every seller likes to see their house featured in an expensive newspaper ad. Sure an ad can attract a buyer but ads more often merely serve as publicity or personal marketing for agents and their companies. Buyers are...

"I expect my agent to find a buyer for my house. I'm comfortable having my agent on both sides of the deal." Does it make sense that your agent can negotiate the best price for you ... and also negotiate the best deal for the buyer of your home? If you were in a lawsuit would you feel comfortable...

RealtyTrac's 2009 foreclosure stats are in and cities in California, Nevada, Arizona and Florida account for the top 20 foreclosure rates in the U.S. The worst hit city is Las Vegas with one in every twelve households being foreclosed upon last year. Cape Coral, Florida is in a very close second ...

In 2006 it was touted as the largest single residential real estate deal in U.S. history. That's when Tishman Spyer paid a whopping $5.4-Billion for N.Y.C's Peter Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village ... which consisted of a total of 11-Thousand apartments. Tishman Spyer essentially paid $500...

"I'm going to price my property higher than what I expect to get because it's smart to leave room for negotiation." On a good day savvy sellers relied on their real estate agent's Comparative Market Analysis to price their house. With the expectation that prospective buyers will negotiate on pric...

The National Association of Realtors reports that existing home sales plunged 16.7-percent in December, 2009. This adjustment comes as little surprise since, prior to the extension of the Tax Credit, it was expected that November would be the last month in which buyers could qualify for a federal...

Bad news today from the U.S. Supreme Court for those opposed to corporate contributions to political campaigns. By a 5 to 4 vote the Court ruled that the 20 year old rule that barred corporations from unfettered spending on candidates that they either support or oppose. This is the most significa...

Cuyahoga County Real estate or property taxes are paid twice a year, though you have the option of making one payment or paying in monthly installments. Unlike many jurisdictions across the U.S., the taxes in Cuyahoga County vary from one suburb to the next. Property taxes are the primary source ...