Mary Towler's (teamtowler) Blog

By Inman NewsInman NewsTM February 02, 2011 It may take more than four years to clear the "shadow inventory" of distressed homes lurking on the sidelines in the U.S., a factor that's likely to undermine real estate prices as the backlog clears, analysts at Standard & Poor's Ratings Services say. ...

By Stephen FishmanInman NewsTM February 04, 2011 Q: How can real estate agents be a resource for buyers on tax issues, such as the tax benefits of buying vs. renting? A: Unless a real estate broker or agent is a bona fide tax professional -- for example, has an MBA or other specialized training i...

In December 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau released the first results from the 2010 census. It showed there are 308.74 million Americans, an increase of 27 million or 9.7 percent since 2000. Nearly 80 percent of the population growth was among minority families, with Hispanics registering the bigge...

Rents have surged as home prices have dropped, which have prompted some to ponder which offers the more dollar-wise option. Moody's Analytics data has suggested that it makes more financial sense to rent than buy in many U.S. cities, but Moody's chief economist Mark Zandi now says that is about t...