- Michael Carbonara

The Real Estate Journal

WSJ.com: Real Estate
The Custom McMansion	7/23/2008 8:36 PM
Many mass-market home builders are getting into the custom-home game -- once almost entirely the province of boutique builders. The reason is simple: Custom-home building is more profitable for builders and the big attraction for home buyers is the cheaper price.
Battling Beetles in the Garden	7/23/2008 8:15 PM
Infestations of Japanese beetles have spread to more than 30 states, wreaking havoc on the foliage of trees and crops. Gardener Steve Stecklow is waging a biological war against these predators.
Mortgage Rates Near a Year High	7/23/2008 8:06 AM
Mortgage rates are nearing their highest levels in a year, adding to pressures on the weakened housing market.
Housing Package Deal Reached	7/23/2008 5:23 AM
House and Senate leaders have largely hammered out a compromise deal on a mammoth housing package that would permit the government to bolster Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in an emergency, overhaul supervision of the housing-finance giants and allow the government to insure up to $300 billion in refinanced mortgages.
Rich Londoners Finally Feel Pain	7/23/2008 7:07 AM
The credit crunch caught up with the top end of London's home market in the second quarter, when the price per square meter of residential space in the capital's prime locations fell more sharply than in the U.K. as a whole.
Mortgage-Lobby Chief Resigns	7/23/2008 2:33 AM
The chief of the mortgage industry's most powerful lobby group, Jonathan Kempner, resigned Tuesday, just as the industry is defending itself from a hostile Congress and a punishing housing slump.
Fannie, Freddie Books Under Scrutiny	7/22/2008 2:29 AM
Bank examiners from the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency are looking at the books of mortgage investors Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
How to Buy a Foreclosed Home	7/21/2008 1:21 PM
Buyers must be willing to do more sleuthing on their own to find the best deals. Here are some tips to get started.
FDIC Faces Mortgage Mess	7/21/2008 3:28 AM
The FDIC was among lenders giving out high-interest, subprime mortgages, some of them predatory, according to federal documents.
The Custom McMansion	7/23/2008 8:36 PM
Many mass-market home builders are getting into the custom-home game -- once almost entirely the province of boutique builders. The reason is simple: Custom-home building is more profitable for builders and the big attraction for home buyers is the cheaper price.
Lender-Liability Suits Rise	7/23/2008 4:19 AM
Lenders are triggering lawsuits from builders as they clamp down on construction financing. The disputes are turning heated as banks go after the builders' personal assets to recoup losses from soured housing developments.
Colleges Hire Specialized Developers	7/23/2008 8:45 AM
More colleges are starting to loosen their grip on campus housing and strike deals with specialized developers to help meet housing needs. For investors in the bruised world of REITs, student housing can be a defensive bright spot.
Lake Las Vegas Placed in Bankruptcy	7/20/2008 10:17 PM
The owners of a resort community in the desert outside Las Vegas placed the project in bankruptcy proceedings.

The Real Estate Journal