Real Estate

U.S. Week Ahead: Housing Data, Holiday Sales

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:35:00 -0800

Investors will hear a lot about housing next week, with data on existing and new home sales coming. Hewlett-Packard will release results, and a gauge of holiday season sales will come on Black Friday. Stacey Delo reports. (Nov. 20)

News Hub: Signs of Trouble for Housing Rebound

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:41:00 -0800

WSJ's Bob Hagerty discusses disappointing data on October housing starts and whether expectations of a rebound may have been premature.

Why Housing Won't 'Crater'

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:03:00 -0800

Industry consultant John Burns talks to reporter Nick Timiraos about where the market is headed and the significance of low mortgage rates, the home buyer tax credit and the FHA, which he calls the "new subprime."

News Hub: Trump Decides to Fold 'Em

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:34:00 -0800

The "News Hub" panel discusses Donald Trump's decision to end his bid to regain control of some Atlantic City, N.J., casinos.

PM Report: Another Housing Bailout?

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0800

The U.S. Federal Housing Administration's cash reserves drops well below the congressionally mandated level. The News Hub discusses whether we should expect another housing bailout. Plus, military prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty for a...

Viewpoints: Fink on What Went Wrong with Merrill

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:09:00 -0800

In the latest Viewpoints Breakfast series, Laurence Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock Inc. discusses what went wrong at Merrill & his interest in the CEO job there.

Viewpoints: Fink on Mortgage Securitization

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:46:00 -0800

In the latest Viewpoints Breakfast series, Laurence Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock Inc. discusses how he made his name with the collateralized mortgage security and how its still a good idea.

Viewpoints: Laurence Fink on Real Estate Sector

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:40:00 -0800

In the latest Viewpoints Breakfast series, Laurence Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock Inc. says that although commercial real estate took quite a blow during 2006 and 2007, he still likes the sector.

News Hub: Fannie to Rent to Owners in Foreclosure

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:31:00 -0800

Fannie Mae plans to allow homeowners facing foreclosure to stay in their homes and rent them. WSJ's Constance Mitchell-Ford breaks down whether this will really help troubled borrowers, in the News Hub.

PM Report: What's Driving This Rally?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0800

The Dow returns to 10000 and 14 more people are arrested as part of an insider-trading case. The News Hub discusses what's driving the rally as well as the federal crackdown. Plus, Fannie Mae plans to allow homeowners facing foreclosure to stay in...

More Relief for Unemployed, Home Buyers

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:32:00 -0800

The Senate has passed a bill extending unemployment benefits and the popular tax credit for homebuyers. It also includes proposed tax increases to offset the costs that may be hard for some businesses to swallow. WSJ's John McKinnon explains.

Ghost Stories From a Haunted House

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:56:00 -0700

A 19th-century home sells for $360,000 in Seymour, Conn. But along with the classic features of a Queen Anne-style house, the seller says it also comes with resident ghosts.

Ron Baron: 'Stocks Are Cheap'

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:58:00 -0700

Ron Baron, chairman and CEO of Baron Capital Group, says at Barron's Art of Successful Investing Conference that "stocks are cheap" and that retail investor sentiment is very negative. He argues that because "inflation will be an issue, stocks wil...

Shopping for a Home? Big Sale in Berkeley

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:23:00 -0700

Two Berkeley, Calif., homes are on sale for $1 each, but there's a catch: You have to move them off the current owner's property. And that won't be easy. MarketWatch's Stacey Delo reports.

Will Stuy Town Tenants be Reimbursed?

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:10:00 -0700

New York's highest court ruled owners of the Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village apartment complexes improperly increased rents. Now tenants are wondering whether they'll get a rebate or rent reduction. WSJ's Anjali Athavaley reports.

Boundless Options for Fun Farmer Composting

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:00:00 -0700

WSJ's Gwendolyn Bounds puts four composting units to the test, including one that is like the "iPod of composters", and one that includes 1,000 live worms.

AM Report: Obama's Afghanistan Choice

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:30:00 -0700

The News Hub panel discusses the soaring prices of gold, the pressures President Obama is facing in Afghanistan and the cratering of the commercial real estate market.

How to Invest in Real-Estate Mutual Funds

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:09:00 -0700

Paul Curbo, portfolio manager for Invesco Aim, explains how investing in real estate mutual funds differs from entering the real estate market. He talks with WSJ's funds editor Karen Damato.

Hard Sell? Peek Inside a $7.9M Manhattan Triplex

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:14:00 -0700

A three-story apartment, billed as a condominium townhouse, is up for sale in New York's Upper East Side. The triplex includes a lap pool. New buyers would also get Bernie Madoff's son Andrew for a neighbor. WSJ's Christina Jeng reports.

Hot Stocks: Pulte, Beazer Gain

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Home-builder stocks jump after data show home prices rose for a third straight month in 20 major cities. Pulte Homes, Beazer Homes and Toll Brothers all gain ground.

Amid Weak Economy, the Consumer Shows a Pulse

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:07:00 -0700

Confidence reading shows a surprising spurt in September, but long-term outlook hinges on labor, reports Barrons.com's Bob O'Brien.

Deals Rise in the U.K. Property Market

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:38:00 -0700

A number of recent deals and placing is a result of the dash for rental yields with three and five year debt remaining low. But if inflation comes back it could be a rocky few years.

PM Report: Homes Unsettle Street

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0700

Existing-home sales dip in August, posing a speed bump on the housing market's even path to recovery and deepening investor worries. Plus, Twitter close to raising as much as $100 million of new funding.

PM Report: Mortgage Crisis Stalled

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0700

WSJ brings you a housing exclusive on mortgage delinquencies. Reporter Ruth Simon explains how the shadow inventory in the housing market could hurt home prices. Plus, trade tensions escalate between the U.S. and China.

Empire State Building Races to Energy Efficiency

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 12:15:00 -0700

In 1931, the Empire State Building crowned a decades-long race to build the world's tallest skyscraper. Now its owners are at the forefront of a different type of race -- a race towards energy efficiency. WSJ's Christina Jeng reports.

French Spiderman Scales Malaysia's Petronas Towers

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:29:00 -0700

French spiderman Alain Robert succeeded in his third attempt at scaling the 88-story Petronas Towers in Malaysia, Reuters reports.

Citi, Fannie Bulge In Volume, Price

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:29:00 -0700

Even amid summer slowdown, traders crowd into a handful of financials, Barrons.com's Bob O'Brien reports.

What's Ahead for Housing

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:46:00 -0700

The housing market has been showing some signs of life, but could the worst really be behind us? Robert Shiller, co-creator of the Case-Shiller home-price index, talks to Kelsey Hubbard about the market's landscape. (Aug. 25)

Buying Real Estate at the Bottom

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:18:00 -0700

If you're thinking of making the leap in this market, be sure that you're looking for shelter and not an investment, according to Ken Rosen of the Rosen Consulting Group and UC Berkeley. Stacey Delo reports.

Aggressive Panhandling Taints Missoula's Spirit

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:45:00 -0700

Missoula, Montana known to tourists and locals for its mountains, river and wealth of outdoor activities, but the laid-back town is now suffering because of the aggressive panhandlers hanging around the community. WSJ's Joe Barrett reports.

Week Ahead: Earnings Releases

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 09:05:00 -0800

Marketbeat blogger David Gaffen and Simon Constable of Dow Jones Newswires discuss the forthcoming economic data, which is expected to show continuing weakness in the housing and retail sectors. Plus what to expect from the slew of earnings releas...

Beijing's Cityscape, Avant-Garde or Eyesore?

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Since Beijing won the bid for the Olympics, the city has been pouring millions into constructing new buildings. Now it's considered a hot spot for modern architecture, but some fear its new look is undermining thousands of years of history. (July ...

Old Beijing Gives Way to Wrecking Ball

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Andy Jordan looks at how Beijing's cultural icons - the alleys called hutongs and courtyard houses - are giving way to progress via the wrecking ball. (June 27)

A Hospital's Mega-Facelift

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:27:00 -0700

WSJ's John Carreyrou provides a tour of Chicago's non-profit Northwestern Memorial Hospital, which underwent a renovation costing more than $1 billion. (April 4)

London's Expansion Plans Irk Some

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:01:00 -0800

Eight million square feet of office space is being built in London, but as banks put a lid on expansion plans due to the weakening credit market, some are worried the space will go unoccupied. WSJ's Jeanne Whalen reports. (Feb. 27)

2008 Economic Outlook

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 06:00:00 -0800

David Resler, Chief Economist of Nomura Securities, provides a look ahead to 2008, saying we will escape a recession even though it's a close call right now. He says the main hurdle the U.S. will face in coming years is the housing correction.

Bangkok's Ghostly Skyline

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

WSJ's Patrick Barta travels by rickshaw, boat and motorcycle to explore Bangkok's most impressive modern day ruins. (July 27)

Economists' Outlook Darkens

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 13:30:00 -0800

A Journal survey of economists shows an increasingly gloomy outlook for the U.S. economy, with the odds of recession at nearly 4 in 10. Global economics editor David Wessel discusses the results. (Dec. 10)

Considering Biweekly Mortgage Plans

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:00:00 -0800

Personal finance columnist Jonathan Clements answers a reader's email about signing up for a biweekly mortgage plan, which can save a homeowner thousands of dollars in interest. However, biweekly plans pose a few problems, he says. (Nov. 27)

Measuring Subprime's Depth

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 19:00:00 -0700

FDIC chairman Sheila Bair tells assistant editorial page editor James Freeman that even 2007 mortgage loans show problems. (Oct. 4)

A Laissez-Faire Argument

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 14:53:00 -0700

New York University economics professor Lawrence White discusses his advice to the Senate on how to handle the credit rating industry in light of the subprime mortgage meltdown. (Sept. 27)

Housing Inventory Peak?

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:10:00 -0700

Coldwell Banker President Jim Gillespie says housing prices will not fall far in this "normal correction" of a bull market. (Sept. 26)

Home Sales Jump

Thu, 24 May 2007 10:59:00 -0700

After the Commerce Department reported an unexpected 16% jump in new home sales, Goldman Sachs' senior U.S. economist Edward McKelvey says it's not a sustainable trend. (May 24)

The Drama of Removing a Skyscraper

Tue, 22 May 2007 18:41:00 -0700

WSJ.com's Paul Lin reports on the difficult deconstruction of the Deutsche Bank building that was damaged in the September 11 attacks -- poisonous dust, human remains, insurance fights, and contractor walk outs have dogged the task. (May 23)

Housing Crunch Eludes San Francisco

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 10:56:00 -0700

Bidding wars are still commonplace in San Francisco, where a healthy pool of buyers are chasing a limited number of homes for sale. Stacey Delo reports. (March 30)

Interpreting Bernanke's Testimony

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 12:49:00 -0700

WSJ's Greg Ip says the takeaways from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony include continued warnings about a falling housing market and the new puzzle of weak capital spending. (March 28)