Local Real Estate News

• With $2.95 million offer, couple outbid development group for prime property near Lecompton interchange - 07/15/2010
  A crowded room watched as multimillion-dollar bids bounced from one side of the room and then the other. At stake in this closely watched Douglas County Sheriff’s auction was the future of one of Lawrence’s prime pieces of industrial property: 155 acres just north of the Lecompton interchange on the Kansas Turnpike.
• Mortgage rates fall near record low - 05/28/2010
  Turmoil in the stock market and the European debt crisis are making life easier for American homebuyers and families looking to refinance: Mortgage rates are inching closer to a record low.
• Economy rebuilding with rising home sales, falling jobless claims - 04/23/2010
  The economy is improving, with home sales up, jobless claims down and inflation tame. Yet there are concerns the economic rebound won’t get much juice from the housing market, which is being fueled by government tax breaks.
• Parade of Homes starting earlier as housing market shows signs of improvement - 04/15/2010
  Early results are in: Home sales are up. Mortgage numbers are down. And folks who build homes are making one last push to cash in on a federal program that’s helping pump up the market.
• Do you qualify for the homebuyer tax credit? - 04/11/2010
  Homebuyer tax credits on paper are simple, but as it turns out, our lives aren't. Messy family situations or messy finances can muddy the waters for those who don't know if they qualify.
• Developers planning $9.5 million, seven-story building for downtown Lawrence - 04/02/2010
  Plans are in the works for a $9.5 million, seven-story, mixed-use downtown building that would rival the height of the U.S. Bank Tower.
• Property value notices mailed to Douglas County residents contain error - 03/01/2010
  The 2010 change of value notices mailed Friday to Douglas County property owners contain an error, county appraiser Steve Miles said.
• Foreclosures down in January - 02/11/2010
  The number of U.S. households facing foreclosure in January increased 15 percent from the same month last year, and a surge in cash-strapped homeowners who’ve fallen behind on mortgages could be on the way.
• Buyers often face pro-rated property taxes - 01/29/2010
  Q: I signed an agreement to purchase my first home in November, and the deal closed a few days ago. Although the seller had paid this year’s property taxes in full, the closing statement shows that I had to pay $971 for part of the bill through my closing expenses. Did the closing agent screw up or, worse, try to rip me off?
• Buyers should scrutinize home inspectors - 01/22/2010
  Q: We are buying our first home. You recently wrote that all buyers should make their purchase offer contingent on getting a satisfactory report from a professional home inspector, but how can we be sure that we hire a good one?