From the monthly archives:

January 2011

U.S. Economy: December Gain In Consumer Spending Beats Forecast

January 31, 2011
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Tweet Consumer spending in the U.S. rose more than forecast in December, giving the world’s largest economy a lift heading into 2011. Purchases, which account for about 70 percent of the economy, increased 0.7 percent after climbing 0.3 percent the prior month, Commerce Department figures showed. Another report showed businesses expanded in January at the [...]

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Five Things To Do When Your Mate Can’t Qualify For A Mortgage

January 31, 2011
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Tweet Being able to afford a home has inspired many couples to tie the home ownership knot, married or not. Even those who already own homes are looking at uber-low rates and running to refinance. But with lending guidelines tighter than a Nicki Minaj outfit, more and more wanna-be buyers are running into a major [...]

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Lennar Atlanta’s #OTPTweetup A Success

January 31, 2011
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Tweet Lennar Atlanta played host to #OTPtweetup on January 27 in a beautiful and comfortable setting – the Mirraview model home in Marietta. A “tweetup” is simply a get-together where invitations are sent via the Twitter social community and promoted through popular social networks such as Facebook. OTP is digital shorthand for Outside the Perimeter. [...]

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Conspicuous Consumption Is Back

January 31, 2011
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Tweet Rich Americans are not only shopping again. They’re showing off their purchases, despite an economy that still leaves millions of people jobless and underemployed. “It’s not polite to flaunt money when your friends are out of work,” says Erika Maschmeyer, an analyst of retail stocks at Robert W. Baird in Chicago. Now, though, “we’re [...]

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California: Big Spenders Buoy Bay Area Housing Market

January 31, 2011
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Tweet Big spenders are still lavishing money on luxury homes in the Bay Area. Across the nine-county region, sales of homes priced at $2 million or more soared in 2010 over 2009, according to a preliminary analysis by DataQuick Information Systems. The number of such sales reached 1,216 last year, up nearly 20% from 1,016 [...]

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Heritage Todd Creek By Lennar, Thornton, Colorado

January 31, 2011
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Tweet Colorado is ideal for nature enthusiasts with an abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities including boating, fishing, mountain biking, snow skiing and so much more. Retirees in search of a luxury Colorado active adult community will be impressed with Heritage Todd Creek in Thornton, Colorado. Located just 25 minutes from downtown Denver, this 55+ community [...]

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Living Large In A Small Space On A Small Budget

January 31, 2011
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Tweet Whether you’re living in a small space because of financial limitations, family size or are at a transitional period in your life, Andy Suvalsky knows how to turn a small area into a dream home for little money. Suvalsky, an interior designer who’s been featured on HGTV, in the New York Times and the [...]

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Fort Mill, South Carolina: Lennar To Build In Springfield

January 31, 2011
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Tweet Lennar has committed to purchasing 40 homesites in Springfield from Crescent Resources, LLC, prompting Crescent to start development of a new section within the community. Lennar has developed a new collection of home plans specifically designed to complement Springfield and will open a model home/design center in late-summer. “Since we opened Springfield in 2006, [...]

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California’s New Foreclosures Fall To Lowest Level In Over Three Years

January 31, 2011
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Tweet The number of California homes going into foreclosure dropped during the fourth quarter of 2010 to its lowest level in more than three years. According to DataQuick Information Systems, 69,799 Notices of Default (NoDs) were recorded during the three-month period, down 16.2 percent from the prior quarter and down 17.5 percent from the fourth [...]

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Pending Sales Of Existing Homes In The U.S. Rose In December

January 27, 2011
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Tweet The number of Americans signing contracts to buy previously owned homes rose in December for a third month, showing the industry that triggered the recession was stabilizing heading into 2011. The index of pending home resales climbed 2 percent, more than forecast, after a revised 3.1 percent gain the prior month, figures from the [...]

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