The National Association of Realtors predicts an improved real estate market for 2010. (Photo: iStockphoto)

Home prices may rise 4 percent next year, Lawrence Yun, the chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, told real estate professionals at NAR’s annual convention, held earlier this month in San Diego …Full Story

The median home price in New York's Buffalo-Niagara Falls area rose 4.8 percent from a year ago. (Photo: iStockphoto)

Not everything is headed down in today’s real estate market. Despite that median home prices fell in 123 out of 153 U.S. metro areas, according to recent data from the National Association of Realtors, median home prices are up in 30 cities from where they were a year ago. And some of these cities have seen substantial increases. Could these cities be harbingers of more positive real estate news? I hope so …Full Story

Hats off to Austin, which was named the top healthiest housing market. (Photo: iStockphoto)

The fall update on the 20 healthiest housing markets from BUILDER and Hanley Wood Market Intelligence is out. Cruising through the list is a very interesting exercise. Nearly all the markets on the list have at least one of three factors shoring up demand – a major university, a military base or a position as a capital city …Full Story

Like a "tweet," the loft belonging to Twitter Co-Founder Evan Williams is simple and clean. (Photo: McGuire Real Estate)

How do you get a lot of attention for your home when you're looking to sell? If you are Twitter co-founder Evan Williams (@Ev) and have more than 1.181 million "followers" -- which sure beats my 44 (I can be found @NJCentral) -- you Tweet about it. Williams did just that last week, which got the attention of the "digital masses," says CNNMoney.com …Full Story

Korn guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer recently slashed the asking price on his home.

The home of rock band Korn guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer is now on the market for a cool $3.699 million. Located in Laguna Beach, Calif., with views of the Pacific Ocean, the residence was recently reduced from $3.749 million and was originally listed at $3.995 million, according to RedFin.com. Donna Pfanner of Coldwell Banker Previews International has the listing …Full Story

Hefner's ex-wife is suing him over the proceeds of their home.

Earlier, I blogged about how Playboy founder Hugh Hefner recently sold the home that he shared with estranged-wife Kimberly Conrad Hefner, 47, for $18 million, about $10 million below its asking price.

Built in 1929, the lavish 7,300-square-foot English Tudor neighbors Hefner's current residence, the Playboy Mansion …Full Story

Sen. M. Kennedy and his wife, Vicki, outside their home in earlier times.

Now that Sen. Edward Kennedy is gone, there has been much wondering about what will become of his seaside home in the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, Mass. Some muse that at least some portions of the compound will become a museum -- CNN has reported that Kennedy had hoped for a museum …Full Story

The interior of Bernard Madoff's cottage is surprisingly not very luxurious.

The Bernard Madoff selloff has begun. It was widely reported yesterday that to start compensating victims of Madoff's massive Ponzi scheme -- which defrauded thousands of people of their investments -- the U.S. Marshals Service has put the financier's Montauk, N.Y., vacation property up for sale. Madoff is now serving a 150-year federal prison sentence in North Carolina for his crimes …Full Story

Median home prices are on the way up in New Orleans. (Photo: iStockphoto)

A recent report from the National Association of Realtors showed that while quarterly home sales were up 3.8 percent in the first quarter of this year, home prices were down nearly 16 percent from the year before, falling to $174,100, says the Associated Press …Full Story

For $18 million, a young entrepreneur is now a neighbor of Hugh Hefner's bunny mansion.

One 25-year-old entrepreneur is living a young man's dream -- Daren Metropoulos, the son of equity investor C. Dean Metropoulos, has purchased Hugh Hefner's Los Angeles "English Tudor" for $18 million, about $10 million less than its asking price, says the Los Angeles Times …Full Story