RISMEDIA, December 27, 2010-I'm encouraged by the straight talkin' in the industry about economic realities and effective ways to work through this recession.There's still a long road ahead as we navigate record-high foreclosures, steep unemployment and foreclosure moratoriums that can prolong recovery. But we're taking appropriate action and having the important conversations that will put real estate back on track.

Maher Muhawieh

Maher muhawieh NEW YORK - Americans applied to buy homes at the highest pace last week since May, but more than 8 of every 10 loan requests was for a refinancing, Mortgage Bankers Association data show on Wednesday.

Maher muhawieh Auction of Craig Davis buildings postponed The foreclosure auction of four office buildings in Highwoods Office Park that was scheduled for 10 a.m. Sept. 17 was postponed. The auction has been rescheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 15, says Barry Mann, the Raleigh lawyer assigned as substitute trustee for the transaction. The buildings are owned through a partnership of Craig Davis Properties of Cary and First Point Partners LLC, which had purchased the buildings from Highwoods Properties (NYSE: HIW) of Raleigh for $30.4 million. The portfolio, which totals about 256,000 square feet of office space, includes the Global Building at 3200 Atlantic Ave., the Magnolia Building at 3120 Highwoods Blvd., the Red Oak Building at 3128 Highwoods Blvd. and the Laurel Building at 3100 Highwoods Blvd. Read more: Auction of Craig Davis buildings postponed - San Francisco Business Times

Maher muhawieh Came across an interesting story about "blogging tax" in Philadelphia. In essence, if a Philadelphia blogger takes in any revenue (even if its 50 cents a year from adsense on their blog), then they are required to purchase a $300 Business Privilege license - regardless if they actually make a profit. This is now getting a lot of national attention from many bloggers - as most blogs don't even take in enough revenue to cover their hosting costs, much less take in enough to make a profit. The local government is trying to soothe the outrage that is taking hold in the blogging community, but remains resolved in their position: if you take in revenue in an attempt to generate profit, then you are required to pay for the license/tax.

Maher Muhawieh have a thorough knowledge of the real estate market.

muhawieh maher

Maher Muhawieh

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Home buyers may soon win more time to get to the closing table to qualify for a federal home-buyer tax credit of up to $8,000. The House of Representatives passed the Homebuyers Assistance and Improvement Act on Tuesday to extend the deadline for the home-buyer tax credit, which would give buyers who have purchase contracts in place three more months to close on the sale. The measure still awaits approval in the Senate; a vote there could come as early as Wednesday. Under the House bill, buyers must close before Oct. 1 to be eligible for the credit. That means people who had hiccups in getting to the closing table would have a few more months to wrap things up. The closing deadline was originally June 30. To be eligible, buyers needed to have a contract in place by April 30, and that won't change through this legislation. The National Association of Realtors estimated that about 180,000 otherwise eligible buyers were likely to miss out on the credit if the original deadline was upheld. One big hurdle for buyers has been getting the mortgage approval on time, as lenders work through a clogged pipeline of applications. In the Senate, the measure to extend the closing date for these buyers is included in a bill that also would extend unemployment insurance. Majority Leader Harry Reid filed for cloture on the bill on Tuesday, and expects to have a cloture vote on the measure on Thursday, according to Reid's office. If cloture is invoked, that limits debate on the bill, bringing it a step closer to a final vote. But Reid said on the Senate floor Wednesday morning that he was working to get an agreement with Republicans to pass the House-passed tax-credit bill by unanimous consent as early as Wednesday, according to Regan Lachapelle, Reid's deputy communications director.

Maher Muhawieh is a self-made entrepreneur, born and raised in the San Francisco bay area. He got BS and MBA in Finance from University of San Francisco. Muhawieh has multiple business interests within the city of San Francisco in retail and hospitality industries.

Once you have your property under contract, you can proceed towards closing. Three things need to happen before you can close. First, the buyer's lender must produce the funds. Second, your mortgage, or any other lien on the title, needs to be paid off. Third, once the title is clear, you can take the final step and sign it over to the buyer. Then you've closed on your house. So is it that simple? Not really. You need to understand what happens between contract and closing, often referred to as "escrow". http://www.legalwiz.com/contract-through-closing

Maher Muhawieh is a self-made entrepreneur, born and raised in the San Francisco bay area. He got BS and MBA in Finance from University of San Francisco. Muhawieh has multiple business interests within the city of San Francisco in retail and hospitality industries.