Real estate market strong, despite cooling

Real estate market strong, despite cooling.
The mountains that surround the Blue Ridge Region seem to protect us from more than just Mother Nature"s wrath. Real estate markets in other areas of the commonwealth-like sprawling Northern Virginia and the Tidewater urban population centers-are experiencing severe downturns. Our regional real estate markets have been spared much of the storm. While there has been slowing in the markets, local real estate professionals say it has still been a pretty good year for their industry. 'Overall, as far as sales go in general, it has flattened out,' says Neal Wall with ReMax. 'However, with residential sales, I"m personally on par with last year"s sales.' Wall and his colleagues in the region say the market is cooling-a perfectly understandable expectation given the extremely energetic performance of real estate locally and national for the last few years.

A methane battle is brewing

A methane battle is brewing.
Back in 1978, a young Wade Davis scored the job of his dreams. Hired as a park ranger to explore and map B.C."s newly established Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park, he had a wonderfully vague job description: wilderness assessment and public relations. In two seasons he 'related' to fewer than a dozen visitors. The Spatsizi belongs to a vast region claimed by the Tahltan people as their traditional territory and is often described as the Serengeti of Canada. It"s a mountain wilderness of stunning beauty, occupying almost 700,000 hectares in northwest B.C., an area where some of the province"s greatest rivers, including the Nass, Stikine, Finlay, and Skeena, start their journey as trickles in an alpine meadow. Much has changed for Davis since he hiked, scrambled, and paddled around this region in the late 1970s.

Curbs plans changes against Arsenal

Curbs plans changes against Arsenal.
ALAN Curbishley is expecting to have striker Craig Bellamy back fit for tomorrow"s London derby clash with Premier League leaders Arsenal. The West Ham boss said: 'I"ve got a little bit thinking to do about the side. I was very disappointed with the result up at Newcastle and the defending and I let them know about that on Sunday and Monday.' He made six changes to his side for Wednesday"s Carling Cup clash with Plymouth Argyle, which the Hammers won 1-0. Richard Wright, Danny Gabbidon, Freddie Ljungberg, Scott Parker, James Collins and Luis Boa Morte all started. While Dean Ashton who scored the 92nd-minute winner, was on target for the third time in as many games. West Ham will be without Bobby Zamora for at least three weeks after the striker underwent surgery to clear-up a knee problem sustained at Bristol Rovers, but Bellamy, who limped off the pitch against Middlesbrough two weeks ago is over his groin strain.

Michigan Businesses Worried A Government Shutdown Could Shut Them Down

Michigan Businesses Worried A Government Shutdown Could Shut Them Down.
(WSBT) Michigan lawmakers worked late into the night Thursday trying to find an agreement to close a $1.75 billion budget deficit and prevent a government shutdown. Leaders have been debating an emergency budget that would keep the government running. Both sides remain optimistic, but they are still far apart on key issues including whether to approve the emergency budget.Members have been waiting for most of the day for any sort of agreement from state leaders. The governor and House Democrats remain opposed to an emergency budget that does not include any tax increases.Republicans say an emergency budget is necessary so legislators can keep talking without shutting down government.Meanwhile, business owners across the state were working on emergency plans, worried the looming shut down might shut them down.Business has been brisk this week at Lunker"s Bait Shop in Edwardsburg-- after all-- bow hunting season is now just 3 days away, and salmon fishing licenses are also going fast.But manager Randy Jesensky is worried.'This will be impossible to do 3 days from now if the government shuts down,' he said, pointing to a stack of hunting licenses fresh off the printer.

Merced County Market Watch: Home sales sluggish, but consistent

Merced County Market Watch: Home sales sluggish, but consistent.
The end of the traditional real estate summer brought with it continued sluggish but consistent home sales. In August, 217 properties changed hands in Merced County. This is nearly identical with every month this year, but dramatically down when compared with August of 2006. Even more dramatic is today"s foreclosure inventory when compared with last year"s. At this time last year, lienholders had taken back 44 properties. To date this year, 642 properties have gone back to the bank. These properties have kept for sale inventories up, giving consumers ample choices and some good deals. Because of the downward pressure in prices, more than 40 percent of county residents now can qualify for a home. Keep in mind that two years ago, only 15 percent of local residents could qualify for a home.

Growth in Consumer Credit Slows Slightly

Growth in Consumer Credit Slows Slightly.
Consumers kept charging at a rapid pace on their credit cards in July although their overall borrowing slowed a bit. The Federal Reserve reported that consumer credit rose at an annual rate of 3.7 percent in July, down from a 5.9 percent growth rate for consumer debt in June. .

Quiet boom hits Switzerland

Quiet boom hits Switzerland.
While house prices have exploded in cities like London and Madrid in recent years, a quieter but nonetheless significant boom is occurring in the normally staid property market in Switzerland. Foreign buyers are flooding into places like the town of Kuesnacht, just a few minutes by car from the banking and insurance center of Zurich, driving prices for top-end properties to record levels. 'We are looking at this situation with concern,' said Kuesnacht"s local council president, Max Baumgartner. 'The price of apartments is rising fast. You can"t create more space so it"s getting harder to find affordable places.' Rich Germans, Russians, Britons and Americans have all recently snapped up homes in Kuesnacht, which offers tidy houses and pricey restaurants and a top-band income tax rate of just 10 percent.