Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'estate'

Disgraced Investors Stolen Statue Returned

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 06:07:00 EST

Bernard Madoff was robbed. The Wall Street investor is accused of making billions of dollars disappear in an alleged Ponzi scheme. And now we know that somebody made off with a statue from his Florida estate. It was a copper statue, worth $10,000 dollars. After they took it, the mysterious robbers brought it back. And they attached a note: "Lesson: Return stolen property to rightful owners."

'Mrs. Astor Regrets': Fairytale Turned Nightmare

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 10:18:00 EST

Mrs. Astor Regrets: The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Reproach tells the story of the Astors of New York, a storied philanthropist family. Shortly after the death of Brooke Astor in 2007, her only child, Anthony Marshall, was indicted on charges of looting her estate. Author Meryl Gordon talks to Scott Simon about the book.

Homebuyer Looks For Deals In Short Sales

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 06:00:00 EST

With home values plummeting and credit harder to come by, one homebuyer in Los Angeles is taking advantage of lower real estate prices by bidding on short sales — when the proceeds from a sale fall short of the mortgage balance. Banks are struggling to keep up with the influx of short sales.

Calpers Public Pension Fund In Trouble

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

The largest public pension fund in the U.S. is in big trouble. Calpers invested giant chunks of money in real estate, and a good portion of those investments remain undeveloped. We explore how many people are affected.

Bernanke's Mortgage Fix Plan Analyzed

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:34:00 EST

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has outlined what the government needs to do to fix the mortgage crisis. Christopher J. Mayer, senior vice dean and Paul Milstein professor of real estate at Columbia Business School, talks about what the plan would entail.

Spanish Soccer Teams Short Of Financial Goooals

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:11:00 EST

Spain's decade-long real estate boom was a gold mine for Spanish soccer. Construction firms paid large sums to have their logos on team jerseys, and real estate moguls lined up to buy teams. Now, with investments failing, struggling teams and owners are looking for buyers — or maybe a bailout.

Fed Move Could Signal Real Estate Thaw

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:35:00 EST

The depressed mortgage market got a jolt when the Federal Reserve said Tuesday it would move hundreds of billions of dollars into action to revive consumer lending activity. The Fed's move sent mortgage rates down and immediately set off a wave of refinancing.

Wildfire Prompts Evacuations In Calif.

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:52:00 EST

Thousands of people are evacuated and more than 100 homes are destroyed by a raging wildfire in the wealthy California coastal community of Montecito near Santa Barbara. It's a celebrity enclave filled with multimillion dollars estates and ranches belonging to the likes of Oprah Winfrey.

Digging Out Of A Real Estate Hole In Charlotte

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

Charlotte, North Carolina is the nation's number two banking town. It's also consistently known for home value appreciation. But not all Charlotte residents benefit. Former bank executive Bellverie Ross just got herself out of foreclosure and now she's helping others undertake do-it-yourself rescues. Simone Orendain from member station WFAE in Charlotte, reports.

Amid Slump, New York Real Estate Suffers

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:29:00 EDT

The economic downturn is affecting the New York City real estate market. Many Manhattan building projects are not progressing as they normally would. Dana Rubenstein of the New York Observer newspaper and Steve Siegel of the global brokerage CB Richard Ellis offer their insight.

A Walking Tour Of Wall Street

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Real estate executive Richard Warshauer and lawyer James Kaplan describe points of interest on the street that lends its name to the idea of finance. They meet visitors from around the world who tell why they've come to Wall Street.

It's A Sign Of The Times

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The National Debt Clock has run out of numbers. The giant sign in New York City changes constantly as the federal debt increases. It was put up years ago by a real estate developer horrified that the debt was approaching $3 trillion. Some years ago, the clock stopped when the U.S. started running a surplus. But now it's running again, and when the debt struck $10 trillion recently, the owners had to improvise an extra number one.

'Monticello' Tells Untold Story Of Sally Hemings

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:05:00 EDT

Thomas Jefferson's biography got significantly more complicated when DNA evidence linked him to the descendants of Sally Hemings, a slave on his estate. Annette Gordon-Reed talks about her new book, The Hemingses of Monticello an exhaustive study of Sally Hemings' life and role within the Jefferson household.

Will Bailout Help The Real Estate Market...

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Two widely watched monthly reports on home sales are due out this week. Many are asking if the financial rescue package for Wall Street will help stabilize the housing market. Even with prices in freefall, many potential buyers are staying away.

If You Want A Piece Of Lehman, What's Left...

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Investment bank Lehman Brothers will soon be divided up and sold. British bank, Barclays is set to purchase Lehman's broker-dealer operations as well as its New York headquarters and New Jersey data centers. That leaves Lehman's commercial real estate assets, private equity investments and hedge fund investments.

Lehman Announces Asset Sale Amid Wall Street Jitters

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Lehman Brothers has announced plans to sell a majority stake in its investment management business amid mounting losses and a plummeting share price. The 158-year-old firm also said it would spin off a troubled real estate unit and cut its dividend.

Lehman Brothers To Shed Assets

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EDT

The investment banking giant Lehman Brothers says it will sell most of its investment management business and spin off commercial real-estate operations in a bid to survive the credit crunch.

Bailout Hits Mortgage Brokers

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EDT

The federal bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is sure to trickle down to every corner of the real estate market. Ernie Gonnelly, a mortgage broker in Cape Coral, Florida, explains how the bailout has changed his business.

Mortgage Rates Tumble On Fannie-Freddie News

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 07:49:00 EDT

Financial markets around the world reacted favorably to the U.S. government's plan to take over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In the United States, the move sent interest rates down, raising hopes in the real estate industry that prospective buyers may be ready to enter the housing market.

An Imperfect But Epic 'America'

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:38:00 EDT

A young man enters a world of power and privilege when he is summoned to live on the estate of the local industrial baron in Ethan Canin's epic America America.

Real Estate Agents Cater To Bicycle Commuters

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Steve Inskeep has this morning's Last Word in Business News.

Dallas Fends Off Housing Downturn

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

In the last of our three-part discussion with realtors across the country, Jeff Updike talks with Renee Montagne about the Dallas real estate market. The economy there has fended off the worst of the housing downturn. Updike says the number of home sales is down, but prices are up.

Realtor: Miami's Housing Slump Is Worsening

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

In the first of a three part discussion with real-estate agents across the country, John Paul Rosser, a condo specialist in Miami, talks with Steve Inskeep. The housing market was bad the last time Rosser talked with Inskeep, in September, but Rosser says it has gotten a lot worse since then.

Mortgage Crisis Spreads To Conventional Loans

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EDT

The sub-prime mortgage crisis was just the tip of the iceberg. Analysts are saying a new wave of foreclosures is on the way. And this time, people who got reasonable home loans and have good credit are falling behind. Madeleine Brand talks to real estate analyst Mike Larson of Weiss Research about how a new wave of defaults is a symptom of a larger trend.

Home Foreclosures Double In 2nd Quarter

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:22:00 EDT

Home foreclosure filings more than doubled in the second quarter of 2008 from a year ago, according to real estate data released Friday by RealtyTrac Inc. Nationwide, 739,714 households — one in every 171 — received at least one foreclosure-related notice from April to June.