The Bay Area home market continued to seek equilibrium in October, as prices stayed flat and the number of homes sold hovered at five-year lows, according to a report released Wednesday.

The median price for all homes in the nine-county region, including resale homes, condos and new homes, remained at $614,000 — the same as in October 2005. A total of 7,979 residential properties changed hands, down 24.1 percent from the 10,508 sold during the same month last year, according to DataQuick Information Systems, a real estate reporting service. It was the lowest number of October sales recorded since 2001.

Dress up your black or dark wardrobe for a holiday party by going to the craft section of your local Wal-Mart and buying several holiday sequined patches. Buy a bottle of glue that is made specifically for sequined patches. This glue allows you to stick a patch on a piece of clothing and then pull it off when desired to be put on a different piece of clothing. Make sure to let the glue dry overnight before you stick it to clothing. A plain black shirt and pair of pants can be fancied up with these inexpensive patches.
Arla A.

November 10, 2006 - November 16, 2006
Provided by Commercial Real Estate DirectOffice, Industrial Markets Strong into 2007
Rising rents and a steadily growing economy have commercial developers and investors looking optimistically into 2007. According to the 12th semi-annual Vital Signs survey by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, 71% of respondents reported increased rents in their local markets. The industrial market is seeing a similar boon, with 66% of respondents reporting rising rents. NAIOP is predicting continued upward momentum through 2007, with exceptional growth along the Pacific Coast due to strong Asian trade. Increasing rents have led survey respondents to look more favorably on development, specifically in the industrial, office and research and development sectors.

Technology is dominating many aspects of the real estate transaction process, but the most important factors are purely human, according to an industry survey of home buyers and sellers.

Most sellers prefer full-service brokerage, where brokers handle all aspects of the transaction process from listing to closing, according the survey, which found that 83 percent of sellers use full-service brokerage, 9 percent use limited services and 8 percent use minimal service, such as simply listing a property on a MLS.

The study, released by the National Association of Realtors, was based on a mailed questionnaire and asked buyers and sellers about preferences and habits in real estate transactions.