Licensed appraisers

Congress passed a bill in 1989 mandating all states to set up licensing programs for real estate appraisers. This bill was passed to help prevent the type of fraudulent and inflated loans that caused the $500 billion savings and loan debacle in the late 1980s. Licensed appraisers must adhere to a set of ethical and professional guidelines developed by the Appraisal Foundation.
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Evening shade

Homebuyers should remember to consider sunlight direction when evaluating a home purchase. Back yard activities in evening shade are best enjoyed when the home's back yard faces east. Sunlight direction also affects the brightness factor of rooms in the house as well as tree and landscape selection and location.
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Urbanism and traditional development

Some new homebuilders are adopting new urbanism and traditional neighborhood development concepts into their subdivision plans. These development approaches incorporate design elements of old urban neighborhoods with traditional features, such as prominent front porches, sidewalks, backyard garages, multi-use buildings and housing clustered near recreation and commercial service areas.
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