Banks big buyers at Prewett auction

Banks big buyers at Prewett auction Energy levels were high at former investment adviser Daniel Prewett’s Dec. 13 bankruptcy auction. The Osprey Inn was bursting with more than 500 people, and the night concluded with all properties on the block being sold. At first, it seemed the auction was revealing something about the real estate …

Retirement plan interrupted

Retirement plan interrupted When Patty Marquez graduated from the University of Minnesota more than five years ago and moved to Southern California, she thought about buying a house. But with prices already sky-high in the Southland market, “I was scared,” says Marquez, now 31. So she rented for more than four years. But all along, …

Homeowners with forgiven loan debt get timely tax break

Homeowners with forgiven loan debt get timely tax break Families who lost their homes to the foreclosure crisis this year will have at least one reason for cheer this holiday season: They won’t have to worry about a big tax bill. Shortly before adjourning last week for the year, Congress approved a tax-relief bill designed …

Foreclosing on Christmas

Foreclosing on Christmas For the Debora family, the holiday season usually means making tamales and opening presents under the Christmas tree. But there’s no Christmas tree this year. Probably no tamales either. The four family members are trying to save their Boyle Heights home from foreclosure. “It doesn’t feel like Christmas,” Maria Debora said in …

The sales pitch was great, but the company fell apart

The sales pitch was great, but the company fell apart Invest in real estate. Make money. Improve neighborhoods. That was the pitch, and it usually started with a ride. Cary McEntee would be at the wheel, steering his black Cadillac Escalade through some of Hampton Roads’ poorest neighborhoods. His brother, Jacques, usually rode shotgun. Potential …