Small to midsize businesses have really taken the brunt of the national economic slowdown, much more so than their Fortune 500 counterparts. The banking, construction, auto and retail sectors are hardest hit, while other areas like health care, education and the federal government are doing better. Business leaders are closely watching existing assets and ensuring they are getting the best use out of them. This includes real estate, both commercial and residential. The difficult period we are in currently has caused us to become better stewards of what we buy and use. Just look at the number of forced sales of real estate across the board, if you want proof. Read the rest of this entry »

STEP 1. Find a Property
Search for property. Use your local real estate agency or realtor to search by county, city or zip code. I recommend starting with a broader search (like county or city) and narrowing the search later if necessary.
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U.S. stock indexes rocket higher, with the major stock indexes wiping out a week of shattering losses, as Wall Street cheers the government’s effort to unfreeze credit markets as well as the plans to move against short sellers.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- October crude closed at $104.55 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange Friday, up 6.8%, or $6.67, for the session. It gained 3.3% for the week. Traders eyed concerns over the financial market to gauge the future of oil demand and oil prices found much of their support from continued storm-related disruptions to energy production and refining in the Gulf of Mexico.

The U.S. government begins to spell out a broad-based plan to rescue the struggling financial system -- one that will cost “hundreds of billions of dollars” and will relieve banks of bad assets and rein in abusive trading. Stock investors respond enthusiastically, but investors sell down Treasurys and the dollar.

Treasurys plunge, sending yields on benchmark notes up by the most in at least two decades, amid investor relief that the U.S. government is planning a broader solution to the financial crisis.

Boeing has lost a projected $1.4 billion or more in sales so far, as a strike by machinists enters its third week with no talks scheduled between management and its workers’ union.

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Companies in the financial-services sector that were left off a government list banning short sellers from trading certain stock may be seeking inclusion. General Electric Co. , American Express , Capital One , and CIT Group are just a few of those omitted from the list despite having large businesses in the financial sector. For GE, financial services make up about 45% of its overall business. GE declined to comment on whether it will seek SEC's approval for addition to the list, but American Express said it was just beginning to look into the possibility of being added. The Securities and Exchange Commission ban covers 799 stocks and takes effect until midnight on Oct. 2.