Real estate round-up: October 18

Check in every business day for the latest edition of Real Estate Round-up, where we post a list of our favorite real estate news stories from DC and beyond.

Headlines from the DC Metro Area: A foreclosure escape hatch? Washington Post A bill introduced Oct. 5 would waive the penalty if the purpose of the distribution is to make loan payments to avoid loss of a primary home to foreclosure. Buyer's experience: The 90-day rule DC Urban Turf If you feel tempted to buy a home that was purchased and renovated in a relatively short amount of time, you should probably be wary for many reasons, but one is that most lenders will not approve loans for a home that is back on the market less than 90 days after it was purchased. Optimistic signs for Spring 2012 Washington Times If current trends continue during the next six months, we could see a rise in home prices during the more-active spring market to come.

National real estate news stories: Housing inventory hits 4-year low Wall Street Journal Falling inventories are typically a sign of health because that leads to less downward pressure on home prices. 4 experts forecast 2012 housing market HSH.com We asked top real estate experts Ilyce Glink of Thinkglink.com, Paul Bishop of the National Association of Realtors, Barbara Corcoran of the Today show, and Dan Green of TheMortgageReports.com to share their thoughts on the housing market in 2011. Here's their takeaway on what to expect.

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