Real estate round-up: October 25

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: One real estate company offers a "bike-mounted tour" Washington City Paper Bikeability is a huge selling point these days, so it's not surprising to see realtors getting on board (following the architects, who are starting to include Bikeshare in their renderings). FHA rules for condos make buying, selling difficult Washington Post FHA-insured mortgages have become a mainstay of condominium unit financing in the past several years, and now account for 40 percent of all purchase loans for condos in some metropolitan markets. How value capture financing will revitalize White Flint DC Streets Blog Not only are the White Flint developers looking to include more mixed-use development in the community, they want to build new local streets to fill in a viable street grid and redesign the eight-lane Rockville Pike into a "21st century boulevard" with wide sidewalks, bike lanes, six rows of trees, and dedicated transit lanes. How to find the best refi rate? Shop around Washington Post Consider speaking with someone in each of these categories: a big national bank; a credit union; a qualified and highly recommended mortgage broker (check with your local real estate agents; they usually have a list); an online lender; and a small regional lender.

National real estate news stories: How to derail a mortgage refinance Bankrate.com A mortgage refinance is trickier than it was a few years ago. Here are five ways to mess up. 12 questions on Obama's refi plan Wall Street Journal The Obama administration is revamping a program that's designed to let more homeowners refinance their mortgages even if they don't have any equity.

http://twlv.net/5jmynA