Real estate round-up: October 26

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: Home Affordable Refinance Program: What you need to know Washington Post The HARP program, which was rolled out in 2009, is designed to help. Those who are "underwater" on their homes and owe more than the homes are worth. Policy fixes may boost refinancing Washington Times If the Federal Housing Finance Agency is moderately successful in making these changes, the current refinance wave could turn into a tsunami. Dominique Strauss-Kahn's DC home hits the market DC Urban Turf The three-bedroom home at 2613 Dumbarton Street NW in Georgetown was listed on Monday for the tidy sum of $5.2 million. Washingtonian reported back in early September that the home was poised to hit the market soon.�

National real estate news stories: Knowing when to refinance The New York Times Here are four questions that borrowers should consider carefully before proceeding with a refinancing, according to experts. Restringing the housing HARP Wall Street Journal The latest iteration came Monday, when the Federal Housing Finance Agency unveiled changes to a program meant to make it easier for underwater homeowners who are current on payments to refinance into a lower-rate mortgage. Is gentrification always bad for revitalizing neighborhoods? The Atlantic The truth is that what some badly disinvested cities, districts, and neighborhoods desperately need is some form and degree of 'gentrification.' The challenge is to have enough without having too much.

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