South Dakota was the lone state with an increase in sales of resale homes in the fourth quarter of 2007 compared to the same quarter in 2006, the National Association of Realtors reported today. South Dakota had 19,600 sales of single-family homes, apartment condos and co-ops in the fourth quarter, compared to 18,000 in fourth-quarter 2006 -- an 8.9 percent rise (see Inman News).

And South Dakota was one of three states that experienced a sales gain for the full year in 2007 compared to 2006. Total sales of previously owned homes in South Dakota rose from 18,300 in 2006 to 18,500 in 2007, a gain of 1.1 percent. Sales rose 2.1 percent in New Hampshire in 2007 and 0.6 percent in Indiana, NAR also reported. Among metro areas, single-family resale home prices rose 4.7 percent in Sioux Falls, S.D., in 2007 compared to 2006, and were up 6.5 percent in fourth-quarter 2007 compared to the same quarter in the previous year.

Nevada had the largest year-over-year drop in sales in 2007, at 35.5 percent. Florida followed with a sales drop of 27.6 percent; sales were down 26.2 percent in Arizona; 23.7 percent in Maryland; 23.5 percent in New Mexico; 22.8 percent in California; 19 percent in Utah; 17.8 percent in Louisiana; 17.1 percent in Illinois; and 16.9 percent in Maine.

Binghamton, N.Y., and Yakima, Wash., tied for the largest gain in resale home prices for the full year in 2007 compared to 2006, at 14.7 percent. The Cumberland, Md.-W.V., area was next with a 14.3 percent gain; Salt Lake City had a 14.3 percent gain; Bismarck, N.D., was up 13.3 percent; and Farmington, N.M. had a 10.9 percent gain.

The Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Fla., metro area bottomed out with a 13.4 percent year-over-price drop in 2007. The Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, Iowa-Ill., metro area had a 9.2 percent drop; Sacramento, Calif., was down 8.5 percent; Lansing, Mich., down 7.9 percent; and Detroit was down 7.5 percent.

The Sun newspaper in San Bernardino County, Calif., reports that a resident in Ontario, Calif., was selling pieces of her Ontario, Calif., home on the Internet. The house is in a foreclosure process and the owner had reportedly entered into a Mills Act contract with the city that reduces property taxes in exchange for the preservation and rehabilitation of the property.

A Superior Court judge granted the city of Ontario a warrant to lock the owner out of the home "for stripping it of historic fixtures to sell on the Web site craigslist.com," the newspaper reported.

Cathy Walstrom, principal planner for the city, said in the article, "A number of the features were advertised for sale online -- fixtures, baseboards, tile, grates, a sink, almost the whole house."

But the owner, Kim Shewalter, 46, told the newspaper that she only removed items that she had personally added to the historic home, built in 1935. "I have to give my house back to the bank, and I want to be sure I recoup a little bit of my money," she said in the article.

"How can they say the landscaping I put in I can't remove?" She also reportedly removed cupboards that she had installed in 2003.

An interesting legal issue with foreclosure properties and home sales in general: The city attorney says in the article that "California law states if you fix something permanently to a structure, it becomes part of the real estate. For instance, if you install a garden trellis that's drilled into cement, it doesn't mean you can rip it out and take it with you because you paid for it. It becomes part of the property."

The home's owner has been involved in Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings since October, and the latest meeting of creditors was scheduled Jan. 10, according to court records.

Online home valuation and marketing service Zillow.com today announced some site upgrades, including redesigned neighborhood information pages for 130 city areas across the country, and pop-up window details and displays of ZIP code and other geographic boundaries on the site's interactive maps. More details here.

Vast, a vertical search engine company that formally launched its real estate search platform this week, offers about 2.4 million residential properties and allows searches by keyword, location, and a range of other variables (see Inman News article).

Testing out the keyword search tool with the premise that bigger is better, Inman News identified several properties using Vast  that reportedly have "crazy big" qualities. For example, a property in Miami, Fla., with a "crazy big" walk-in closet in the master bedroom, and another Miami property with a "crazy big loft upstairs." But if you're looking for a "crazy big lot" you might take a look at this home in Republic, Mo.

A search for "supersized" characteristics turned up a "supersized" kitchen at a home in Port Allen, La., a "supersize" master suite at a home in Upland, Calif., and a "supersized" enclosed Florida room at a home in Orlando.

And not to forget the home with a "ginormous" front and back yard in Chandler, Ariz., the "ginormous, vaulted family room" at a home in Central Point, Ore., and the "gargantuan" loft at a home in New York City.

In addition to keyword searches, Vast also allows users to search among more standard parameters such as price, location and amenities.

Leon Hendrix, brother of Jimi and leader of his own band "Leon Hendrix Mysterience" has his house on the market. Mr. Hendrix asked his agent to make sure that is was marketed as a Hendrix family property. Zingy ad copy includes "House is full of trash. No water or power, and needs repairs." Sometimes, they just don't get any better than this in lovely Seattle.

Lest you think Mr. Hendrix's directive was overkill, consider Seattle's obsession with Jimi's memory. Shrines abound to his life and music, with the largest being Paul Allen's Experience Music Project. Jimi's childhood home has also been a fascination for many around here, as we followed its travels from Seattle's Central Area to a trailer park across the street from the cemetery that holds his remains.

I have always known that I reside in the Halloween "Capitol" of Seattle, but until now I have not had scientific proof.

In a move of utter brilliance, Capitol Hill Seattle blog has published this Ultimate Guide: Fancy Pants Capitol Hill Trick-or-Treating.  By using Zillow Heatmaps and a childhood theory that North Capitol Hill is one of the best places to score candy, they have translated the Zillow spectrum to a sugar acquisition model they call the Capitol Hill Seattle Candy Action scale.

For this handy guide, children all over the city will be eternally grateful.

-- Marlow Harris, 360Digest

"I don't want to move. I don't need the money. Money doesn't mean anything," Macefield said last week.

--Marlow Harris, 360Digest

Scott Jones, CEO of the search engine ChaCha and the inventor of voicemail, has what HGTV is calling one of the "Top 10 Most Amazing Homes in America".

The house, a 27,000 square foot English country manor built in 1938, is located in Carmel, Indiana and melds high tech wonder with old world charm. It includes a house-wide network that automates lighting, air conditioning and media systems in every room, but also amenities that would be the envy of any geek; a 2,700 gallon salt water aquarium, a massive home theater, a work-out desk (!) with 8 computer screens, a mahogany slide down the main staircase, an indoor treehouse and (my favorite) a secret passage that is revealed when you tug on a Harry Potter book in the book shelf.

You can get a sneak peak of the house on RTV6 - TheIndyChannel.

The Health Department in Portland, Ore., and the American Lung Association have a proposition for landlords: Go smoke-free and save money.

A survey of renters found that 75 percent in the Portland metro area would prefer to live in buildings with nonsmoking policies, while only 25 percent said their landlords have such policies.

The Portland Smokefree Housing Project has the seal of approval from the Fair Housing Council of Oregon, which assures landlords that smoking is not a protected activity and property owners have the right under Fair Housing laws to restrict smoking in or on their property.

But the real message is financial: Smokers cost property owners money, especially when units turn over. It is more costly to clean carpets and repaint. Some property owners report they've had to use sealants and replace smoke-infested woodwork to eliminate the smell after smokers moved out.

Many landlords are concerned that it may be illegal to ban smoking or discriminate against smokers, and fear lawsuits from prospective tenants for violating Fair Housing laws.

Says Pegge Mcguire, Executive Director, Fair Housing Council of Oregon, "Property owners and managers should know that they have every right under Fair Housing laws to restrict smoking in and on their property. Smoking is not a protected class; neither smokers nor the act of smoking is included as a protected class under federal, state, or local Fair Housing laws."

Tenants are also informed that there is no "Right to Smoke" ordinance and if they're bothered by second-hand smoke, they do have rights and options available to them too. 

In searching the Web site, however, I find no advice for smoking renters, except to quit smoking.

--Marlow Harris, 360 Digest