US home building is surging, but job growth isn’t

Finance committee wants to cut DNR’s land-stewardship budget

Published: May 16, 2013
Tags: budget, Cory Mason, DNR, Joint Finance Committee, land purchases, land stewardship, Scott Walker

The state’s Republican-controlled budget committee voted, 12-4, on Wednesday to reduce Wisconsin’s budget for land stewardship, which sets aside land for public purposes, by millions of dollars two years after reducing it by $26 million.

US housing starts fell in April, permits surged

Published: May 16, 2013
Tags: builder confidence, housing market, housing starts

U.S. builders broke ground on fewer homes in April, one month after topping the 1 million mark for the first time since 2008. But most of the decline was in apartment construction, which tends to vary sharply from month to month.

Damages could force village to demolish foreclosure

Published: May 15, 2013
Tags: foreclosures, Kapital Real Estate, Nate Piotrowski, Parker’s Welding & Mfg., sheriff's sale, water damage, Weather-Tek Design Center

The adult day care in Brown Deer never opened, but anyone can walk right in.

Digital land maps could be coming to Wis.

Published: May 15, 2013
Tags: budget, digital land maps, DOA, land maps, Scott Walker

A plan to develop digital land maps of the entire state will benefit from a motion to increase the cost of registering deeds that the state’s Joint Finance Committee passed Wednesday.

Dwelling code to get review every 3 years under bill passed by Assembly

Published: May 15, 2013
Tags: dwelling code, Dwelling Code Council

The state Assembly passed a bill Tuesday that would have an advisory council review the state’s uniform dwelling code once every three years and produce a report on that review once every six years.

Homebuilder confidence rises in May from April

Published: May 15, 2013
Tags: homebuilders, housing market, National Association of Home Builders

Confidence among U.S. homebuilders rebounded this month, reflecting improved sales trends during the spring home-selling season and the strongest outlook for sales over the next six months in more than six years.

Obama wants help for more homeowners

Published: May 13, 2013
Tags: Homeowners, mortgages

President Barack Obama says Congress must give more homeowners the chance to refinance their mortgages to save money.

Report ranks state No. 34 in business tax burden (UPDATE)

Published: May 10, 2013
Tags: tax burden

Wisconsin was No. 34 in a new state-by-state ranking of business tax burdens, and the researcher who did the study said the amount paid into the state’s unemployment insurance compensation fund helped push it into a relatively high spot.

Committee passes motion reducing property taxes to offset service fees

Published: May 9, 2013
Tags: Glenn Grothman, property taxes

The state Legislature’s Budget Committee passed a motion Thursday that will force cities and counties to reduce property tax collections to offset service fees.