5 Worst Cities to Buy Foreclosures in 2013 | AOL Real Estate

By Jerry Kronenberg

The U.S. foreclosure crisis looks like it's finally winding down -- great news for homeowners, but decidedly less positive for house hunters and real estate investors. "From the perspective of buyers, [some] markets might not be as attractive anymore," says Daren Blomquist of market watcher RealtyTrac. The organization recently found that U.S. foreclosure-related filings fell during 2012 for the second straight year.

RealtyTrac, which monitors county registries of deeds around the country, says lenders filed paperwork covering around 1.9 million foreclosures, deed seizures and property resales in 2012 -- a roughly 34% drop from 2010's 2.9 million peak. The firm also analyzed all 102 U.S. metro areas with 500,000 residents or more and found that filings fell by double-digit percentages in many locales during 2012.

Blomquist says house hunters and investors looking to buy foreclosures on the cheap in those cities can expect to "compete against each other for places this year. The foreclosure supply is drying up, but there's still interest from other buyers."

The expert says markets with the worst prospects for buyers are generally in "non-judicial foreclosure" states, where laws allow lenders to seize properties quickly with little court involvement. For instance, the average foreclosure finalized in nonjudicial Texas during 2012's fourth quarter took just 113 days from start to finish versus 1,089 days in judicial-foreclosure New York. Blomquist says nonjudicial states' speedier processes have allowed banks to clean out backlogs of delinquent properties there, making fewer distressed homes available for would-be buyers.

"The worst cities for foreclosure buyers are typically those places that worked through their problems fairly quickly," he says, adding that people looking for deals should check out metro areas with more problems. Click through the gallery below for a look at the five metro areas that RealtyTrac predicts will offer would-be foreclosure buyers the worst deals in 2013.

The firm based its rankings on a number of factors, such as how many months of unsold foreclosures each city had on the market as of Dec. 31. All figures cover houses, townhouses, condos and apartment buildings with four units or less. Average percent discounts on foreclosures refer to properties sold during 2012's first 10 months, the latest period with data available.

More on AOL Real Estate:
Best Cities to Buy Foreclosures in 2013
20 Regions Overrun by Foreclosures
10 Best States to Default on Your Mortgage

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Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2013/02/07/worst-cities-buy-foreclosures-2013/

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Certain hormonal contraceptive may pose risk of Type 2 diabetes for obese women

Feb. 7, 2013 ? A first-of-its-kind study by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) indicates that healthy, obese, reproductive-age women who use long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) containing the hormone progestin have a slightly increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes when compared to those who use non-hormonal contraception.

The research concludes that progestin-releasing LARC appears to be safe for use by such women but needs further investigation.

Nicole M. Bender, assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at the Keck School, was the principal investigator for the study "Effects of progestin-only long-acting contraception on metabolic markers in obese women," which appeared online in the journal Contraception on Jan. 2, 2013.

"Contraceptive studies often only look at normal-weight women," said Penina Segall-Gutierrez, co-investigator of the study and an assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology and family medicine at the Keck School. "Studies such as this are necessary because, today, one-third of women in the U.S. are overweight and one-third are obese. All women, including overweight and obese women, need to have access to safe and effective contraception."

Obese women are at increased risk for pregnancy-related complications and are sometimes warned by their doctors not to use contraceptives containing estrogen, such as the pill, patch and vaginal ring.

"[Those choices] raise the risk for blood clots," Segall-Gutierrez said. "So they need other, viable alternatives. The implanted LARC devices last three to 10 years, are easily reversible, and women don't have to remember to do anything with them, in contrast to the birth-control pill."

The six-month study observed the metabolic markers in three groups of obese women: a control group using non-hormonal birth control methods, including condoms, the copper IUD, and female or male sterilization; a second group with a progestin-releasing LARC device implanted in the uterus (IUD); and a third group with a progestin-releasing LARC device implanted under the skin.

"All three methods were found to be safe and effective, and they did not create changes in blood pressure, weight, or cholesterol," Segall-Gutierrez said. "However, there was a 10 percent increase in fasting blood-glucose levels among the skin implant users, compared to a 5 percent increase among the IUD users and a 2 percent decrease among those using non-hormonal methods. The effects on sensitivity to insulin showed a similar trend. It is unknown if these effects would continue if the devices were used and studied for a longer period of time."

Segall-Gutierrez and her Keck research partners have studied the metabolic effects of other birth-control methods as well. In 2012, they reported findings that obese women receiving a progestin birth-control shot every three months may be at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

"Overall, we're finding that methods such as the progestin injection and the progestin skin implant, which both have higher circulating progestin, may have an increased risk for metabolic changes compared to methods like the IUD, which only has a local effect ? in the uterus," she said.

Segall-Gutierrez added that the progestin-releasing IUD has other benefits. It is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding, which often affects obese women. The IUD also protects against endometrial cancer, which disproportionately affects obese women.

"Choosing a birth-control method requires consideration of many factors, including the patient's lifestyle and willingness to use the method, desire for future fertility, and risk for a host of diseases ? diabetes and endometrial cancer being two of them for obese women," she said. "We would like to expand our most recent study by looking at more participants over a longer period of time to see if the metabolic effects we observed in the progestin-releasing implants persist or are only temporary."

In addition to Bender and Segall-Gutierrez, the research team includes Sandy Oliver Lopez Najera, Frank Z. Stanczyk, Martin Montoro and Daniel R. Mishell.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Southern California - Health Sciences, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Nicole M. Bender, Penina Segall-Gutierrez, Sandy Oliver Lopez Najera, Frank Z. Stanczyk, Martin Montoro, Daniel R. Mishell. Effects of progestin-only long-acting contraception on metabolic markers in obese women. Contraception, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.contraception.2012.12.007

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/lEbQCJ_TIcA/130207172115.htm

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President Preckwinkle Names Cook County Land Bank Authority ...

President Preckwinkle Names Cook County Land Bank Authority Board Of Directors

Some funding already secured; County also seeking funds from Ill. Attorney General?s Foreclosure Settlement

CONTACT
President?s Press Office
press@cookcountyil.gov

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced today the members of the Cook County Land Bank Authority?s Board of Directors, which will oversee the work of the land bank?s efforts to return vacant properties to productive use. The board is comprised of a diverse group of professionals with expertise in a variety of fields, including housing, open space, real estate and commercial development to ensure the land bank authority can be nimble in responding to market demands.

?The land bank will be an important planning tool in the economic revitalization of the County?s most blighted neighborhoods,? President Preckwinkle said. ?We have identified a diverse and dedicated group who will work to redevelop vacant and abandoned properties to put them back on the tax rolls.?

The Chicago Community Trust approved a $149,000 grant to underwrite start-up activities of the Cook County Land Bank Authority including recruiting staff, developing a business plan, creating program and operating policies and procedures, building a website, and other operational activities. The grant also secured the costs of technical assistance provided by the Center for Community Progress (CCP), the premier land bank experts in the country. The Cook County Bureau of Economic Development is preparing to submit a $20 million grant proposal to the Illinois Attorney General?s office for capital from the National Foreclosure Settlement to assist in funding the initial phases of the Land Bank Authority?s work.?
The members of the Land Bank Authority Board of Director?s are:

?Bridget Gainer, Cook County Commissioner (D-10th)

Jeffrey Sherwin, Mayor, Northlake

Lawrence Grisham, Chicago Department of Housing and Economic Development

Herman Brewer, Bureau Chief, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development:

Calvin Holmes, Chicago Community Loan Fund

Carl A. Jenkins, Harris N.A.

Sarah L. Ware, The Carter Ware Group, Inc.

Stephen Porras, Axia Development

Emy Brawley, Openlands

Julie Dworkin, Policy Director, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
Bridget Gainer co-sponsored the ordinance creating the Cook County Land Bank Authority.? Commissioner Gainer has over 20 years of experience in the non-profit, public and private sectors and her career has provided her a strong foundation in finance, human services and the workings of local government.?

Jeffrey Sherwin is the Mayor of the City of Northlake. Previously, Mayor Sherwin was a private practice attorney focusing on real estate matters. Sherwin has served as Chairman of the Metropolitan Mayors, President of the West Central Municipal Conference, Chairman of the North Central Council of Mayors and Chairman of the Lower Des Plaines Advisory Committee.

Lawrence Grisham manages the Housing Bureau of the City of Chicago Department of Housing and Economic Development. He co-manages the department and oversees the department?s affordable housing programs and activities. This includes multi-family rental projects, single-family purchase and rehab assistance, foreclosure prevention and mitigation programs, and housing preservation efforts.

Herman Brewer is the Bureau Chief for the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development. He previously served as the bureau?s Director of Capital Planning & Community Development departments. Before joining Cook County, Brewer served as Executive Vice President of the Chicago Urban League, managing daily operations and program areas. Brewer also served in several capacities with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, (LISC) including Program Vice President with the national office and as a senior officer.?

Calvin L. Holmes is the President of the Chicago Community Loan Fund (CCLF). Under his leadership, CCLF?s lending has leveraged nearly $900 million in additional public- and private-sector capital in over 60 lower wealth Chicagoland communities, over 6,700 units, and more than 2.4 million square feet of? community and commercial/retail space. In addition, CCLF has solidified its position as a leading early-stage lender for community developers, a primary lender for affordable housing cooperatives and social enterprises and a principal promoter of sustainable development in metropolitan Chicago.?

Carl A. Jenkins is Vice President and Director of Community Investments for Harris N.A., the $50 billion U.S. banking subsidiary of BMO Financial Group. He oversees investments through equity and debt partnerships to finance real estate development and business expansion. Jenkins also manages over $100 million of third party investments in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. He previously served as a commercial real estate lender for BMO Capital Markets and Harris? Community Development team.

Sarah L. Ware is a principal and managing broker at The Carter Ware Group, Inc., a real estate firm that specializes in property sales, purchases and management; market research; and management consulting for investors or real estate assets. Ware represents private equity firms, non-profit institutions, public/government entities, and individual buyers and sellers of residential and commercial real estate and has developed and implemented creative sales techniques and innovative marketing strategies for Chicago?s changing real estate market.

Stephen Porras is the founder of Axia Development, Inc.? Porras has served in primary and sub-consulting roles to for-profit and non-profit developers and public housing authorities seeking to undertake affordable rental housing development.? Porras has also helped urban planning firms develop neighborhood economic development strategies andmunicipal governments seek to forge successful public-private partnerships for the development of workforce housing.

Emy Brawley serves as Director of Land Preservation for Openlands, a regional leader in conservation.? Previously, she lived in Colorado, where she managed transactions and projects for the county?s sales-tax-funded open space program.? Brawley has represented local governments, non-profit conservation organizations, and private individual and corporate landowners, primarily in real estate matters.? Brawley also serves as Treasurer of the Prairie State Conservation Coalition, the statewide coalition of Illinois land trusts.

Julie Dworkin is the Director of Policy at the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH), an advocacy organization that works to address the root causes of homelessness.? Dworkin worked on a statewide legislative campaign called It Takes a Home to Raise a Child to prevent and reduce family homelessness.? The campaign passed legislation that resulted in a statewide homelessness prevention program that has kept more than 100,000 families in Illinois from becoming homeless, a statewide rental subsidy program to provide affordable housing for 2,500 households, and $134 million in the state capital budget for housing. She also co-led a Chicago housing campaign that resulted in the passage of an ordinance dedicating TIF funds for the redevelopment of foreclosed properties as affordable housing.?

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Source: http://blog.cookcountyil.gov/economicdevelopment/2013/02/05/president-preckwinkle-names-cook-county-land-bank-authority-board-of-directors/

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Improve the view from your desk chair

So you don’t have a corner office – you can still have a city view from your desk chair with the USB Hub for the Lonely City. ?Sure, this is just a 4-port USB 2.0 hub, but it puts the “fun” in functional. ?It’s $25 from Kikkerland. ?It’s the perfect accessory for your desk setup [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/02/05/improve-the-view-from-your-desk-chair/

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Genetic landscape of common brain tumors holds key to personalized treatment

Friday, January 25, 2013

Nearly the entire genetic landscape of the most common form of brain tumor can be explained by abnormalities in just five genes, an international team of researchers led by Yale School of Medicine scientists report online in the Jan. 24 edition of the journal Science. Knowledge of the genomic profile of the tumors and their location in the brain make it possible for the first time to develop personalized medical therapies for meningiomas, which currently are only managed surgically.

Meningioma tumors affect about 170,000 patients in the United States. They are usually benign but can turn malignant in about 10 percent of cases. Even non-cancerous tumors can require surgery if they affect the surrounding brain tissue and disrupt neurological functions.

Approximately half of the tumors have already been linked to a mutation or deletion of a gene called neurofibromin 2, or NF2. The origins of the rest of the meningiomas had remained a mystery.

The Yale team conducted genomic analyses of 300 meningiomas and found four new genetic suspects, each of which yields clues to the origins and treatment of the condition. Tumors mutated with each of these genes tend to be located in different areas of the brain, which can indicate how likely they are to become malignant.

"Combining knowledge of these mutations with the location of tumor growth has direct clinical relevance and opens the door for personalized therapies," said Murat Gunel, the Nixdorff-German Professor of Neurosurgery, professor of genetics and of neurobiology, and senior author of the study. Gunel is also a member of Yale Cancer Center's Genetics and Genomics Research Program.

For instance, two of the mutations identified ? SMO and AKT1 ? have been linked to various cancers. SMO mutations had previously been found in basal cell carcinoma and are the target of an already approved drug for that form of skin cancer. Another, KLF4, activates a suite of genes and is known for its role in inducing stem cell formation, even in cells that have fully differentiated into a specific tissue type. Mutations in a TRAF7, a gene not previously associated with cancer, were found in approximately one-fourth of tumors. Meningiomas with these mutations are found in the skull base and are unlikely to become cancerous. In contrast, NF2 mutant tumors that flank the brain's hemispheres are more likely to progress to malignancy, especially in males.

Doctors may be able to use targeted chemotherapy on patients with non-NF2 mutations, especially those with recurrent or invasive meningiomas and those who are surgically at high risk. Individualized chemotherapies could also spare patients irradiation treatment, a risk factor for progression of these generally benign tumors. Gunel said it may also be possible to extend these approaches to more malignant tumors.

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Yale University: http://www.yale.edu

Thanks to Yale University for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126464/Genetic_landscape_of_common_brain_tumors_holds_key_to_personalized_treatment

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Riot police break up Greek subway workers' sit-in

By Karolina Tagaris, Reuters

ATHENS - Greek riot police stormed a subway train depot in Athens early on Friday to disperse striking subway staff who defied a government order to return to work for a ninth consecutive day, a police official said.

Scuffles broke out when police forced their way through a metal gate shortly after 4 a.m. (0200 GMT) and detained at least 10 workers, the official said on condition of anonymity. One woman was taken to hospital with light injuries, he added.

The escalating standoff has turned into the latest test for Greece's fragile coalition as it faces down the unions to implement austerity measures demanded by foreign lenders as the price for bailout funds.

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Subway workers have ignored the order, issued under emergency legislation by the conservative-led government on Thursday, paralyzing the Athens subway in a week-long walkout.

About 90 workers stayed at the train depot overnight in protest. The subway workers, who have defied a court order to return to work, oppose being included in a unified wage scheme for public sector workers that would slash their salaries.

Bus and railway workers are joining the walkout on Friday in solidarity.

Under the emergency law, workers can face arrest and up to five years in jail. No arrests have been made so far, the official said.?

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/25/16689944-greek-riot-police-break-up-striking-subway-workers-sit-in?lite

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Top 3 Vacation Golf Clubs to Choose From

Top 3 Vacation Golf Clubs to Choose From

Have you been an avid fan of golfing for some time now? If you are, then you may also be planning to spend this type of holiday in another place. When this is the case, then you might be interested to know more about the top golf clubs to choose from.
# 1 - Oceanico Victoria Golf Course
This golf club plays home to the Portugal Masters, a golf event that you shouldn't miss out on when you plan to go to Portugal. Located in Vilamoura, this place has been maintained to its best condition. As proof to that, you will feel as if the greens are inviting you to try this sports activity.
# 2 - Four Seasons Golf Club
Located in Anahita, Mauritius, this is a golf club preferred not only by professional golfers but by amateurs as well. This one is designed by Ernie Els and is a fusion of what you can enjoy on the ocean side and the forest.?
# 3 - Basel Golf Course
This one can be found in Alsace, France. The golf club is a mix of parkland and a few slopes that you can climb. Spanning around 6,260 metres, Basel was designed by Bernhard von Limburger.
These are just three golf clubs you can choose from when you want to go out and experience the golfing holidays. There are certainly other options available in various parts of the globe. Search for one that suits your taste and budget.

Source: http://www.vacationhomes.net/category/bed-breakfasts/top-3-vacation-golf-clubs-to-choose-from.html

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