Sure, we love our pets. But sometimes that affection makes us oblivious to some of their less-endearing traits, such as the way they routinely kick cat litter onto the floor or how they gnaw on the baseboards.

Then there are the odor issues. Perhaps their presence just intimidates potential homebuyers.Home sellers need to please as many potential buyers as they can. This means that, as inconvenient as it might be, you're going to have to take some steps to minimize the "pet factor" when marketing your home."Real estate agents should present their sellers with a list of ways to get their pet-friendly home ready to sell," said Rhona Sutter of Naples, Fla., who runs PetRealtyNetwork.com, a referral service for people looking for "pet-friendly" agents and properties. [Read the full article]

The race for better and faster technology has arguably replaced the rat race. We all know now who moved our cheese: Technology did.Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer the rat race. At least I knew where I was going, what I had to do, and who would win.I knew I was going nowhere fast, that I had to keep up with the Joneses, and I knew the rat always won.All rights reserved. This article may not be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, in part or in whole, without written permission of Inman News. Use of this article without permission is a violation of federalcopyright law.The race for better and faster technology has arguably replaced the rat race. We all know now who moved our cheese: Technology did.Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer the rat race. At least I knew where I was going, what I had to do, and who would win.I knew I was going nowhere fast, that I had to keep up with the Joneses, and I knew the rat always won. [Read the full article]

A redesigned Realtor.com officially launches today, with site operator Move Inc. touting a "new platform built with proprietary technology and a new property database" aimed at streamlining the process of finding properties and Realtors.The new design -- the first in nearly two years -- integrates Move's active listings, new construction, rentals and recently sold property databases, allowing users to access all from the search box on the Realtor.com home page. Although that content had previously been available on Realtor.com, the company has said it wanted to make it easier to find."Streamlining the search experience as we've done on the redesigned site brings these once disparate search items together and vastly improves the speed at which data is surfaced in a more organized fashion," Move Inc. CEO Steve Berkowitz said in a company announcement.All rights reserved. [Read the full article]

A bill introduced this week by U.S. Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Calif., would allow virtually any owner-occupant with a mortgage backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to refinance at today's low rates -- regardless of whether they are underwater or in default.HR 6218, The Housing Opportunity and Mortgage Equity (HOME) Act, would affect up to 30 million mortgages held or backed by Fannie and Freddie, Cardoza said in a press release announcing the bill's introduction.Language in the bill would prohibit Fannie and Freddie from requiring appraisals of properties to be refinanced. Loans servicers would be paid fees of up to $1,000. Fees for refinancing would be rolled into the mortgage and penalties would be waived.All rights reserved. This content may not be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, in part or in whole, without written permission of Inman News.Use of this content without permission is a violation of federal copyright law. [Read the full article]