rentals news stories on Newser

Wall Street May Soon Be Your Landlord

Mark Russell — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 07:02:11 CDT

Wall Street firms may soon have a new gig: landlord. A number of them are looking into getting directly involved in real estate, buying up foreclosed properties from Fannie Mae in bulk, reports the Wall Street Journal . They couldn't then flip the houses—per the deal, they would rent out...

10 Reasons to Buy a House

Emily Rauhala — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 06:35:52 CDT

Has the housing crisis scared you out of the market? Too bad, because there are still many good reasons to buy, writes Brett Arends in the Wall Street Journal . A few points to consider before hopping on the first train to rents-ville: You could get a deal: Prices are down—...

Some Like it Haute— and Cheap

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:25:09 CST

Budget-minded entrepreneurs are utilizing the strategy of Netflix in high fashion. Now working girls can afford some of the priciest haute couture frocks by renting them on the Internet. The new mail-order service, Rent the Runway , allows shop-aholics to rent top designer fashions for a tenth of their retail cost....

Exurbs, Once Meccas for Homeowners, Now for Rent

Matt Cantor — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:48:56 CDT

Not long ago, the exurbs were were among the fastest-growing parts of the country, drawing people seeking to own affordable homes on sizable pieces of property. But after waves of foreclosures and soaring unemployment, more and more people are turning to renting. Renting keeps landlords afloat, but it also drives...

In DC, Rash of Wary Tux Renters Ahead of Inaugural

Harry Kimball — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:02:30 CST

Uninitiated DC men are scrambling to procure tuxedos for the inauguration, and they, luckily, have a few seasoned resources, the Washington Post reports. While inveterate ball-goers frequent Brooks Brothers and such, a younger class of invitees is flocking to the capital’s rental shops, where veteran tailors calm their jitters. “It...

Are Dog-Sharing Plans Cruel?

Matt Cantor — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:20:00 CDT

Faced with a desire for a dog but lacking the ability to care for one full-time, some are turning to dog-sharing programs—though others say the idea is unhealthy for man’s best friend, the Wall Street Journal reports. “From a social standpoint,” programs like Flexpetz, which arranges the renting of...

Why Buy a Bag You Can Rent?

Eleanor Villforth — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:09:32 CDT

The economic downturn has fueled a surge in leased luxury goods, Portfolio reports. A small membership fee or monthly payment enables designer addicts to rent It-bags and other high-end accessories at businesses like From Bags to Riches. "Instead of owning an asset you can just buy the experience," explains a...

Office Rents Soar in US

Dustin Lushing — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:50:45 CDT

The price of office space has surged nationwide due to a dwindling store of vacant commercial property and picky landlords increasingly keen on attracting well-heeled tenants. Across the country, leases spiked an average of 3.1% in the second quarter, following an increase of 2.8% in the first.

Blockbuster Bets on Blu-Ray

Dustin Lushing — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 18:36:42 CDT

Movie rental giant Blockbuster picked sides today in the hotly contested battle over high-definition DVDs. Starting in July, Blockbuster will buy all of its new high-def DVDs in Sony's Blu-ray format, a damaging blow to rival Toshiba's HD DVD, which the rental company had stocked jointly until now.