(This post is part of an assignment for the class I am taking, Writing for Digital Media at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This week, I will be fixing headlines, improving an article, and writing headlines.)
Assignment 1
Headline: SciTechBlog: Ike bad, could have been worse
Problem: Missing verb, awkward.
Solution: Blog: Ike sparing, just like Katrina? (deleted "to be" verbs")
Source: cnn.com, September 19, 2008
Headline: Tests find chemical also in liquid milk in China
Problem: Awkward, not compelling.
Solution: China: [Before: Tests find more of infant-killing chemical in milk]
[After: Tests find evidence of deadly chemical in milk]
Source: wral.com, September 19, 2008
http://www.wral.com/news/national_world/world/story/3572921/
Headline: UNC releases injury report
Problem: Not compelling, very vague
Solution: [before: UNC's Massenburg 'doubtful' to play Saturday]
[after: UNC's Massenburg 'doubtful' for Saturday]
Source: newsobserver.com, September 19, 2008
http://www.newsobserver.com/front/story/1224724.html
Assignment 2
After:
Triangle home sales plummet, buyers struggle with lenders
Both sellers and buyers face tough obstacles, but there is hope
The plight of Triangle home sellers turned gloomier in August, and buyers don't always have it easy, either.
From bright to bleak, the Triangle housing market over the past year
Sales of existing homes in Durham, Orange, Johnston and Wake counties fell 39 percent from the same month a year earlier -- the biggest year-over-year decline since the national housing bust first nicked this region a year ago -- data from the Triangle Multiple Listing Service show.
Meanwhile, fewer buyers roamed the market as the number of homes listed climbed to a four-year high for the month, even as sellers budged on prices more than ever in the past six years.
"The sellers aren't getting what they want," said Ed Willer, a York Simpson Underwood broker in Raleigh. "And the buyers -- well, the lenders are beating them up. So it's tough on both sides."
The Triangle is coming off three frenzied years of record home sales and surging prices. But the market has come to a standstill, compared with recent years, as lenders tighten standards following years of easy money.
Thinking about buying?
The plight of Triangle home sellers turned gloomier in August, and buyers don't always have it easy, either.
From bright to bleak, the Triangle housing market over the past year
Sales of existing homes in Durham, Orange, Johnston and Wake counties fell 39 percent from the same month a year earlier -- the biggest year-over-year decline since the national housing bust first nicked this region a year ago -- data from the Triangle Multiple Listing Service show.
Meanwhile, fewer buyers roamed the market as the number of homes listed climbed to a four-year high for the month, even as sellers budged on prices more than ever in the past six years.
"The sellers aren't getting what they want," said Ed Willer, a York Simpson Underwood broker in Raleigh. "And the buyers -- well, the lenders are beating them up. So it's tough on both sides."
The Triangle is coming off three frenzied years of record home sales and surging prices. But the market has come to a standstill, compared with recent years, as lenders tighten standards following years of easy money.
Thinking about buying?
The pros:
- Sellers are starting to price homes lower, abandoning the ambitious price tags of two years ago. For the first time in at least six years, the prices of more than half of the homes on the market have been reduced at least once. At least 52 percent of the 14,041 homes on the market are price-drop listings, up from 41 percent a year ago.
- Mortgage rates are low right now, so it's a good time to buy. As long as you have good credit...
The cons:
- Good credit is a must right now. Those who don't have good credit are facing higher borrowing costs and are being asked to pay more up front.
- Appraisers are being very conservative. What this means for a buyer is that the appraisal may come in lower, even much lower, than the already agreed upon selling price, and the buyer may have to chalk up the difference, according to Triangle area real estate agent, Jeanette Benjey.
Thinking about selling?
The pros:
- The good news for owners is that prices held steady in August. Average prices were essentially flat at $248,079, as was the median price of $197,000.
- People are getting reasonable prices for their houses. "I don't see anybody getting killed" Willer said.
- A recent dip in mortgage rates may encourage more buyers to pull the trigger. 30-year fixed mortgage rates in North Carolina are averaging 5.95 percent -- the lowest since April, according to Bankrate.com data.
The cons:
- Sellers need to be very flexible in the months ahead. The number of homes on the market swelled 8 percent to 14,041 in August -- the most in any August since 2004: competition is high.
- At the same time, showings dropped 18 percent from a year ago and pending sales sank 29 percent to a five-year low: traffic is low.
Have we hit a low?
Looks like we're close. The number of residential building permits issued in Wake County, the region's biggest, was down 43 percent through June, county records show.
Looks like we're close. The number of residential building permits issued in Wake County, the region's biggest, was down 43 percent through June, county records show.
"That's one of the things we have to see before we hit the bottom," said Stacey Anfindsen of Cary-based Birch Appraisal Group.
Anfindsen, who analyzes listing data for Triangle real estate agents, thinks recovery will come only after there are three consecutive months of both increased showings and pending sales.
Until then, sellers face a sobering reality: "You have more inventory than you've had in a long time," he said. "And you've got fewer buyers than you've had in the past four years."
Assignment 3
Headline before: Scratching the Surface: Breaking Down the Global Warming Debate
Headline after: Dissecting the Global Warming Debate
Assignment 4
1. Contaminated meat from China blocked by U.S. government
2. Chinese contaminated meat blocked by Government
3. More sub-standard Chinese imports suspended: chemical and bacteria-laden meat blocked by U.S. government
Headline before: Scratching the Surface: Breaking Down the Global Warming Debate
Headline after: Dissecting the Global Warming Debate
Assignment 4
1. Contaminated meat from China blocked by U.S. government
2. Chinese contaminated meat blocked by Government
3. More sub-standard Chinese imports suspended: chemical and bacteria-laden meat blocked by U.S. government
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