NEW YORK, June 16, 2008 -- The U.S. commercial real estate market's downturn continued in the second quarter of 2008, hurt by a weak economy, the credit disruption, tepid tenant demand and a wide pricing gap, according to the latest edition of the Pricew

Seattle Times residential real-estate reporter Elizabeth Rhodes answers readers' questions. This week: Is a rental that's a "mortgage payment takeover program" legitimate? And how does a condo association decide who pays for a rat problem?

Hotel real estate investment trust Hospitality Properties Trust said Tuesday its first-quarter results edged up nearly 13 percent on higher rental income, narrowly beating Wall Street's expectations.

NORTHEAST FLORIDA -- The area's rental real estate market has softened thanks to several factors, including the record high home foreclosure rate, general economic concerns and the availability of more rental units.

There is a major legal blow to a local real estate giant as hundreds, possibly thousands, of dollars will now be paid back to some who were tenants in the last four years.