FRONT LINES: FAST TAKES

Purge call lists more often? The Federal Trade Commission wants telemarketers to access the National Do Not Call Registry monthly to purge, or scrub, their call lists. Quarterly scrubbing is the current requirement. The agency, which regulates interstate calls, stopped taking public comments on its scrubbing proposal in late February. Next: enactment of a final rule, assuming the proposal moves forward after the FTC reviews comments. No timeline for publication of a final rule had been set. More: Do-not-call registry monthly list scrubbing proposal

Where does downtown end? That question has historically bedeviled researchers seeking an efficient way to separate downtown from other parts of a city. Now, national nonprofit Downtown Preservation Council says research it commissioned addresses this problem. Its method: Look for contiguous, walkable blocks with offices, retail, government services, and so-called “swing” uses, such as museums. Areas heavy in fast-food outlets, manufacturing, and vacant land, among other “non-downtown-type” uses, typically aren’t counted. Under these criteria, Portland, Ore., has a bigger downtown than sprawling cities such as Atlanta and Los Angeles. More: Defining downtown areas

Court upholds do-not-call. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, in Denver, in February upheld the constitutionality of the do-not-call registry. A telemarketing industry group had challenged the registry on First Amendment grounds. The U.S. Supreme Court hadn’t said whether it would review the case. More: Do-not-call registry constitutionality

Community groups’ money woes. One out of three community, or homeowners, associations is in financial difficulty, says Robert Nordlund, president of research group Association Insights (www.ainsights.com), a division of Association Reserves Inc., which sells reserve studies to associations.

Running water, crackling logs. There’s nothing like an extra bathroom to boost a home’s value. Adding another full bathroom can add 24 percent to a home’s value, a Florida State University study says. Fireplaces are good, too. Adding one can up a home’s value 12 percent, and adding two can raise it almost 29 percent. Nine-foot ceilings add 6 percent. What can hurt values? Having a laundry in the basement, which can knock 2 percent off the home’s value. Vinyl siding is frowned upon, too—to the tune of a 3.5 percent drop in value. The study looked at the relationship between selling price and home features in Philadelphia, but the findings are representative of other areas, says NAR, which commissioned the research. More: Home value factors

NOTE: For information on how much sellers can expect to recoup on remodeling projects, order REALTOR® Magazine’s 2003 Cost vs. Value Report by calling 717/399-1900, ext. 118, or read it online.