Readers respond: Using a buyer agent
Last week’s column on shopping for a buyers agent elicited considerable response from real-estate brokers and agents, especially on the topic of exclusive buyers agents and dual agency. See House Talk.

Listing at $125 million could set U.S. record
A Los Angeles mansion modeled on Versailles and other French palaces has just gone on the market for $125 million, tying it for second place among available U.S. properties. See story from RealEstateJournal.

Housing starts, permits rise 0.8% in March
Boosted by warmer weather, construction of new homes increased 0.8% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.518 million, the highest level this year, the Commerce Department estimated Tuesday. Building permits also increased 0.8% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.544 million. See Economic Report.

How I got fired by my interior designer
I have been fired by an interior designer. See Teardown Diary.