Finding the Positives in Economic and Housing Conditions in 2012
While 2011 was clearly a challenging year, there is a lot to be positive about looking ahead. Economically, while buffeted by natural disasters and fiscal policy indecisiveness at home and a European sovereign debt crisis abroad, the U.S. economy was …
FHA Announces Additional Steps to Limit Risk and Strengthen Finances
Recently, Acting Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Commissioner Carol J. Galante announced the latest in a series of steps to protect and strengthen the FHA’s Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund, while enabling the agency to continue to fulfill its mission to provide …
RISMedia to Showcase Celebrity Home Listings
Agents, have you ever listed or sold a home owned by a celebrity? If so, we want to know about it! RISMedia is excited to announce that in 2012 we will be significantly expanding our coverage of celebrity homes and …
Mortgage Rates Continue Trend of Record-Breaking Lows
Freddie Mac recently released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey®, showing mortgage rates easing to new all-time record lows for all products covered in the survey helping to keep homebuyer affordability high. The average for the 30-year fixed…
Monday Morning Mobile: Time to GoMo and Test Your Site
We all know that Google is no stranger to the world of mobile, after all its operating system, Android, is the most popular in the world; all their apps (Gmail, Google calendar, flicker, etc.) are all designed for use on …
Numbers Vary by Region in Real Estate Auctions
Real estate auction activity continues to thrive. In today’s tumultuous economy, both residential and commercial properties are selling in droves via auction.
According to PropertyAuction.com, the number of auctions posted on their site has almost doubled in 2011. From January…
The Vote is In: Americans Place High Value on Homeownership
By an overwhelming margin, American voters strongly value homeownership and would oppose efforts to weaken or eliminate the mortgage interest deduction or diminish a federal role to help qualified home buyers obtain affordable 30-year mortgages, according to a new nationwide…
Foreclosures Decrease 34 Percent in 2011
Total U.S. foreclosure activity and the U.S. foreclosure rate in 2011 were both at their lowest annual level since 2007, according to RealtyTrac®, an online marketplace for foreclosure properties. The company recently released its Year-End 2011 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report™,…
New Study by WAV Group Reports Strong Consumer Interest in MLS
The WAV Group, a real estate consulting firm, has published results of research that demonstrates the high value consumers place on the term “MLS.” The research, commissioned by the MLS Domains Association, includes surveys of consumers using MLS public…
Mortgage Matters: HARP 2.0 Boosts Homebuyer Confidence
The federal government recently threw a lifeline to homeowners underwater with their current mortgages. Thanks to new changes to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) guidelines, more homeowners can refinance at today’s lower rates—even if their homes have declined…