Latest Real Estate Scam Has Agents on Alert
5/8/2013: Scammers are hijacking the identity of real estate agents to dupe would-be clients in a sophisticated listing scam.
Some Sellers Choosing Preferred Lenders
5/8/2013: In some situations, sellers are lining up lenders for buyers to make sure there are no problems or delays in securing financing.
4 Ways to Boost Exposure on LinkedIn
5/8/2013: Learn how real estate professionals can leverage their LinkedIn profiles to create unique and polished online branding.
Obama Picks Watt for FHFA Post
5/8/2013: President Obama is due today to announce his nomination of U.S. Rep. Mel Watt (D-N.C.) to run the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
Home Ownership Rate Drops to Lowest Point in 18 Years
5/8/2013: Housing analysts blame the drop on tight credit conditions, constrained inventories of for-sale homes, and the rising number of single-family rental homes.
Smartphone Security Risk Remains High
5/8/2013: Nearly 40 percent of smart phone users don't take basic security measures such as installing a password on their phone, accordingly to a large-scale Consumer Reports study.
6 Ways to 'Green' a Home
4/30/2013: More home owners and buyers are ranking energy-efficient home features high in surveys. Here are some ways to make homes more greeen.
Banks Increasingly Turning to Deeds-in-Lieu of Foreclosure
4/30/2013: As banks seek options to help delinquent home owners, some lenders are eyeing deeds in lieu of foreclosure as the answer.
Builders Say Headwinds Remain for Recovery
4/30/2013: Single-family and multi-family housing starts are predicted to post double-digit gains this year over last year, but plenty of obstacles still stand in the way.
REALTORS® Urge Preserving Homeownership Tax Policies
4/30/2013: Congress should focus on doing no harm to housing and America's 75 million homeowners by maintaining current tax laws for homeownership and real estate investment, NAR says.
House Flipping Staging a Comeback?
4/30/2013: More Americans are once again on the hunt to snag a home at bargain prices, fix it up, and then try to resell it for a quick profit, new data shows.
Brokers Explore Short Sale Lease Back Programs
4/30/2013: Programs are springing up that allow some home owners who sell their home in a short sale transaction to remain in the home as renters.
Eminent Domain Proposal Revived
4/23/2013: A controversial proposal that would allow local government officials to use the authority of eminent domain to condemn distressed mortgages reportedly is gaining traction in California once again.
For Housing Confidence, Millennials Lead the Way
4/23/2013: A recent study by Prudential Real Estate reports millennials are more confident than any ohter age group that the real estate market will soon recover.
Use Motion to Move Your Customers
April 23, 2013: Turn your static photos into eye-catching videos with easy-to-use apps.
5 Ways Sellers Can Prepare for a Home Inspection
April 23, 2013: A home inspector reveals what home sellers should do before a home inspection
Waiving Appraisal Contingency Causes Concerns
April 23, 2013: "A buyer's agent in a no-appraisal-contingency is in a dicey position," according to a recent article.
Downsizing Baby Boomers Head to Urban Areas
April 23, 2013: Home prices in urban areas have not fallen by as much the last few years as they have in the suburbs. Some experts say it's because of new moving patterns among the baby-boomer generation
Obama Budget Request Repeats Past Housing Proposals
4/16/2013: President Barack Obama once again is calling for a cap on the value of itemized deductions, including the mortgage-interest and property-tax deductions, in his 2014 federal budget request.
Real Estate Agent Ranked 'Happiest' Job
A firm recently ranked the happiest jobs of 2013, and real estate agent emerged on top.
Economist Quashes Housing Bubble Rumors
4/16/2013: "This is not the 2005 market," economist Rick Sharga, executive vice president with Carrington Mortgage Holdings, told a crowd at the REOMAC 2013 Summit & Expo in Dallas on Monday
White House Rolls Out 3 Foreclosure Prevention Efforts
4/16/2013: The Obama administration announced the extension or debut of three programs aimed at helping distressed home owners avoid foreclosure.
Americans Showing More Desire to Buy
4/9/2013: The percentage of U.S. residents who say owning a home is an essential part of the American dream has hit a three-year high.
Real Estate Pros Discovering 'Divorce Niche'
Some real estate professional say a big source of their clients is coming from divorces, but these often emotionally-charged transactions aren't easy to navigate.
3 Ways to Get Unfriended on Your Social Networks
4/9/2013: A survey reveals some of the top reasons people unfriend or unfollow others on social networks.
Fannie Mae Soars to Record Profits
4/9/2013: The mortgage giant is back in the black, getting a big boost from the housing market recovery.
Smartphones Let Homeowners Manage Property from Afar
4/9/2013: The "connected home" is letting homeowners manage their property and devices wherever they might be.
Buyers Feel Urgency From Price Appreciation
4/2/2013: Home prices are inching higher and mortgage rates are expected to soon follow, and more potential buyers are weighing whether to jump in now or risk paying more by purchasing a house later.
6 Start-Ups Chosen for NAR's REach (TM) program
4/2/2013: The 2013 class will receive mentioning and market advantage from alignment with strategic venture arm of the National Association of REALTORS®
Report: Hispanics to Shape Future Housing Demand
4/2/2013: Hispanics leads the surge in the U.S. home ownership and also make up the fastest-growing group of first-time home buyers, according to a new report.
Will Lending Standards Loosen Up This Spring?
4/2/2013: Quite possibly, according to recent data released by mortgage industry solutions provider Ellie Mae.
New Database Allows Americans to Post Mortgage Gripes
4/2/2013: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau debuted this week the nation's largest public database for consumer financial compliants, and mortgage gripes are dominating the list of compliants.
Study: Buying a Home is 44% Cheaper Than Renting
3/26/2013: The recent rises in asking prices have been outpacing the increase in rents, but home buying still makes more financial sense in most places, according to a new study
Are Renters Driving the Home Construction Rebound?
3/26/2013: Rental demand is playing a large role in the home construction industry's current projects.
Could Rising Mortgage Rates Help Housing?
3/26/2013: Mortgage rates have been inching up slightly in recent weeks, but this could bode will for the housing recovery, analysts say.
1.7 Million Home Owners Regain Equity in 2012
3/26/2013: Rising home prices have helped more home owners make their way above water again.
4 Ways to Boost Referrals
3/19/2013: Learn how to focus on business development and prospecting by nurturing past business relationships.
Lenders Easing Up on Down Payment Requirments?
3/19/2013: Tight credit conditions that have held back many potential home buyers the last few years appear to be thawing just in time for the spring buying market to begin.
Is Gender Bias an Issue in Loan Application?
3/19/2013: A study finds that home loan and refinance applications are less likely to be approved if the borrower is a woman.
Foreclosures Filings Fall 25% in February
3/19/2013: Year-over-year, foreclosure filings declined by a quarter last month, but moved up slightly from January.
Big Discounts on Foreclosures Fading, Economist Says
3/12/2013: Home buyers may not get as great of a deal on a foreclosure as they once did.
Construction Job Gains a Sign of Positive Growth
3/12/2013: The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released its February Employment Report, and the numbers are promising for the housing market.
Kiplinger: Housing Recovery Firmly Underway
3/12/2013: A financial forecasting firm declares the housing recovery "firmly" in motion.
Seller's Market Emerges This Spring: Are You Ready?
3/12/2013: "Buyer traffic is 40 percent above a year ago, so there is plenty of demand but insufficient inventory to improve sales more strongly," says NAR's chief economist.
