National News

Should Agents Care About ‘Operation Twist’?

The Federal Reserve announced earlier today that it would be extending its Operation Twist program through the end of the year to stimulate financial markets. Though it sounds like it came from the mind of Lewis Carroll, the Twist

New Tech in Real Estate Brings the Noise

Technology is constantly changing the way we interpret real estate, and a couple of new auditory innovations are looking to overhaul our perceptions all over

Existing-Home Sales Increase 9.6 Percent

Existing-home sales in May declined 1.5 percent from April to May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.55 million, but were up 9.6 percent from May 2011, according to the National Association of Realtors. Median existing-home price, though,

FHA Rescinds Controversial Credit Dispute Rule

The FHA has rescinded a highly-controversial credit dispute rule that put an untold number of mortgage applications at risk with the government lender. Drafted in March to shore up its emergency fund, the rule forced potential homebuyers with FHA

American Dream Alive and Kickin’ in New Trulia Survey

Trulia today released the results of its latest American Dream survey, and it found that homeowner optimism has returned to the housing market in a major way. The survey sampled a large swath of the U.S. population, with nearly

Are We Missing the Boat on Housing Affordability?

The last six months, housing affordability has been one of the few give-ins regarding housing. With record-low interest rates and competitively-priced homes, affordability is at its highest level in more than 40 years…or is it? A new study by

Housing Starts Data Up 28.5 Percent from May 2011, Houston Market ‘Accelerating,’ Says Linda Marshall of Linda Marshal Realtors

Privately-owned housing starts in May were up 28.5 percent from last year, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In addition, building permits increased by both monthly and

NAHB Builder Confidence at Highest Level Since 2007

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) increased one point in June to its highest level since May of 2007. That might not sound like a big deal, but every little point counts – and

5 Ways Not to Be an Idiot on Facebook

Let’s face it, few things are more painful than a Facebook user who has little grasp of the medium. We’ve all seen it – posts written entirely in ALL CAPS, cheesy videos, meaningless status updates – an all with

Foreclosure Filings Down 4 Percent From 2011

National foreclosure filings, which include default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions, were up 9 percent from April to May but down 4 percent from May 2011, according to new data from RealtyTrac. For May, one in every 639

3 Ways to Avoid Contract Failures in Real Estate

Contract failures have been one of the more recurring problems in real estate in recent months, and with roughly a third of agents experiencing them, they have easily garnered a reputation among Realtors as one of the main inhibitors to

CoreLogic – Shadow Inventory Down 14.8 Percent in April

The shadow inventory decreased by 14.8 percent year-over-year in April, according to new data from analytics firm CoreLogic. Since April 2011, the shadow inventory has fallen by more than 300,000 units to its present level of 1.5 million, which

5 Tips for the Introverted Real Estate Agent

Extroverts make up 60 to 75 percent of the human population, and occasionally, it can seem like introverts – the other, more subtle side of the equation – are left behind. Which is a shame, because even though real

3 Question to Ask Your Clients Before They Pursue a Mortgage

Last week, the mortgage markets reflected what would appear to be an ideal homebuying environment; mortgage applications were up 18 percent, reaching their highest level since 2009. Yet, when looking at big numbers like that, it’s easy to forget this

International Homebuyers Invest $82.5 Billion in U.S. Real Estate

Total international residential sales in the U.S. was $82.5 billion in the past year ending on March 2012, a 24 percent increase from 2011. According a new report from the National Association of Realtors, a number of factors have

66 Percent of Real Estate Agents Disapprove of President Obama

It’s election season, and polls seem to be more prevalent than the cherry trees in Washington, D.C., but a new Q2 2012 survey from HomeGain has some interesting findings for how the real estate community views the president –

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