By Peter Ricci Shadow housing inventory declined by 1.2 million in the first half of 2012, according to a new study by JPMorgan Chase of the ominous housing stock. The shadow market peaked at six million in 2010, and JPMorgan estimates

At press time, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) has contributed a total of $2,178,830 to federal candidates in the 2012 election cycle, according to data released by The Center for Responsive Politics from the Federal Election Commission. The

By Peter Ricci Who says the political process doesn’t effect homebuying? According to a new survey from MortgageMarvel.com, 25 percent of Americans are taking the upcoming presidential election into consideration in their homebuying decisions. Conducted online by Harris Interactive, the survey

By Peter Ricci The Pending Home Sales Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) declined in August, falling 2.6 percent from July but rising 10.7 percent from August 2011. The index fell from an upwardly-revised 101.9 in July

By Peter Ricci Mitt Romney doubled down on his earlier promises and commitments for the U.S. housing market late last week, releasing a white paper that contained more information about some of the policy initiatives floated on his campaign

By Peter Ricci New residential home sales increased 27.7 percent year-over-year in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 373,000, according to the latest joint report from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban development. From

Home prices in Texas remained strong as ever in July, with Dallas posting yet another solid month of growth in the July Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, rising 3.7 percent year-over-year in July. Standard & Poor’s does not track home prices

By Peter Ricci The U.S. mortgage delinquency rate declined by 10.6 percent year-over-year in the August First Look report from Lender Processing Services, an analytics firm that studies the mortgage markets and real estate industries. A study of approximately

In an effort to recover past losses, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is considering new g-fees in five states most affected by the housing downturn. Labeling its losses as “exceptionally high,” the FHFA has selected Connecticut, Florida, Illinois,

By Peter Ricci The Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) has signed a bilateral agreement with AMPI, the real estate association in Mexico, that solidifies the business relationship between agents in Houston and their neighbors south of the border. The

By Carlo Calma As part of its plan of continuing international expansion, Keller Williams Realty, Inc. has announced that they will be opening up two new franchises in Indonesia and South Africa during its annual Mega Camp event Sept.

By Peter Ricci Well, so much for our Trulia IPO skepticism – the real estate website became the latest tech darling yesterday when it’s stock hit the New York Stock Exchange, rising 41 percent and closing at $24 a

By Peter Ricci Multitasking is more than a catchy phrase uttered at business symposiums and on trade magazine websites; rather, it’s a survival mechanism, a key to successfully managing the endless array of tasks we all must completely on

By Peter Ricci National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index rose for the fifth consecutive month in September, rising three points and reaching its highest level since June of 2006. A measure of builder confidence in the

By Peter Ricci Existing-home sales continued their positive readings in August, rising 7.8 percent from July  and 9.3 percent from August 2011 as housing inventory continued to stabilize, according to the National Association of

Privately-owned housing starts rose in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 750,000, a 2.3 percent increase from July and 29.1 percent increase from August 2011, according to the newest stats from the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition,