News / Features

Questionable Foreclosure Practices, Banks Face Liability Costs of $17 Billion

State attorneys general announced Tuesday that if a settlement is not reached, some of the nation’s largest banks will face potential liability costs amounting to $17 billion; these potential civil lawsuits have been rendered in regard to improper foreclosure

Economist Predicts Stability Within Two Years

National home prices are expected to stabilize within two years, according to chief economist of Fiserv, David Stiff, said the Chicago

Hardest Hit Fund Outreach Expands

Bank of America has provided $2.8 million to the Hardest Hit Fund toward mortgage payments, to 700 borrowers, according to Housing Wire. The fund, introduced in February 2010, supplies $7.6 billion in federal aid to struggling unemployed homeowners in

New Home Sales on the Rise in April

A glimpse of hope has finally surfaced after months of primarily negative data; in April, the U.S. Commerce Department data recorded a 7.3 percent rise in  sales of new single family homes, according to Agent

Phoenix Commotion’s Goal: Proving Sustainable Homes are Affordable

Phoenix Commotion was founded 12 years ago, with a goal of proving that attractive, affordable homes are possible. So far, the company is inching toward this

Arrests Made in Mortgage Fraud Schemes

A nationwide mortgage fraud sweep, titled “Operation Stolen Dreams,” caught 485 criminals guilty of everything from property flipping, to equity skimming, according to Flipping

Bill May Narrow FHA Loan Availability

The “FHA-Rural Regulatory Improvement Act of 2011,” a draft bill proposing a minimum down payment of 5 percent, an increase over the current 3.5 percent down payment required to be able to take out a FHA-backed loan, will be

Foreclosures Strain Market

The number of foreclosed homes is escalating — economists are projecting that selling the current amount of more than 872,000 bank-owned properties will take approximately three years; meanwhile, home values nationwide may fall another 5 percent by the end

Property Crimes Down 2.8 Percent

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found that property crimes including burglaries, larceny/theft, and motor vehicle theft all decreased in 2010, with a decline of 2.8 percent in all city categories, according to

New A&E Show “Flipped” to Premiere in Late 2011

A new A&E series, “Flipped,” will follow Houston “Survivor” saboteur, Russell Hantz as he attempts to “buy low, renovate cheap, and sell high.” The series, which consists of seven one-hour episodes, is expected to premiere late in the

Know Before You Owe Project Proposes Altered Mortgage Document

“Knowledge is power” is the mantra implied by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) newly pitched Know Before You Owe project. The project aims to consolidate two federally required mortgage disclosures (the Truth in Lending form and the Good

According to Survey, Housing Recovery Estimated to Occur in 2014

Out of a pool of 2,018 adults, 54 percent believe that housing recovery will not occur until 2014 at the earliest, and 45 percent said that the government is not doing enough to avoid foreclosures, demonstrated in the latest

April Brings Slight Rise in Housing Listings

From March to April, nationwide housing listings typically increase by 5 percent (an average compiled from the last 28 years), according to Zelman & Associates; this year the monthly spike was measured at 1.1 percent in more than 140

HomeSteps- Incentives for Agents and Homebuyers

Freddie Mac will now be assisting homebuyers of REO properties with up to 3.5 percent in closing-cost assistance through their HomeSteps summer sales promotion. Agents will also benefit, receiving a $1,200 bonus for offers on eligible foreclosed properties, as

Foreclosure Data May Become Public Information

Listings of loans which are delinquent by more than 30 days, those delinquent by more than 90 days, foreclosures, and an accurate portrayal of the mortgage market may soon be publicly available in accordance with Section 1447 of the

New NAR Policy Requires Brokers to Opt-in

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) established an “opt in” ruling for brokers who want their IDX listings displayed on national franchise websites; the vote took place on May 14 at the Midyear Conferences, and the newly approved vote

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