The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) stated on Friday that it would need approximately $1.7 billion in Treasury funds for the 2013 fiscal year, though there are some intriguing caveats to the nature of the bailout funds. This is the

A government shutdown is looming in Washington, and should one occur, it could have wide-ranging effects on the nation’s economy – including housing. Well, it’s that time again. As you’ve surely seen in the headlines, political gridlock has once

Luxury homebuyers have needs that set them apart from other homebuyers; how do those needs, then, translate to the services provided by agents? Real estate is, at its heart, a service-based industry. As the real estate agent, you are

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” -Oscar Wilde In my first post on marketing strategy, I opined on how many real estate agents’ sabotage their approaches to self-marketing with a lack of strategic planning. More than just a budget,

Luxury homebuyers are a unique brand of consumer – what sentiments are most prevalent when they are searching for homes? Any real estate agent will tell you that the luxury homebuyer is a unique brand of consumer, one with

This is part one of Aaron Woodman’s five-part series on how real estate agents can build an effective, winning marketing strategy in 2013. In the real estate industry, there’s a major problem that pervades all of our lives –

Home prices have risen and mortgage rates have shot up by more than a percentage point – is it still cheaper to buy than rent in the Magic City? The housing market of 2009, 2010 and 2011 was a

Minority groups continue to struggle on the road to recovery from the foreclosure crisis, with homeownership rates significantly behind whites. Although the Hispanic community recorded an increase of new homeowners in 2012 – and the amount dipped for the black and

The housing market has undergone yet another pronounced change in the last couple months, bringing about a whole new set of trends to follow. It was early 2013, and it finally seemed, after a prolonged slumber, that housing was

Everyone has been holding their breath on when the higher mortgage rates will impact home sales; when exactly will that happen, though? When mortgage rates began their dramatic rise back in May, it was more a matter of “when”

What is it? Five Street aggregates, distributes and immediately gratifies online leads from all major syndication platforms and other generation services. By incorporating automated follow up, customized routing options to others on your team, (or referral sources), and basic

Home seller incentives became quite common during the down years, but are they still common in 2013? During the months following the housing downturn in 2008, homebuyers found themselves in a interesting position – they were in charge. With

Miami remains a top destination for a wide variety of international homebuyers, according to new stats from MAR. Another month, another rousing period of international interest in Miami’s housing market. According to the latest analysis by the Miami Association

What kind of property did home sellers move into? And what factors altered the nature of that property? We investigate. Home sellers, as we previously reported, sell their homes for a number of reasons, but there generally is one

After decreasing the loan limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2011, it appears the government is prepping for another mandated decline. In an effort to further lessen the government’s role in the housing market, federal officials are

So, what do you do when there is a real estate appraisal contingency and the contract price exceeds the list price? A) Pray B) Cross your fingers C) Hope D) Prepare E) All of the above F) None of