According to a new report from noted research firm CoreLogic, the shadow inventories for U.S. residential housing continued their downward slope in July, falling to 1.6 million units, or a five-month supply of homes. Shadow inventory properties that are

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has just released the findings of its latest Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, the leading measure of U.S. home prices that charts monthly price trends in the housing market. The newest report, which surveys home prices

The National Association of Realtors (NAR), Mortgage Bankers Association and the National Association of Home Builders have stepped up their lobbying efforts to Congress in recent weeks to fight the planned expiration of the federal loan limit size increase

Representatives from both the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are asking the government to renew an $88 million fund for HUD non-profit counseling that was cut in recent budget negotiations. “This

Newly-released data from the Census Bureau shows that though new home sales continued their sideways trend, declines were slight and above both analyst predictions and year-over-year sales. August 2011 sales were at 295,000, a 2.3 percent decline from July

Predictions from analysts and fellow indexes alike point to a positive showing on Tuesday from the Case-Shiller, the influential report from Standard & Poor’s that charts housing prices, though long-term analysis remains complicated. MacroMarkets, a financial tech company based

According to a noted nonprofit in Berkeley, Calif., nonprofits should not only play a key role in any government plan for REOS, but should also ensure that REOs effectively help the entire community. The government’s catalog of REOs is

HouseFix.com, an online social networking community for homeowners and contractors, debuted recently to mixed reviews. The site offers peer recommendations for the home repair industry and launched at the TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield (TCDB), a premier conference for startup companies.

Local banks, the small-scale, community-based financial institutions that seemingly avoided the financial crisis, could be the answer to the current housing blues, according to National Association of Realtors President Ron Phipps – though there may be some caveats that

The Federal Reserve announced yesterday that it will begin a new round of stimulus to jumpstart the U.S. economy, with housing and refinancing being two main beneficiaries of the stimulus’ goal.   The Fed’s plan, officially called “Operation Twist,”

A new survey by Xerox on real estate and technology yielded interesting data about the industry, particularly for the e-mortgage market. Sixty-three percent of the lenders surveyed by Xerox used paperless mortgage software in 2011, an increase of 14

According to new data from Florida Realtors, existing-home sales in Florida increased 15 percent in August from a year ago, and existing-condo sales did even better, posting a 17 percent increase from August 2010. Year-over-year prices also increased for

Two construction-related statistics – building permits and the architecture billings index – made gains in August, a positive indication that the more foundational elements of construction may be improving. Building permits were up by almost 20 thousand from July,

After weeks of speculation and debate, the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) Acting Director, Edward DeMarco, has finally offered some specifics on a possible revamp of the agency’s Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP).   Speaking at the American Mortgage

Existing home sales exceeded expectations in August, growing at a seasonally-adjusted monthly rate of 7.7 percent  and year-over-year rate of 18.6 percent. Existing homes include single family, town homes, condominiums and co-ops. For the South, monthly sales were up

The Residential Remodeling Index, which is compiled monthly by Austin, Tx.-based BuildFax, rose in July for the 21st straight month, an indication that homeowners are opting to renovate their current homes rather than buy new properties – and with