News / Features

Obama’s October Housing Scorecard Gives Mixed Signals on Housing Market

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released the October edition of the Obama Administration Housing Scorecard, a detailed report on the nation’s housing

First-Time Homebuyers Have Incentive to Get in the Market

Contrary to popular belief, first-time homebuyers are indeed alive and kicking; buying homes at essentially the same rate as they were before the first-time homebuyers credit stimulated demand two years ago. Data suggests that rates could be higher, however, if

Related ISG Data Shows that Condo Sales are Increasing

Statistics from Related ISG show that the condominium inventory count in South Florida has been decreasing at a much faster rate this year compared to previous years. The evidence has led analysts to conclude that Americans are once again

Despite Vacant Condos, Three New Condos Planned for Sunny Isles

Southern Florida, and the many cities that decorate its sunny coast, experienced a landmark building boom at the start of the 21st century, and the Sunny Isle Beach was no exception, with hundreds of new condominium units springing up

National Housing Survey Results: Are Friends of Default Victims More Pessimistic?

According to the third quarter National Housing Survey conducted by Fannie Mae, there may be a correlation between consumer attitudes and personal experience. Results found pessimistic responses regarding the economy from those who know someone who has defaulted on

ARO: Active Rain Optimization

ActiveRain, the social networking site for Realtors, is more than a “Facebook for agents;” rather, it’s an important professional networking resource, one that can introduce agents to scores of valuable industry contacts. As such, it’s valuable to optimize your presence

Is the Government Considering Additional Refinancing Aid?

According to a report from Reuters, recent comments by Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan suggest that the government is considering new rounds of refinancing aid for American homeowners, beyond the recent revisions to the Home

State’s Attorney Case Against Wells Fargo Green-lit for Trial

A lawsuit filed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan against mega-bank Wells Fargo got the green light today from a state court judge. The suit, which was originally filed in the summer of 2009, alleges that Wells Fargo engaged

The Delightful Devolution of the American Home

During the boom years, bigger and better was the mantra for everyone in the housing market, most of all developers. “McMansions,” as they were called, sprang up in suburbs across the country, and everybody seemed to have the financing

Are Americans Detached When Buying Homes?

Seeking to debunk the conventional wisdom on detached homes, a new piece by Wendell Cox of New Geography, citing data from the 2010 American Community Survey, throws down the gauntlet on detached housing, claiming the housing type is not

September Home Sales in Miami Reach Five-year High

Homes sales in Miami reached a five-year high for the month of September, increasing 15.1 percent from last year to 8,546 transactions, according to DataQuick statistics cited in a HousingWire article. The sales data is the highest level for

Allied Home Mortgage Corp. Suspended for Mortgage Fraud

Allied Home Mortgage Corporation and its CEO James Hodge were suspended today for fraudulent lending practices that cost the government hundreds of millions of dollars. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is considering debarring Hodge and

Private Construction Spending Up for September

According to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau, construction spending rose for the second straight month, in increasing 0.2 percent from August to September to a seasonally adjusted rate of $787.2 billion. Though the spending was 1.3 percent

Fannie/Freddie Delinquency Rates Operate with Inversion

The delinquency rates at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the GSEs that control more than half of the country’s mortgages, moved in opposite directions in September, with Fannie’s rate declining and Freddie’s increasing, according to a post by Calculated

Confusion Abounds for Some Potential Homebuyers

What is the typical rate of appreciation for home values? What does an appraisal do? What about an inspection? And is PMI always necessary? Those and other questions were featured on a recent survey by Zillow, the popular MLS

In the World of Financial Regulation, is Small Really Better?

Though credit unions and small community banks had little to no impact on the global financial crisis of 2008, representatives from the two banking sectors stated before the House Financial Services Committee today say that a maze of new

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