Monthly Archives: January 2008
Get Rich in Your Niche: Sales Strategy for Today
Real estate practitioners need to adopt new strategies in the new year to give them a competitive edge, given that there are more than 2.5 million licensed real estate practitioners nationwide--all of them competing for work in a slow market.
RE/MAX Ranked the Top Real Estate Franchise
(Denver, CO., January 16, 2008) - RE/MAX International is the nation's number one real estate franchise, and the number ten franchise overall, according to Entrepreneur Magazine's 29th Annual "Franchise 500 Survey." RE/MAX has held the honor of the top real estate franchisor for eight of the past ten years.
NMHC/NAA File Suit to Block New Regulations Restricting Contracts Between Apartment Owners and Cable...
WASHINGTON, DC -- The National Multi Housing Council and National Apartment Association (NMHC/NAA) today filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asking the courts to strike down the FCC’s recently issued regulations retroactively banning “exclusive access” agreements between cable providers and apartment owners.
Foreclosures Push Down Rents
Due to home owners trying to rent homes they can’t sell, rentals are abundant and prices are at bargain levels in areas hit hard by foreclosures.
MBA’s “Stop the Cram Down Resource Center” Puts a Price Tag on Bankruptcy Reform
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Jan. 15, 2007 - A proposed change in the bankruptcy law that would allow bankruptcy judges to unilaterally change the terms of mortgage contracts would cost home buyers across the country hundreds of dollars every month and thousands of dollars a year, according to a new resource on MBA’s website
Analytical Case for Loan Modification Reported in FDIC Quarterly
In the current issue of FDIC Quarterly the FDIC outlines the analytical case for a systematic and streamlined loan modification process that will help avert foreclosure for borrowers who are current on their loans, but who cannot refinance or afford the higher payments when interest rates reset
Soft-Market Secrets To Selling A High-End Home
Sales of new homes dropped last month to their lowest level in more than 12 years. Mortgage applications have fallen to their lowest level in a year. Bidding wars are pretty much done
NAR Campaign Relates Real Facts About Real Estate
WASHINGTON, January 14, 2008 - Beginning today, the National Association of Realtors® is reaching out to consumers with the facts about homeownership and the value of real estate as a long-term investment.
CampusMBA Launches Robust “Enterprise Certification Program”
WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 11, 2008 - CampusMBA, the award winning education division of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today launched the Enterprise Certification Program, a specialized and comprehensive bundle of top tier, certification-based and results-oriented learning solutions designed to elevate and uphold a company's quality and excellence.
Register Today for the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) 2008 National Mortgage Servicing Conference &...
As current market conditions dictate changes to the way companies do business, now is the time for servicing professionals to pool knowledge, information, resources and discover new ways to increase operating efficiencies
OFHEO Releases New Mortgage Market Note About The Conforming Loan Limit And High-Cost Areas
Washington , DC – The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) has published a new Mortgage Market Note on the conforming loan limit. The Note provides background information on the potential implications of increasing the conforming loan limit in high-cost areas, as proposed in pending House and Senate legislation.
HUD reports progress in “Operation FedRent”
WASHINGTON - Federal employees who fail to report their income to qualify for housing assistance they would not otherwise be eligible for stand to lose their jobs, pay steep fines and face possible criminal penalties.
Online Real Estate Firms Adopt New Publishing Format
Leading online real estate companies Yahoo! Real Estate, Zillow.com®, and Trulia.com today announced they will share a new standard data format for the distribution of real estate listings online.
OFHEO Issues Policy Guidance On Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac Mortgage Fraud Programs
Washington, DC – The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) has issued a revised Policy Guidance on the Examination of Mortgage Fraud Programs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The guidance details the standards for overseeing and evaluating policies and programs the Enterprises have developed to minimize mortgage fraud.
USAA Real Estate Company Announces Oversubscription To US Industrial REIT II
San Antonio, TX - January 10, 2008 - USAA Real Estate Company announced today the successful conclusion of fundraising for the US Industrial REIT II. The fund has raised $450 million in equity commitments from ten institutional investors including domestic pension funds, insurance companies and other fund investors, $50 million more than originally planned.
Remarks by Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. on Housing and Capital Markets before...
After years of unsustainable price appreciation and lax lending practices, a housing correction was inevitable and necessary. That correction is underway. Over the next two years, we also face an unprecedented wave of 1.8 million subprime mortgage resets, raising the potential of a market failure. Because the industry does not have the capacity to manage this volume, without action, unnecessary foreclosures would result.
Best And Worst Cities For Renters
Writing a monthly rent check often feels like lighting money on fire. You'll never again see that cash, you build no equity and there are no tax benefits.
Existing-Home Sales to Hold Steady in Early 2008
Over the next few months, existing-home sales are expected to hold fairly steady as indicated by pending sales activity, and then rise later in the year and continue to improve in 2009, according to the latest forecast by the National Association of REALTORS
Behringer Harvard Completes Offering of Opportunity REIT I
DALLAS, January 7, 2008 — Behringer Harvard today announces that Behringer Harvard Opportunity REIT I, Inc., a non-traded real estate investment trust (REIT), reached full subscription. The Opportunity REIT generated approximately $530 million in gross offering proceeds through the sale of approximately 53.1 million shares in its primary offering.
Rep. Maloney: Widespread Private Sector Job Losses Indicate Housing/Credit Spillover
WASHINGTON, DC - January 4, 2008 - Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Vice Chair of the Joint Economic Committee, issued the following statement today regarding the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ December 2007 employment situation
