NAR
International Home Buyers Continue to Invest in Profitable U.S. Market, Realtors® Report
WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 8, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Favorable exchange rates, affordable home prices and rising affluence abroad continue to drive international buyers to the U.S. to purchase properties and make real estate investments
FHA HAWK Program a Good Start but Needs to Go Further, Say Realtors®
WASHINGTON - July 1, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- In a letter sent today to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the National Association of Realtors® offered support for the Federal Housing Administration’s efforts to reduce mortgage insurance premiums for first-time buyers through its Homeowners Armed with Knowledge, or HAWK, housing counseling pilot program but is concerned the program won’t significantly reduce premiums or reach enough qualified buyers
NAR Survey Shows Realtors® Continue to Invest in Mobile Technologies
WASHINGTON - June 30, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Over the years, Realtors® have spent countless time and millions of dollars advancing real estate technologies and keeping up with the latest high-tech tools. The 2013-2014 Realtor® Technology Survey, conducted by NAR’s Center for REALTOR® Technology, found that Realtors® continued to invest in new technology for their businesses in 2013 and spent more than they did in previous years.
Pending Home Sales Surge in May
WASHINGTON - June 30, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Pending home sales rose sharply in May, with lower mortgage rates and increased inventory accelerating the market, according to the National Association of Realtors®. All four regions of the country saw increases in pending sales, with the Northeast and West experiencing the largest gains.
Existing-Home Sales Heat Up in May, Inventory Levels Continue to Improve
WASHINGTON - June 23, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Existing-home sales rose strongly in May and inventory gains continued to help moderate price growth, according to the National Association of Realtors
“Coming Soon” Properties Can Create Consumer Confusion
WASHINGTON - June 17, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Realtors®today published information for NAR members regarding advertising properties as "coming soon."
Led By Multifamily, Improvement Seen in All Commercial Real Estate Sectors
WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 27, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The outlook for all of the major commercial real estate sectors is slightly improving despite disappointing economic growth during the first quarter of 2014, according to the National Association of Realtors
April Existing-Home Sales Show Modest Improvement Behind Gaining Inventory
WASHINGTON - May 22, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Existing-home sales increased for the first time this year in April, while inventory meaningfully increased and home price growth moderated, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Monthly sales gains in the West and South offset a modest decline in the Midwest while the Northeast was unchanged
NAR Member Survey Shows Rise in Realtor® Income and Sales Volume
WASHINGTON - May 20, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Reflecting the 11.5 percent growth in home prices last year, income and sales volume jumped for the third year in a row, according to the 2014 National Association of Realtors® Member Profile. The survey also found an increase in new and younger members to NAR in 2013
Realtors® Discuss the Importance of Commuting Costs, Traffic to Homebuyers
WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 19, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Realtors® from across the country gathered today to discuss the effects of traffic and commuting on homebuying, and the general consensus is that traffic congestion is here to stay and there isn’t anything to be done about it.
VA Officials Enlist Realtors® to Recruit Home Appraisers
WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 19, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs is taking steps to improve services for active and former military service members who are ready to buy a home, said officials from the VA Home Loan Guaranty program yesterday at an agency briefing for Realtors® during the Realtor® Party Convention & Trade Expo
Realtors® Declare Confidence in Commercial Market
WASHINGTON - May 16, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Realtors® who specialize in commercial real estate expressed confidence and optimism in the market during a forum at the REALTOR® Party Convention & Trade Expo. Despite a sluggish economy, commercial practitioners are not only reporting improvements in the market, but they expect improvements to continue in the years to come.
Realtor.com® Gives Buyers, Sellers and Agents What They Want
WASHINGTON - May 16, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- New enhancements to residential listing site realtor.com® are giving consumers the features they want and ensuring that they can continue to rely on the site for the freshest and most comprehensive property listings. That was the message delivered today by Steve Berkowitz, CEO of Move Inc., operator of NAR’s official property listing website realtor.com®, during the Realtor® Party Convention & Trade Expo.
Forecast for Housing and the Economy Suggests Gradual Improvement through 2015
WASHINGTON - May 16, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Housing activity was sub-par in the first quarter of this year, dampened in part by severe weather patterns, but an uptrend is expected with healthy underlying demand over the balance of the year and through 2015, according to presentations at a residential real estate forum here during
Homeownership Won’t Be Casualty of Political Gridlock Strategists Tell Realtors®
WASHINGTON - May 15, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Homeownership is expected to retain its political luster through the 2014 election cycle, even as lawmakers struggle to reach consensus on major policy issues like immigration and healthcare, said two top political strategists at today’s Federal Legislative and Political Forum during the Realtor® Party Convention & Trade Expo
FHA Announces Blueprint for Greater Homebuyer Access to Credit
WASHINGTON - May 15, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Housing Agency is taking additional steps to expand access to mortgage credit for underserved borrowers, according to Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, who spoke to Realtors® today at the FHA: 80 Years and Counting – Regulatory Issues Forum during the Realtor® Party Convention & Trade Expo.
Chris Matthews: Realtors® Should Expect Divided U.S. Government through 2016
WASHINGTON - May 15, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The inability of the U.S. Congress to compromise on key issues such as immigration reform, healthcare and government spending will likely continue through President Obama’s second term. This was the message delivered to Realtors® by news anchor and political commentator Chris Matthews, who spoke at today’s Insights and Perspectives with Chris Matthews session at the Realtor® Party Convention & Trade Expo
“30 Under 30” REALTORS® Making a Name for Themselves in Real Estate
WASHINGTON - May 15, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- A group of rising young Realtors® is taking advantage of renewed optimism in housing and commercial real estate markets to champion their client’s buying, selling and investing goals and advance their real estate careers. This year’s Realtor® Magazine “30 Under 30” honorees are hardworking young professionals who understand the importance of building strong customer and community relationships
Realtor® Volunteering Works Program Announces 2014 Recipients of Mentoring and Grants
WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 13, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- REALTOR® Magazine and the Good Neighbor Society have announced the recipients of the sixth annual Volunteering Works, a program that matches Realtors® who work on small-scale charitable efforts with mentors and awards them grant money.
Policy Issues Top of Mind as REALTORS® Head to Washington
WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 13, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- This week nearly 8,500 Realtors® from across the country will advocate policies that impact the residential and commercial real estate markets during the Realtor® Party Convention & Trade Expo. Realtors® will meet with legislators, congressional and regulatory staff, as well as top industry executives during the meetings, which run here through May 17
