Yearly Archives: 2008
Live Auction Industry Exceeds $270 Billion in 2007
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Jan. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In 2007 the gross revenue from goods and services sold at live auction grew 5.3% to $270.7 billion. In 2006, the auction industry sold $257.2 billion in goods and services at auction, an increase of 7.1% from 2005
Foreclosing on the American Dream?
Nation's Most Respected Housing Experts Discuss Solutions to Foreclosure Crisis & Ways to Recreate Sustainable Homeownership At National Community Reinvestment Coalition Annual Conference - March 12_15
Fixed-Rate Mortgage Rates Plummet To Lowest Levels In Four Years
McLean, VA – January 24, 2008 - Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.48 percent with an average 0.4 point for the week ending January 24, 2008, down from last week when it averaged 5.69 percent as well. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.25 percent.
2007 Existing-home Sales Fifth Highest
Existing-home sales declined in December following several months of stable activity, with total sales in 2007 still at the fifth highest on record, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS
Existing-home Sales Down in December but 2007 was Fifth Highest on Record
WASHINGTON, January 24, 2008 - Existing-home sales declined in December following several months of stable activity, with total sales in 2007 at the fifth highest on record, according to the National Association of Realtors
Manufactured Housing Well Positioned to Provide Quality Affordable Homeownership
Washington, DC, January 22 - The Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), today, released its National Policy Agenda for 2008. Gail Cardwell, President of MHI said, “Manufactured and modular housing are the right answer, at the right time for consumers looking for quality housing options.
America’s Richest Counties
It's easy to assume that the nation's richest counties dot the tri-state area around New York City, or San Francisco's Bay Area. Homeowners there, after all, shell out millions of dollars for small luxuries such as a lawn and a garage.
Over 300 Bank-Owned Homes Hit Auction Block in Buckeye State While Another 50 Pittsburgh...
As home prices drop and foreclosures swell, particularly in states like Ohio, buyers are increasingly flocking to foreclosed real estate auctions to find discounted property. Auctions of foreclosed homes, also known as bank-owned, give buyers an opportunity to purchase property below market value because banks are eager to dispose of these non-performing loans.
Stimulus Package Must Include Loan Limit Increase to Help Homeowners, Economy Immediately, Says NAR
WASHINGTON, January 17, 2008 - The National Association of Realtors® today urged President George W. Bush and Congress to help homeowners and the national economy by loosening constraints on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as an integral part of a federal stimulus package currently being discussed.
America’s Most Lucrative Neighborhoods
Twenty years ago, few house-hunters were interested in Charlestown, Mass. In this small, dense neighborhood, just across the river from Boston, commercial fishing piers and industrial development fell in the shadow of Interstate 93. Property values were appropriately low.
Secretary Paulson Statement on HOPE NOW Progress Report
Washington - Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. issued the following statement today regarding the HOPE NOW alliance's progress report on the number of homeowners helped since the organization's inception. The report indicated that during the fourth quarter, following the creation of the alliance, mortgage servicers in the organization were modifying subprime loans three times faster than in the third quarter.
Foreclosure Crackdown May Hurt Investors
States Clamp Down on Sharks; Legitimate Investors May Feel Sting As the number of foreclosure filings climbs, increasing by 99.5 percent between the third quarter of 2006 and that of 2007, so does the number of laws designed to protect consumers from scams that pretend to help troubled home owners refinance.
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.
