"Real Estate Market & Property News / Investment News"

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose last month to the highest level in more than 1½ years, while the inventory of unsold homes contracted to a level economists consider healthy, positive signs for housing. Continue reading →

In Berkeley, an 8,100-square-foot home with views of Mount Diablo and the Golden Gate Bridge is on the market for $9.5 million. Continue reading →

This hacienda-style ranch house is part of a sprawling development in Okeechobee, Fla., that offers quail hunting and amenities such as a 600-foot zip line across a lake. Continue reading →

We are all under the gun every day in real estate sales. Most of us get up every morning unemployed. We need to go out and find a person to buy and sell with everyday. How do we “pressure proof” our business?

Our governing documents describe allowable signs as either for sale or for rent. Since no other types of signs are described, some interpret to mean no others are allowed. This seems overly restrictive. What about open house, garage sale and political signs? How about holiday decorations and flags?

The nation's rural regions saw much slower population growth over the past decade, reflecting a drop in the number of jobs in these often-isolated areas. Continue reading →

The U.S. is studying a single way to package home loans into securities as an interim step to develop a home-mortgage guarantee system that could outlive Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Continue reading →

Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Acting Director Edward J. DeMarco recently sent to Congress a strategic plan for the next phase of the conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises). The plan builds on the Acting Director’s February 2010 letter to Congress on the conservatorships and sets forth objectives and steps FHFA is [...] Continue reading →

According to a key historical measure, rates should be even lower. The wide spread between mortgage rates and mortgage-backed bonds suggests the gears of the banking system are gummed up. Continue reading →

Some of the most attentive pupils at a home-improvement class in Far Rockaway, Queens, are homeowners who are facing the imminent threat of foreclosure.. Continue reading →

Home prices fell to their lowest point in more than a decade in January, but that helped to lift the pace of home sales, according to a report from an industry trade group. Continue reading →

Toll Brothers reported a quarterly loss as fewer deliveries and increased cancellations weakened revenue, but the home builder said contracts are picking up. Continue reading →

Are you thinking green this Spring? Not only can energy efficient windows, doors and skylights reduce energy bills they can also reduce your federal tax load! Visit Energystar.gov to see how you can save! These incentives are rewards for making your home more efficient and consuming less energy.

A staircase inside this penthouse apartment leads up to a private roof with views of Hong Kong's skyline and harbor. Continue reading →

Development company Avatar Holdings has to change its name because of confusion with the popular "Avatar" movie. Continue reading →

Hines, one of the world's largest real-estate groups in terms of assets, is preparing to spend $1.6 billion on buildings in the U.K., doubling its assets in the country in an effort to diversify away from riskier acquisitions. Continue reading →

Developer Aby Rosen, who has been fighting headwinds to shore up his highly leveraged U.S. office buildings, faces a new threat, this one to his firm's large portfolio in Stamford, Conn. Continue reading →

This four-bedroom house with artist's studio is located in a protected natural park near the village of Les Baux-de-Provence Continue reading →

A watchdog agency said Wednesday that the legal tab for former leaders of mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is at least $110 million. Continue reading →

Commercial real-estate firm Grubb & Ellis Co. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, requesting an expedited sale as it faces $30 million in debt that matures on March 1 and insufficient cash to make it through the first quarter. Continue reading →

One of South Beach's developers is creating a new shopping district in hopes of taking on Bal Harbour Shops, long the top draw for Miami's big spenders. Continue reading →

Home Depot's fourth-quarter net profit rose 32% as strong sales in its U.S. stores gave the company a lift. Continue reading →

Singles have been buying up houses like never before—but it may be time to rethink the American dream, writes Kate Bolick. Continue reading →

When Home Deport reports fourth-quarter results on Tuesday, it will preview homeowners' willingness to spend on sprucing up homes and tending gardens. The mild winter is expected to help both it and Lowe's. Continue reading →

The 2012 outlook is improving modestly from a disappointing 2011. Economic growth picked up in the fourth quarter of 2011 to 2.8 percent and is expected to come in at 2.3 percent for 2012, up from 1.6 percent growth for all of last year, according to Fannie Mae’s (FNMA/OTC) Economic & Strategic Research Group. However, [...] Continue reading →

Millions of borrowers who suffered financial losses because their mortgage lenders played fast and loose while processing their foreclosures now have two ways of getting a payback. Continue reading →

In the last few years, brand-name architects have made their mark on New York in an unusual way: by building apartment buildings. Continue reading →

Even these mega-mansions in some of America's wealthiest neighborhoods are not immune to the housing crisis. Continue reading →

Located in the Sutton Place area of Manhattan, this pre-war penthouse has two bedrooms, herringbone floors and French doors that lead out to a large, planted terrace. Continue reading →

(MCT)—Residential contractors are hoping that tight-fisted consumers will decide they need a new bathroom. Or maybe it’s time for those old kitchen counters to go. Perhaps it would be better to add another bedroom than move? After three years of slumping business, builders anticipate that the home remodeling and improvement sector will pick up in [...] Continue reading →

As the February 24th deadline approaches for completing RISMedia’s 24th Annual Power Broker Survey, hundreds of leading real estate firms have already submitted their surveys, ensuring their spot in the preeminent ranking of the industry’s top residential real estate brokerages. To take the survey now, click here. Survey respondents to date represent leading franchise brands [...] Continue reading →

Amazon is buying property in central Seattle with plans to construct about 3 million square feet of office space, a move that could have the company owning its headquarters for the first time amid big expansion. Continue reading →

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke made the following speech at the 2012 National Association of Homebuilders International Builders’ Show, held in Orlando, Fla. on February 10. Housing Markets in Transition The economic recovery began more than two years ago, but it doesn’t feel like much of a recovery for many Americans—certainly for those of [...] Continue reading →

The most expensive apartment ever sold in Manhattan went for a cool $88 million this week. Continue reading →

Buying a home is now more affordable than it has been in the last twenty years. Continue reading →

Producer Stephanie Savage transfers her love of Old Hollywood and big-city style to her Los Angeles home. Continue reading →

Rental apartment construction in New Jersey is poised for a resurgence in 2012 with more than 2,000 apartments expected to hit the market by the end of the year. Continue reading →

Jeffrey Katzenberg sells his Beverly Hills home, Nick Jonas rents in New York and an estate in California's Napa Valley lists for $29.5 million. Continue reading →

Our columnist lays out options for a reader who's itching to buy again after selling the family home in a short sale. Continue reading →

In an effort to cut their losses, banks are paying some struggling homeowners as much as $35,000 to sell their homes before they end up in foreclosure. Continue reading →

Foreclosures picked up in January, yet another sign that the nation's huge glut of delinquent homes may soon start making their way onto the market. Continue reading →

Zurich took over from Tokyo as the world's most expensive city to live in, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's most recent world-wide cost-of-living survey. The list of the top 10 is equally divided between Asia and Europe, but doesn't include London or Hong Kong. Continue reading →

Investors' belief that the worst is over for the U.S. housing market is fueling renewed interest in once-toxic mortgage bonds that were at the heart of the financial crisis. Continue reading →

This house began its life in Connecticut in 1775, according to the current owners, who bought it and moved it piece by piece to their land in Vermont in 1988. Continue reading →

The share of homeowners behind on their mortgages fell to the lowest level in three years during the fourth quarter of 2011, offering the latest sign of how recent job-market gains could help the housing market. Continue reading →

Timothy Mayopoulos, a former top executive at Bank of America who was forced out in 2008, has emerged as the leading internal contender to become chief executive at Fannie Mae. Continue reading →

A Citigroup unit agreed to pay $158.3 million to settle U.S. claims it cost the government tens of millions of dollars by submitting faulty loans to a federal mortgage-insurance program. Continue reading →

New home construction got off to a strong start for the year, with housing starts and building permits rising in January on a monthly and annual basis -- another sign that the U.S. housing market and broader economy are headed in the right direction. Continue reading →

As of February 10, new listings tracked by Altos Research have ticked upwards for five consecutive weeks, suggesting the spring home buyer season will bring the strongest prices the nation has seen since the tax credit briefly stimulated demand two years ago. At the end of January, most metro markets saw stable pricing and several [...] Continue reading →

The mortgage meltdown that began five years ago appears to be reversing course as the percentage of loans that fell into delinquency slowly returned to normal rates and fewer loans fell into foreclosure. Continue reading →

Home builder confidence in the market for new single-family homes increased for the fifth consecutive month in February, rising from 25 to 29 on the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. It is the highest level the index has reached in more than four years. “Builder confidence has doubled since September as measured [...] Continue reading →

Private-equity firm Apollo Global Management has raised only about $385 million for a real-estate fund, well short of its goal. Continue reading →

Citigroup will pay $158 million to settle charges that its mortgage unit defrauded the Federal Housing Administration by inaccurately claiming that certain mortgages were eligible for government insurance, government officials announced Wednesday. Continue reading →

Waterbridge Capital is considering turning into a retail center a 105-year-old industrial building near the site of the new Barclays Center sports arena in Brooklyn. Continue reading →

In the largest deal to date aimed at addressing the housing meltdown, federal and state officials on Thursday announced a $26 billion foreclosure settlement with five of the largest home lenders. Continue reading →

The owners of a Greenwich Village townhouse have gutted the interior and rebuilt the house around shafts of light using an ultra-modern minimalist design. Continue reading →

Headlines were made when Facebook announced its plans to go public, creating a new generation of Facebook millionaires. Many have been speculating about what these fresh-faced millionaires will do with their money. Others have been asking how they will affect the housing market. “It will be some time before the first Facebook shares are sold [...] Continue reading →

When it comes to dating, homeownership can be the ultimate aphrodisiac. Continue reading →

The Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) rehabilitation loan program, commonly known as 203(k), can be a valuable tool to help deal with the REO problems faced by communities across the nation. The program works by providing the buyer with funding to purchase a property and rehabilitate it through one program. Essentially, one borrows money that exceeds [...] Continue reading →

Are you the type of individual who values sincere feedback and welcomes constructive criticism from customers, associates, and family members? Sometimes getting feedback can be an unpleasant experience, especially when it hasn’t been requested. Without timely feedback, it’s utterly impossible for a person to accurately identify his or her shortcomings, correct bad habits, and profit [...] Continue reading →

Technology has literally changed the face of the real estate world in recent years. Real estate has transitioned from an industrial society to a digital information society, and is in a state known as the “Perfect Storm.” There are several factors that contribute to this concept. Consumers today have access to almost anything they need [...] Continue reading →

Even as the $26 billion mortgage settlement helps hundreds of thousands of troubled homeowners, it will bring a wave of new forclosures. Continue reading →

Rates on 30-year fixed mortgages remained at an all-time record low for the second week in a row. Continue reading →

The nation's five largest banks have finally struck a deal with 49 states to settle charges of abusive and negligent foreclosure practices dating back to 2008. Continue reading →

Mortgage Bankers Association says deal can help consumer confidence and stabilize markets (RISMedia/MCT)— After more than a year of negotiations, the nation’s biggest banks, states attorneys general and federal officials have announced the largest housing settlement ever—more than $26 billion—over foreclosure practices. The deal is expected to offer relief to more than one million U.S. [...] Continue reading →

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services recently reported record home sales for 2011 through its 134 offices in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and West Virginia. This marks the 9th straight year Howard Hanna Real Estate Services has increased sales units and volume. In 2011, Howard Hanna recorded 34,292 closed property transactions for a volume of $5.769 [...] Continue reading →

Have you often avoided making those dreaded cold calls? Do you dream of how much better your business could be but just can’t bring yourself to pick up the phone? You’re not alone. In the 15+ years that I have specialized in coaching real estate agents, I have noticed the same avoidant patterns in each [...] Continue reading →

Slowly, but surely, the foreclosure crisis seems to be abating. Continue reading →

If you’re a new agent just getting started in the real estate industry, the following elements are crucial as you set yourself up to hit the ground running. 1. Secure your own domain name. It’s important to have a domain name that you can use with your company-provided site or a site of your own. [...] Continue reading →

Last Wednesday, February 1, President Obama announced the details of a plan to help homeowners refinance their mortgages in hopes of bolstering the housing market. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, this proposal will allow buyers to save an average of $3,000 a year by refinancing into loans backed by the [...] Continue reading →

The industry’s leading residential real estate firms are quickly responding to RISMedia’s 24th Annual Power Broker Survey, reporting strong numbers for 2011 despite a challenging economic landscape. As the preeminent ranking of the industry’s top residential real estate brokerages, RISMedia’s Power Broker Survey is responsible for revealing real estate’s “who’s who.” Brokers must complete the [...] Continue reading →

Setting yourself apart from your competition is becoming increasingly difficult. The emergence of social media into the business world has created platforms where constant, ongoing contact is possible. As a result of this desire to be in constant contact, many agents and brokers have struggled with what constitutes valuable content. What do we post, tweet [...] Continue reading →

Lean times call for budgetary triage. But while you should clearly opt for orthodontics before Disneyland, the choice is tougher when it comes to home maintenance. Continue reading →

While more and more consumers are turning to their smartphones for information, brokers and REALTORS® everywhere are adapting in order to properly serve their mobile, forward-thinking clientele. The latest trend in the world of mobile marketing is not only dominating the mobile world, but also changing the way agents are promoting their listings and printing [...] Continue reading →

In my years of experience with coaching clients to maximize their success, I have created powerful tips to help accelerate progress. The first of these is to get clear on exactly what “success” means to you. I can’t tell you how many agents I have worked with who have a general idea that they want [...] Continue reading →

(MCT)—The lower-than-expected annualized growth rate of 2.8 percent reported Friday for the final three months of 2011 raises doubts about the strength of the U.S. recovery, and concerns that 2012 may be another year of muddling along. Most mainstream economists had expected the fourth-quarter number to come in at 3 percent or higher, and the [...] Continue reading →

Despite a challenging real estate market, the industry’s leading residential brokerage firms continue to demonstrate resiliency and growth, and will prove this by participating in RISMedia’s 24th Annual Power Broker Report & Survey. As the industry’s preeminent report ranking the industry’s top brokerages, this listing of the real estate industry’s “who’s who” has long served [...] Continue reading →

Regional Spotlight—RE/MAX of New England recently released their 2012 Housing Market Outlook & Forecast. According to the study, Connecticut experienced the largest declines in 2011, as single-family home transactions slid -8.4 percent and average price dipped -1.8 percent, compared to 2010. Maine single-family home transactions slide -4.21 percent compared to 2010, while the median price [...] Continue reading →

Obeo, a leading provider of online real estate virtual tours and real estate in North America, announced a new search engine optimization (SEO) feature to help brokers and agents win the battle for their listings. Studies show that 96 percent of homebuyers are researching properties online. The competition for these online homebuyers is fierce! Unbranded [...] Continue reading →

Laurie Goodman is an apolitical number cruncher who has spent most of her 28-year career out of the public view, studying the minutiae of mortgage-backed securities (MBS) for big investment banks. She's long been a star among Wall Street insiders, however. She holds the record for the most top rankings for fixed-in-come research from the trade bible Institutional Investor. Continue reading →

Agents, have you ever listed or sold a home owned by a celebrity? If so, we want to know about it! RISMedia is excited to announce that in 2012 we will be significantly expanding our coverage of celebrity homes and their famous—or infamous—owners. For example, we read today that Michele Klosson of Sotheby’s International Realty [...] Continue reading →

We all know that Google is no stranger to the world of mobile, after all its operating system, Android, is the most popular in the world; all their apps (Gmail, Google calendar, flicker, etc.) are all designed for use on mobile devices and their search engine of course works on all mobile devices. However, in [...] Continue reading →

In support of Google’s Go Mo initiative, Mobile Real Estate (MRE), a leading mobile solutions provider, has launched a free online tool that allows REALTORS® to test their website to ensure it is optimized for mobile. When Google launched its initiative there was an estimated 89% of fortune 100 companies who did not have websites [...] Continue reading →

REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT—As the new year begins, potential home buyers and sellers throughout the Mid Atlantic region are anxious about how their properties will fare in this coming year. To explore the issue, MRIS has released a list of several key triggers that are expected to shape the local economy, and play a significant role in [...] Continue reading →

The real estate professionals at Prudential Network Realty are helping students learn about career opportunities through their support of a new real estate mentoring program for youth attending the MaliVai Washington Youth Center. “It is very rewarding to launch a real estate mentoring partnership with the MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation,” said Prudential Network Realty Broker [...] Continue reading →

During Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners’ holiday charity drive, sales agents and staff from throughout the region spent much of November and December gathering donations to benefit a variety of charities. The Partners banded together with one common goal – to lend helping hands and make the holiday’s special for as many as possible. “This is [...] Continue reading →

We have many reasons to be optimistic about housing. Past-due mortgages and foreclosure filings have been trending down in recent months, not to mention inventory is decreasing, interest rates are lower than ever and home prices are stabilizing. But the progress is fragile, and ongoing recovery won’t be helped by unreasonable regulation. The only appropriate [...] Continue reading →

Maintaining a competitive edge in today’s market takes more than positioning yourself as an educated, trusted advisor. As buyers and sellers alike continue to turn to the Internet to start their real estate search, it’s more important than ever that real estate professionals arm themselves with the tools and technology necessary to provide top-notch service. [...] Continue reading →

High end homes in both Malibu and Pacific Palisades are selling faster, according to a Westside Estate Agency (WEA) analysis of housing data in the two luxury markets through the third quarter. The report, which reviews overall total sales in the two markets and compares sales pace for homes over $3 million, analyzes the same [...] Continue reading →

Prudential Network Realty’s Elizabeth Hudgins of the Ponte Vedra Beach office was recently recognized as the No. 1 sales associate in the Prudential Real Estate Network in Florida, which encompasses more than 10,000 agents, the company announced. In year-to-date statistics ending Nov. 30, 2011, Hudgins sold nearly $37 million in Northeast Florida real estate. “Elizabeth [...] Continue reading →

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes edged up two points from a downwardly revised number to 21 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for December. This marks a third consecutive month in which builder confidence has improved, and brings the index to its highest point [...] Continue reading →

In the world of listings, the silver medal means absolutely nothing. It pays less than nothing. And, in fact, it actually costs you, because of all those wasted hours (and gas for your car, materials for the listing presentation, etc). This is why your only goal in the business of getting a real estate listing [...] Continue reading →

Purchasing a home, especially if it is your first time, can be an extremely stressful and complicated process. It is easy to get overwhelmed by your choices and the many steps it takes to get the deal closed and the keys in your hands. 1. Get organized. Before you start your search make a list [...] Continue reading →

Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) recently released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey(R) (PMMS(R)), showing average fixed mortgage rates largely unchanged and near their record lows helping to keep housing affordability high for those borrowers who are in the market. The 30-year fixed dipped to 3.99 percent, and at 3.27 percent, the 15-year fixed [...] Continue reading →

This week, the Real Estate Marketing Summit is returning to the exemplary location of the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, Calif., where hundreds of participants have registered to arrive on Wednesday, December 14th, 2011. Thousands, throughout the world, however, have now been provided with the rare opportunity to attend the event virtually, through livestreaming [...] Continue reading →

The heart of any company can be found beating inside the walls of its customer service department. Providing superior customer service after the sale is a smart business decision that pays long-term dividends. All the money a company spends on sales training, marketing research, advertising, and PR initiatives to attract new customers is wasted if [...] Continue reading →