National News

This is How Gen Y Will Revolutionize Housing

Generation Y, the 80 million or so Americans born between 1979 and 1995, are expected to reverse the last 60 years or so of housing policy in the U.S. One of the more persistent questions among housing analysts is

Less Than 1 Percent of Today's Mortgages are Bad

The housing market cannot truly recover without a healthy mortgage market, but new research from LPS shines an optimistic light on the topic. Homes sales are up, inventory has stabilized, and by many accounts, new construction it putting up

Realtor Income Up 25 Percent in 2012

The year 2012 was a very good year for Realtors, with both business activity and incomes up for the second straight year, according to the latest member profile from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). That’s after nine straight

Obama Scorecard Details Improvement

The Obama administration’s foreclosure mitigation programs provided relief to millions of distressed borrowers recovering from the housing market over the past four years. The Making Home Affordable Program has assisted nearly 1.6 million homeowners since its inception in 2009,

Successful Startups’ Hiring Practices – What Real Estate Startups Can Learn

One of the biggest challenges of launching a new business is finding like minds to hire that will help take your company to the next level, and startups are constantly forced to make these decisions, not only in the

Housing Starts Plunge, Building Permits Soar in New Census Bureau Data

The Census Bureau’s latest new construction numbers were a topsy turvy bunch, with housing starts plunging but building permits soaring. If the Census Bureau’s latest numbers are any indicator, April was a wild month for new housing construction in

Builder Confidence Surges in May

Builder confidence for both the general housing market and the 55+ market increased in May on the strength of homebuyer urgency. Builder confidence at all levels of the homebuilding industry showed some of its strongest numbers in years in

Only 2 Percent of Realtors are Younger than 30

Along with its economic findings, NAR’s 2012 Member Profile also offered great insight into the demographics of today’s Realtors – including median age. The average Realtor is 57 years old, and only 2 percent of the entire Realtor class

How Hard is it, Really, to Get a Mortgage?

Is it still tough to get a mortgage? New numbers from the Federal Reserve offer an enlightening perspective on the issue. It’s the question on everyone’s mind, now that the housing market is on a slow, sustainable path to

DocuSign Acquires Cartavi

DocuSign partners with Cartavi to simplify real estate transactions. DocuSign, the Global Standard for eSignature, announced that it has acquired Cartavi, a leading provider of collaboration services for real estate transactions. This combination, along with a deeper integration with

3 Intriguing Reasons for Today's Low Mortgage Rates

Inflation, housing demand and the Syrian opposition all have one thing in common; can you guess what it is? Mortgage rates for 15- and 30-year mortgage in the first week of May, according to the latest Primary Mortgage Market

Realtor Income Up 25 Percent in 2012

For the second straight year, both the income and business activity for Realtors increased in 2012, with incomes jumping by 25 percent. 2012 was a good year for Realtors, with both business activity and income up for the second

Illinois Foreclosure Activity Down 17 Percent in April

The news was relatively good for Illinois’ foreclosure markets in April, with foreclosure activity down by double-digit amounts. RealtyTrac’s U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for April was relatively kind to Illinois, showing the state’s foreclosure markets to be improving. Overall foreclosure

Mortgage Standards Are Going to Get Much Tougher in 2014

Qualified mortgage standards are back in the news, with the FHFA announcing that it is on track to adopt the standards’ “ability to repay” provisions. The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) has announced that beginning Jan. 10, 2014, Fannie

A Home Sale is Worth How Much to the Economy? Try $56,464

We often hear about how beneficial home sales are for the greater economy, but NAR has finally done the research and slapped a value on the whole process. Housing, the narrative goes, is among the most versatile and dextrous

Majority of Americans Expect Home Prices to Increase

American consumers are growing more and more confident with the housing recovery, according to Fannie Mae’s latest National Housing Survey. More than half of American consumers expect home prices to rise within the next year, according to the latest

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