National News

$1 Billion Realogy IPO Shows Increasing Confidence in Housing

By Peter Ricci Realogy, the real estate services company that owns Coldwell Banker and Century 21, is planning on going public late next week, and its IPO is expected to raise more than $1 billion from investors, according to

Residential Construction Spending Up 0.9 Percent in August

By Peter Ricci Residential construction spending increased 0.9 percent from July to August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $273.5 billion, according to new numbers out today from the U.S. Census Bureau. Overall, private construction spending was down by

Want Valuable Real Estate? Look to Street Names, Trulia Finds

By Peter Ricci When you’re around the housing industry long enough, you begin to see the common traits of valuable real estate – strong schools, great trim work, decent lots, and of course, the specific geographical location of the

3 Reasons Your Home Sellers Should List Their Properties in the Fall

By Peter Ricci Autumn is a season of many things – pumpkins, darkening foliage, and, of course, Jack Skellington – but it is not a season known for selling homes. As many an agent will attest, home sellers often

JPMorgan Chase: Shadow Housing Inventory Down 1.2 Million in 2012

Shadow housing inventory declined by 1.2 million in the first half of 2012, according to a new study by JPMorgan Chase of the ominous housing stock. The shadow market peaked at six million in 2010, and JPMorgan estimates that banks, through

25 Percent of Americans Say Election a Factor in Homebuying Decision

By Peter Ricci Who says the political process doesn’t effect homebuying? According to a new survey from MortgageMarvel.com, 25 percent of Americans are taking the upcoming presidential election into consideration in their homebuying decisions. Conducted online by Harris Interactive, the survey

Pending Home Sales Index Up 10.7 Percent in August

By Peter Ricci The Pending Home Sales Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) declined in August, falling 2.6 percent from July but rising 10.7 percent from August 2011. The index fell from an upwardly-revised 101.9 in July

Romney Doubles Down on Housing Policy, But Does Policy Mirror Obama’s?

By Peter Ricci Mitt Romney doubled down on his earlier promises and commitments for the U.S. housing market late last week, releasing a white paper that contained more information about some of the policy initiatives floated on his campaign

Census Bureau: New Residential Home Sales Increase 27.7 Percent

By Peter Ricci New residential home sales increased 27.7 percent year-over-year in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 373,000, according to the latest joint report from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban development. From

LifeLine Response App Aims to Save Lives with “Intellitouch” Tech

By Peter Ricci LifeLine Response is an app for iPhone and Android smartphones that takes a highly intriguing approach to the mobile safety app marketplace, a niche in the app landscape that, as we have covered, grows more crowded

FNC and Bradford Technologies Are Catching Up With Appraisal Problems

By Ian McKendry The housing market is starting to stabilize and has actually been one of the few bright spots for the US economy over the past few months, but structural challenges and tight lending standards have been holding

Chicago Home Prices Rise 2.7 Percent in July Case-Shiller

By Peter Ricci Chicago home prices posted yet another strong month of growth in the July Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, rising 2.7 percent from June to July. For the last three months, in fact, Chicago home prices have been

Mortgage Delinquencies Decline 10 Percent in LPS’ August First Look

By Peter Ricci The U.S. mortgage delinquency rate declined by 10.6 percent year-over-year in the August First Look report from Lender Processing Services, an analytics firm that studies the mortgage markets and real estate industries. A study of approximately

FHFA Targets Five States, Including Illinois, For New G-Fees

In an effort to recover past losses, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is considering new g-fees in five states most affected by the housing downturn. Labeling its losses as “exceptionally high,” the FHFA has selected Connecticut, Florida, Illinois,

4 Tips for Multitasking That Actually Work

By Peter Ricci Multitasking is more than a catchy phrase uttered at business symposiums and on trade magazine websites; rather, it’s a survival mechanism, a key to successfully managing the endless array of tasks we all must completely on

Obama Scorecard: Fewer Americans Underwater, But Housing Remains Fragile

By Kerri Panchuk The number of underwater borrowers is down from late 2011, but housing is far from on the mend, the Obama Administration said. In the administration’s August Housing Scorecard, the report shows the number of upside-down borrowers

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