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Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Builder Confidence Steady in December After 3 Months Of Gains
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today released it's Builder Confidence Index for December Each month NAHB asks its members to describe their current perceptions of the market for new homes, their projections for six months in the future, and their measure of the current level of buyer traffic. From the responses, which are given along a continuum of poor to good in the first two instances and very low to very high in the third, NAHB constructs the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). A score below 50 on any of the individual questions/components or the composite index indicates that more builders have a negative attitude toward the market than a positive one. The overall confidence composite was changed at an index leve of 16. This follows three straight months of modest...(read more)
A new wrinkle in time management
Think: Seasons, cycles and events
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inmannews/~3/PtibK0P5rg8/a-new-wrinkle-in-time-management
Refinance Apps Down Five Weeks in a Row. Purchase Demand Stalls After Brief Run Up
The Mortgage Bankers Association today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending December 10th, 2010. The MBA's loan application survey covers over 50% of all U.S. residential mortgage loan applications taken by mortgage bankers, commercial banks, and thrifts. The data gives economists a snapshot view of consumer demand for mortgage loans. In a low mortgage rate environment, a trend of increasing refinance applications implies consumers are seeking out a lower monthly payment. If consumers are able to reduce their monthly mortgage payment and increase disposable income through refinancing, it can be a positive for the economy as a whole (creates more consumer spending or allows debtors to pay down personal liabilities like credit cards). A falling trend of purchase...(read more)
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U.S. Housing Market Recovery Backtracks with 23% Year-Over-Year Rise in National Price Reductions
Trulia.com?s December price reduction report found that the number of listings with at least one price cut grew nationwide by 23 percent from 22 percent in December 2009 to 27 percent in December 2010. Meanwhile, average reductions remained flat at 11 percent in a year-over-year comparison, although it has risen by 10 percent [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TruliaBlog/~3/UEGNibY061Q/
Some of 2010?s Top Real Estate Sales in U.S.
The sexiest real estate list each year is the Most Expensive Homes for Sale in the U.S., but the flip side of that list is what did these homes sell for, if they indeed did sell? While multi-million dollar price tags create oohs and aahs, it’s nothing more than a price tag until it’s sold. [...]
Source: http://www.zillow.com/blog/some-of-2010s-top-real-estate-sales-in-u-s/2010/12/20/
Have a plan before you invest in any advertising
Have a plan before you invest in any advertising A lot of time and effort often goes into planning and setting your advertising budget. Whether you choose to invest in SEM, SEO, display advertising or the like, sometimes the most crucial step can be overlooked as an effective starting point. Before you spend a dime [...]
Source: http://www.homefinder.com/news/opening-doors/2010/11/02/plan-before-advertising/
3 Trulians Make Inman?s 2010 Top 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders List
Today, Inman News announced their 2010 list of the 100 Most Influential Leaders in Real Estate. And, today, I?m proud to announce that not one, not two, but THREE of my esteemed colleagues here at Trulia were named to the list! Trulia Co-Founders Pete Flint, CEO, and Sami Inkinen, COO, were [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TruliaBlog/~3/VOFsJpUU0rY/
Freddie Mac Mortgage Crisis Real Estate Agents Housing Market
Three Tips to Help Sell Your Home
Some tactics can help homes sell quickly, but others can stall or derail a sale.Real Estate Vacation Properties Loans and Mortgages Household Moving
Show Me the Money
Today is another good day at HomeFinder.com.� Our never-ending quest to help consumers find their perfect home, and to help Realtors sell their homes, continues.� Today in our mortgage channel, we launched a new feature where we show who is ACTUALLY LENDING MONEY in your area. Yes, mortgage rates are at historic lows, and personal [...]
Source: http://www.homefinder.com/news/opening-doors/2010/10/19/show-me-the-money/
Waterfront Homes Real Estate Agent Foreclosure Homes Realty Market
Some of 2010?s Top Real Estate Sales in U.S.
The sexiest real estate list each year is the Most Expensive Homes for Sale in the U.S., but the flip side of that list is what did these homes sell for, if they indeed did sell? While multi-million dollar price tags create oohs and aahs, it’s nothing more than a price tag until it’s sold. [...]
Source: http://www.zillow.com/blog/some-of-2010s-top-real-estate-sales-in-u-s/2010/12/20/
Commercial & Investment Homes Foreclosures Home Sales Outlook
Jermaine Jackson house in Calabasas, Calif., facing foreclosure
Jermaine Jackson is perhaps following in the foreclosure footsteps of his younger (and way more popular) brother, the late “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson. TMZ.com reports that the original lead singer of The Jackson Five is living in a $2 million home that is scheduled for a foreclosure auction in Pomona County, Calif., on Jan. [...]
Source: http://blog.foreclosure.com/2010/12/jermaine-jackson-house-in-calabasas-calif-facing-foreclosure/
Freddie Mac Mortgage Crisis Real Estate Agents Housing Market
And Now Some Thoughts from a Man Who Made Decisions that Impacted Your Life and Your Wallet: Don Kohn Speaks!
For 40 years, Don Kohn helped shape this nation's monetary policy. He was Alan Greenspan and Ben Bernanke's right hand man. Every fed policy statement ever written, was shaped by Don Kohn, who recently retired from the Fed's #2 job. So it was a special pleasure to sit down with Kohn on the day the October employment report came out and talk about jobs and how the Federal Reserve hopes to help create more of them.
Source: http://www.pbs.org/nbr/blog/2010/11/federal_reserve_bonds_don_kohn.html
Commercial & Investment Homes Foreclosures Home Sales Outlook
Why I Support the Agreement on Tax Cuts & Unemployment Insurance
Last week, President Obama reached an agreement with Republican leadership on a bipartisan tax cut that will offer relief to our middle-class families and extend unemployment benefits for millions of struggling Americans.
After the President announced the agreement on tax cuts and the extension of unemployment insurance, I immediately voiced my support for it because it is a pragmatic deal that benefits hundreds of thousands of unemployed Angelenos.
I know that this bill is not perfect, but it was the right thing to do. In making this agreement, the President secured a tax cut for tens of millions of American households and 13 more months of unemployment insurance for those who are struggling to find work. Our country needs leaders like President Obama; leaders who are willing to transcend party lines and make the hard decisions that are in the best interest of the most Americans.
I commend the US Senate for acting and urge the House of Representatives to support this bill, support the middle class, and support the economic vitality of our country.
Antonio Villaraigosa is Mayor of Los Angeles
Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/12/16/why-i-support-agreement-tax-cuts-unemployment-insurance
A Holiday Message from the Troops... and Toby Keith
"A Night in December" courtesy of Defense Media Activity’s Emerging Media Directorate, servicemembers at more than 40 commands around the world, and Toby Keith -- learn more about all the commands involved from their blog.
Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/12/16/a-holiday-message-troops-and-toby-keith
Originator Compensation: MBA Pushes for Postponed Implementation of New Regs
The MBA agrees with us, the mortgage industry is no where near ready to implement new originator compensation regs. Originator Compensation Reform: Putting the Cart Before the Horse From the MBA.... On Thursday, December 16, 2010, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) sent the attached letter to Ben Bernanke, Chairman, and Saundra Bernstein, Director, Consumer and Community Affairs Division, of the Federal Reserve, requesting written guidance to help the industry implement the Board’s final rule on loan originator compensation and steering published on September 24, 2010. In the letter, MBA President and CEO John Courson asks for written guidance confirming previous direction that the Board staff has graciously provided MBA and its members either verbally or in person. MBA, on behalf...(read more)
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Source: http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/12172010_delay_originator_comp_reform.asp
Congressional Oversight Panel Blasts HAMP
The Congressional Oversight Panel (Cop) took aim at both the Treasury Department and loan servicers in a report issued Tuesday on the performance - or lack thereof - of the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). The Panel even had a little blame left over to throw at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. COP issued its last report in April and at that time raised serious concerns about the timeliness, accountability, and sustainability of Treasury's efforts, saying that administrators were still struggling to get the program running but that, even when it was operational, it would probably fail to reach the overwhelming majority of homeowners in trouble. Since then, the current report says, Treasury's modest changes "have not resolved the Panel's core concerns." It now looks, the report says, as...(read more)
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Source: http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/12142010_hamp_foreclosures.asp
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Podcast with Zillow?s Dr. Stan Humphries
Zillow’s chief economist, Dr. Stan Humphries, was in New York this week and chatted with Jonathan Miller of Miller QA about the state of the national housing market. Tune into the podcast of their conversation.
For more real estate data and analysis, follow @stanhumphries and @jonathanmiller on Twitter.
For more real estate data and analysis, follow @stanhumphries and @jonathanmiller on Twitter.
Source: http://www.zillow.com/blog/podcast-with-zillows-dr-stan-humphries/2010/12/16/
UN Security Council Extends Ivory Coast Peacekeeping Mission
Move comes despite demands by Laurent Gbagbo for peacekeepers to leave the country
Mortgage Rescue Scams Real Estate Vacation Properties Loans and Mortgages
The lowest-risk U.S. housing markets
Now could be a good time to buy a home in these cities.
Source: http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=26646856
Vacation Properties Loans and Mortgages Household Moving House Plans
Mortgage Industry Gong Show: Hasty Rule-Making Creates More Confusion
Treasury has a new blog channel called "Treasury Notes" . Get it? "Notes" as in T-Notes or the debt instruments issued by the U.S. government that pay a fixed rate of interest every six months until maturity, which can range from 2 to 10 years. Clever right? Yesterday they published the first of a series of five question interviews with senior Treasury officials. This week their guest was Elizabeth Warren, who serves as a Special Assistant to the President and is the lead administrator of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This is of special interest to mortgage professionals because the CFPB will play a key role in restructuring (again) the mortgage application proces. This is what Elizabeth Warren had to say..... 1) With hundreds of problems in the consumer financial products...(read more)
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Source: http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/12092010_mortgage_industry_reform.asp
Mortgage Rescue Scams Real Estate Vacation Properties Loans and Mortgages
International Monetary Fund on Cutting the U.S. Budget Deficit: No Free Lunch
The IMF World Economic Outlook offers a sobering warning to those who want to cut the federal budget right away:
Fiscal contractions, fiscal consolidation, typically reduce growth and raises the unemployment rate in the short term. A one percent of GDP budget deficit cut reduces GDP by half a percent and raises the unemployment rate by a third of a percentage point within two years.
Though the IMF is quick to add that the U.S. will need to confront its budget deficit soon, hopefully before the baby boomers are all retired.
Source: http://www.pbs.org/nbr/blog/2010/10/international_monetary_fund_on.html
Chicago's Cabrini Green to Be Torn Down
Residents of the last tower of Chicago's Cabrini Green housing project have been relocated and the building is being torn down. Until recently a few holdouts remained.Housing Starts President Obama Hope for home owners Fannie Mae
Best compact tools for your money
12-volt technology powers latest drills, drivers, saws
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inmannews/~3/LP2xf9nRjDI/best-compact-tools-your-money
Monday, December 20, 2010
Preapprovals prove less reliable
Self-employed borrowers learn lesson the hard way
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inmannews/~3/Hp4mp2ya-fg/preapprovals-prove-less-reliable
Mortgage Rescue Scams Real Estate Vacation Properties Loans and Mortgages
New year in real estate: no cause for celebration
Real Estate Predictions, Wish List for 2011: Part 3
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inmannews/~3/bEU4nIkU5H0/new-year-in-real-estate-no-cause-celebration
British Police Arrest 12 Terror Suspects
The nation remains on high alert as police probe the suspects involved in what is believed to be a significant terrorist plot
Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/British-Police-Arrest-12-Terror-Suspects-112197989.html
Commercial & Investment Homes Foreclosures Home Sales Outlook
Western Observers Call Belarus Election a 'Failure'
Assessment will likely to cause the European Union to withdraw its offer of nearly $4 billion in credits to Belarus
Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Western-Observers-Call-Belarus-Election-a-Failure-112219044.html
Commercial & Investment Homes Foreclosures Home Sales Outlook
CoreLogic: Fewer Underwater Mortgages in 3Q. Foreclosure Sales Drove Reduction
"Negative equity is a primary factor holding back the housing market and broader economy," Mark Fleming, chief economist with CoreLogic said Monday as his company released third quarter data showing continued improvement in the number of underwater mortgages. Fleming however warned that price declines are apparently accelerating which could put a stop to or reverse the recent positive trends in equity. CoreLogic reported that 10.8 million or 22.5 percent of all residential properties with mortgages had negative equity at the end of the third quarter compared to 11.0 million or 23 percent at the end of the second quarter. This is the third consecutive quarter in which negative equity declined. The company, however, attributed the most recent decrease to foreclosures of underwater properties...(read more)
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Source: http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/12132010_negative_equity.asp
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5 Tips to Help You Avoid Becoming a Rental Scam Victim
Internet-originating scams are not uncommon. From work-at-home scams to phishing scams to email lottery scams, some are more obvious while others, such as apartment rental scams, are less obvious but can still rob you of your hard-earned money.
Whether you are a tenant looking for apartments for rent or a landlord looking for a new tenant, [...]
Whether you are a tenant looking for apartments for rent or a landlord looking for a new tenant, [...]
Source: http://www.zillow.com/blog/5-tips-to-help-you-avoid-becoming-a-rental-scam-victim/2010/12/15/
Getting familiar with?Apple iPad
Getting familiar with?Apple iPad If you believe the hype from a recent article, sales of Apple iPads are projected to hit 28 million next year. No doubt by now you?ve held one of these devices in your hands or seen the guy next to you on the train with one. You?ve probably even read dozens [...]
Source: http://www.homefinder.com/news/opening-doors/2010/11/02/getting-familiar-with%e2%80%a6apple-ipad/
Celebrity Foreclosures Most Expensive Homes Luxury Home Prices Mortgage Rescue Scams
Iraqi Prime Minister Announces Cabinet Choices
Iraq's Parliament speaker says parliament will vote on the new ministers on Tuesday
Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Iraqi-Prime-Minister-Announces-Cabinet-Choices-112195824.html
Waterfront Homes Real Estate Agent Foreclosure Homes Realty Market
3 Trulians Make Inman?s 2010 Top 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders List
Today, Inman News announced their 2010 list of the 100 Most Influential Leaders in Real Estate. And, today, I?m proud to announce that not one, not two, but THREE of my esteemed colleagues here at Trulia were named to the list! Trulia Co-Founders Pete Flint, CEO, and Sami Inkinen, COO, were [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TruliaBlog/~3/VOFsJpUU0rY/
Waterfront Homes Real Estate Agent Foreclosure Homes Realty Market
Purchase Demand Trending Higher. Refinance Apps Decline Again
The Mortgage Bankers Association today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending December 3rd, 2010. The MBA's loan application survey covers over 50% of all U.S. residential mortgage loan applications taken by mortgage bankers, commercial banks, and thrifts. The data gives economists a snapshot view of consumer demand for mortgage loans. In a low mortgage rate environment, a trend of increasing refinance applications implies consumers are seeking out a lower monthly payment. If consumers are able to reduce their monthly mortgage payment and increase disposable income through refinancing, it can be a positive for the economy as a whole (creates more consumer spending or allows debtors to pay down personal liabilities like credit cards). A falling trend of purchase...(read more)
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Behind-the-Scenes: A Day of Service with President Obama and the Los Angeles Lakers
Rather than the traditional, honorary trip to the White House this year, the 2010 World Champion Los Angeles Lakers teamed up with NBA Cares and President Obama last week to join members of The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washingon for an afternoon of education and service projects.
Take a behind-the-scenes look as the President and the Lakers assemble care packages and write letters for wounded military servicement and women, put together supplies for DC homeless, and compete in the "Big Brain Academy Challenge" game which builds skills in thinking, memorization, computation, analysis, and identification.
Following the activities with the kids, President Obama congratulated the Los Angeles Lakers on their 2010 NBA Championship in a brief ceremony. If you missed it, watch it here or read the transcript.
Congressional Oversight Panel Blasts HAMP
The Congressional Oversight Panel (Cop) took aim at both the Treasury Department and loan servicers in a report issued Tuesday on the performance - or lack thereof - of the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). The Panel even had a little blame left over to throw at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. COP issued its last report in April and at that time raised serious concerns about the timeliness, accountability, and sustainability of Treasury's efforts, saying that administrators were still struggling to get the program running but that, even when it was operational, it would probably fail to reach the overwhelming majority of homeowners in trouble. Since then, the current report says, Treasury's modest changes "have not resolved the Panel's core concerns." It now looks, the report says, as...(read more)
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Source: http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/12142010_hamp_foreclosures.asp
Weekly Address: National Security Over Politics on START
President Obama urges the Senate to heed the calls from Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, every living Republican Secretary of State, our NATO allies, and the leadership of the military: ratify the New START Treaty with Russia.
Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/12/18/weekly-address-national-security-over-politics-start
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Trulia and RealtyTrac Recap
Related PostsLive Blogging: Trulia and RealtyTrac discuss consumer attitudes toward foreclosuresRealtyTrac reports 6% decrease in foreclosures for MayJuly ForeclosuresForeclosures and unemployment up + a glimmer of hopeCarnival of Real Estate
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TruliaBlog/~3/gQDgGqUcYTc/
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Don't hold your breath for '.MLS'
ICANN may not approve new 'top level' domains before 2012
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inmannews/~3/1KNJZHI3jO8/dont-hold-your-breath-mls
Waterfront Homes Real Estate Agent Foreclosure Homes Realty Market
UN Says More than 50 Killed in Ivory Coast
U.N. high commissioner for human rights says more than 50 people have been killed and more than 200 injured in violence since Thursday
Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/UN-Says-More-than-50-Killed-in-Ivory-Coast----112153609.html
Don?t underestimate the impact of a solid email campaign
Don?t underestimate the impact of a solid email campaign Social media is like the sexy, enigmatic guest at a cocktail party that everyone can?t stop talking about. It?s still shiny, new and let?s face it?shrouded in a haze of mystery. Though its users are in the millions globally, many of us are still wrapping our [...]
Source: http://www.homefinder.com/news/opening-doors/2010/11/02/email-campaign/
Freddie Mac Mortgage Crisis Real Estate Agents Housing Market
Dollars for Docs: A Word about Off-Label Prescribing, a $40 billion issue
The response to our Dollars for Docs project has been tremendous. Mostly positive, with some negative comments sprinkled in that we focused excessively on a relatively small number of problem cases.
Today, I wanted to touch a bit more on a key issue that lies behind all of our reporting on pharmaceutical payments to doctors: Off-label prescribing.
This is a complicated subject, but the gist of it is this: To get FDA approval, a new drug must be proven safe and effective. If the FDA gives the OK, a drug is given a label that spells out the specific disease or condition it may be used to treat.
But let's say a doctor figures out that a drug used to treat one disease has a benefit in treating another condition. That doctor is allowed to prescribe the drug for an "off-label" use, that is to treat a medical condition not indicated in the FDA-approved label. Some off-label uses are quite similar to the approved use for a drug, for example an asthma drug might be used to treat asthma-like symptoms.
Here is how the FDA describes the issue:
Once a drug or medical device has been approved or cleared by FDA, generally, healthcare professionals may lawfully use or prescribe that product for uses or treatment regimens that are not included in the product's approved labeling. . . . These off-label uses or treatment regimens may be important and may even constitute a medically recognized standard of care.
Critics of off-label marketing worry it's an easy way for drug companies to get around the FDA approval process.
I was surprised to learn that off-label prescribing may account for 20% of overall use. An 2006 article in the Archives of Internal Medicine found no more than 30% of off-label uses observed were supported by strong scientific evidence.
Among the drugs that were scientifically supported for off-label use, hypertension drugs were the most common. Though, the most common off-label uses were cardiac medications and anti-asthmatics.
How does this relate to drug company payments to speakers? It is illegal for a drug company to market a product for an off-label use. So if Company X hires a doctor knowing he or she will tout a drug for an off-label use, that is against the law. Indeed, there have been many legal settlements based on just this kind of marketing.
Much of the data in the database ProPublica put together on doctor payments actually came to light, because drug companies were ordered to release that information to settle federal lawsuits charging off-label marketing. More transparency on payments, regulators hope, will make it harder for drug companies to market drugs for off-label use.
If the article in the Archives of Internal Medicine is correct, patients could be paying more than $40 billion a year for drugs that are not scientifically proven to be effective.
Source: http://www.pbs.org/nbr/blog/2010/10/dollars_for_docs_a_word_about.html
Canadians 'loonie' for Arizona real estate
Rising currency, California housing crisis fuel buying spree
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inmannews/~3/wDOoUHI6k2o/canadians-loonie-arizona-real-estate
Freddie Mac Mortgage Crisis Real Estate Agents Housing Market
Our Goal: Advancing Better Trade Agreements for American Workers and Businesses
This weekend, experts from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative are in Seattle, Washington, hammering out the legal language for the landmark trade agreement President Obama announced earlier this month: improvements on the US-Korea trade deal that make the pact better for American workers and businesses, particularly in our recovering auto sector.
That agreement was reached after the President walked away from an earlier offer at the G20 meeting in Seoul, Korea. What our Korean counterparts put on the table wasn't good enough for you then, and the President chose to take more time to get the agreement right. The result of that bold decision was an agreement that won wide acclaim on announcement, and we're eager to work with its supporters on both sides of the aisle in Congress to advance it as quickly as possible.
Many are asking whether two other pending trade agreements - those with Colombia and Panama - should move forward with the Korea deal. A story posted on the Politico website Friday caused some confusion about our position on that question, but it is exactly the same as it has been. While the President has not yet discussed a timeline for moving the Colombia agreement or the Panama agreement, he has said consistently that he wants his Trade Representative, Ron Kirk, to resolve outstanding issues with these agreements. The USTR office is working to do so for the express purpose of moving each agreement forward at the right time for Congress's consideration.
This is a solid promise. The President's determination to get the Korea deal right resulted in a landmark achievement with significant support, and we'll seek the same on other trade pacts. We intend to conclude the best deals possible for American workers and businesses - agreements that are responsible and responsive to Americans' concerns, and that can soon bring home the jobs and economic prosperity that come when trade is done right. That's been our commitment from the start, and it's our commitment today. We look forward to working with the new Congress to fulfill it.
Real Estate Vacation Properties Loans and Mortgages Household Moving
Why I Support the Agreement on Tax Cuts & Unemployment Insurance
Last week, President Obama reached an agreement with Republican leadership on a bipartisan tax cut that will offer relief to our middle-class families and extend unemployment benefits for millions of struggling Americans.
After the President announced the agreement on tax cuts and the extension of unemployment insurance, I immediately voiced my support for it because it is a pragmatic deal that benefits hundreds of thousands of unemployed Angelenos.
I know that this bill is not perfect, but it was the right thing to do. In making this agreement, the President secured a tax cut for tens of millions of American households and 13 more months of unemployment insurance for those who are struggling to find work. Our country needs leaders like President Obama; leaders who are willing to transcend party lines and make the hard decisions that are in the best interest of the most Americans.
I commend the US Senate for acting and urge the House of Representatives to support this bill, support the middle class, and support the economic vitality of our country.
Antonio Villaraigosa is Mayor of Los Angeles
Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/12/16/why-i-support-agreement-tax-cuts-unemployment-insurance
Keeping up with the Jones?
HomeFinder.com Race for the Home Champions On the morning of Saturday, September 25, Erin Jones woke her husband Adam impatiently and full of excitement, ?Let?s go win some money!? Of course, she said it playfully and with no inclination of just how much those words would ring true. By the end of the day, the [...]
Source: http://www.homefinder.com/news/opening-doors/2010/10/06/keeping-up-with-the-jones%e2%80%99/
You Better Watch Out! Zillow Names Santa?s Top 10 Favorite Cities
Christmas is just around the corner, and that means little girls and boys everywhere are counting down the days until they receive a visit from jolly ol’ Saint Nick. While Santa is double-checking his ?nice? list and his little helpers are starting to load up the sleigh, the data elves at [...]
Economy Interest Rates Celebrity Foreclosures Most Expensive Homes
Sunday, December 19, 2010
RealtyTrac: Evictions Ease Following Foreclosure Moratoriums. New Defaults Trending Lower
Foreclosure activity took a nosedive in November, reflecting both an expected seasonal lull and foreclosure moratoriums that were imposed by several of the major servicers. RealtyTrac reports that foreclosure filings in November dropped 21 percent vs. filings in October. This is a 14 percent decline from November 2009. A total of 262,339 U.S. properties, one in every 492 housing units, were the subject of a foreclosure filing during the month. Both the 21 percent month-over-month decrease and 14 percent year-over-year decrease in foreclosure activity were the largest drop offs recorded since RealtyTrac began publishing its figures in January 2005. RealtyTrac, an Irvine California company, compiles a U.S. Foreclosure Market Report each month by tracking documents filed in all three stages of...(read more)
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Source: http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/12162010_foreclosures_realtytrac.asp
Buying a Haunted House
You say you?ve searched high and low for that perfect house, and after months of fruitless searching, you?ve come to the inevitable conclusion that unfortunately, the ideal combination of features, location, and price, simply does not exist.� You?re not alone.� Countless home buyers before you have had to face the same realization. Therefore the search [...]
Source: http://www.homefinder.com/news/opening-doors/2010/10/29/buying-a-haunted-house/
Loans and Mortgages Household Moving House Plans Home Warranties
Mortgage Banker Production Volumes, Profits and Per Loan Costs All Higher in 3Q
While origination costs increased again in the third quarter, independent mortgage banks and subsidiaries saw a substantial increase in per-loan profits during the same period. The Mortgage Bankers Association's 3rd Quarter 2010 Mortgage Bankers Performance report states that bankers saw profits increase from $917 per loan in the second quarter to an average of $1,423 in the third quarter. Better profits were generated by increased secondary marketing gains (gain on sale) which rose to $4,069 per loan compared to $3,455 a quarter earlier. Low interest rate-driven refinancing brought the volume of loans up to an average of $237 million per month from $197 million in the second quarter, but this higher volume did not translate, as it usually does, to a lower cost to originate each loan. According...(read more)
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Source: http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/12142010_loan_profits_mba.asp
Philippine Hotel Fire Kills 15 People, Including Nursing Students
Nursing graduates from nearby provinces staying at the hotel were going to take an exam later in the day to qualify for licenses
Economy Interest Rates Celebrity Foreclosures Most Expensive Homes
Going paperless with your sales process
In this challenging market, any savings that you can generate are important and will help to position you and your business better when the market turns around.� Efficiency gains during down times are huge when times are good.� To that end, we ask: Can an agent or broker go paperless? While this might not be [...]
Source: http://www.homefinder.com/news/opening-doors/2010/12/02/going-paperless-with-your-sales-process/
Foreclosures are the ?mortal enemy? to economic recovery ?
… according to John Taylor, president and CEO of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, who tells CNBC.com: “Foreclosures are the mortal enemy to economic recovery. We can keep on pumping money into the system to create liquidity for banks and in the market, but it?s simply not going to succeed until they plug the hole [...]
Source: http://blog.foreclosure.com/2010/11/foreclosures-are-the-mortal-enemy-to-economic-recovery/
Home prices decline for 3 months in a row
CoreLogic: Prospect for 2011 recovery fades
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inmannews/~3/_vvlwYTW5JE/home-prices-decline-3-months-in-a-row
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There Are Two Debates on Social Security: The Election Debate and the Washington Policy Debate
Despite all the fighting you hear over Social Security on the campaign trail, there are many policy types back in Washington -- Democrats and Republicans -- who think it might be possible to take on the long-term Social Security imbalance next year.
Surprised? Democrats charge Republicans with privatizing Social Security and Republicans fire back Democrats are gutting Medicare. Doesn't sound like compromise is in the air. And, I grant you, it's a long-shot.
Still, the policy discussion is very different than the political discussion. In policy circles, I keep hearing Republicans and Democrats saying it could be possible to strike a deal trimming benefits, raising taxes, and setting the program on a sounder long-term footing.
Why? Because such a deal would signal long-term fiscal restraint to markets without impacting the economy in the short-run. From an economic point of view, that could be a win-win, some argue.
And it is an open secret in Washington that the President's Fiscal Commission is trying for a Social Security agreement.
Given the history and polarization over Social Security, a breakthrough is a long shot. But people are working towards that, despite the attack ads on the campaign trail. So if you hear more about this after November, don't be surprised.
Source: http://www.pbs.org/nbr/blog/2010/09/not_on_the_ballot_but_on_the_a.html
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You Better Watch Out! Zillow Names Santa?s Top 10 Favorite Cities
Christmas is just around the corner, and that means little girls and boys everywhere are counting down the days until they receive a visit from jolly ol’ Saint Nick. While Santa is double-checking his ?nice? list and his little helpers are starting to load up the sleigh, the data elves at [...]
Luxury Home Prices Mortgage Rescue Scams Real Estate Vacation Properties
Home prices decline for 3 months in a row
CoreLogic: Prospect for 2011 recovery fades
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inmannews/~3/_vvlwYTW5JE/home-prices-decline-3-months-in-a-row
Foreclosures Home Sales Outlook Housing Starts President Obama
What You Missed: Open for Questions on Environmental Justice with CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and Nancy Sutley, the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, hosted a live chat to answer your questions about the Obama Administration’s work to create a healthy and sustainable environment for all Americans. They took questions from Facebook participants and students ranging from eighth grade to doctoral candidates who were assembled at Occidental University in Los Angeles, CA, and were on the other end of the video chat.
President Obama on the Afghanistan-Pakistan Annual Review: "A Very Difficult Endeavor" but "Significant Progress"
As the President took to the podium to discuss the Afghanistan-Pakistan Annual Review released today, he thanked all involved in the effort -- from Defense Secretary Gates of Secretary of State Clinton to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mullen, as well as the late Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. He saved his most sincere respect for our troops, however, saying, "There are more difficult days ahead. But as a nation, we can draw strength from the service of our fellow Americans. On my recent visit to Afghanistan, I visited a medical unit and pinned Purple Hearts on some of our wounded warriors. I met with a platoon that had just lost six of their teammates. Despite the tough fight, despite all their sacrifice, they continue to stand up for our security and for our values that we hold so dear." During their briefing afterwards Secretary Gates and Secrtary Clinton echoed those sentiments.
From the outset of his discussion of the report, he leveled with the American people:
I want to be clear. This continues to be a very difficult endeavor. But I can report that thanks to the extraordinary service of our troops and civilians on the ground, we are on track to achieve our goals.
It’s important to remember why we remain in Afghanistan. It was Afghanistan where al Qaeda plotted the 9/11 attacks that murdered 3,000 innocent people. It is the tribal regions along the Afghan-Pakistan border from which terrorists have launched more attacks against our homeland and our allies. And if an even wider insurgency were to engulf Afghanistan, that would give al Qaeda even more space to plan these attacks.
And that’s why, from the start, I’ve been very clear about our core goal. It’s not to defeat every last threat to the security of Afghanistan, because, ultimately, it is Afghans who must secure their country. And it’s not nation-building, because it is Afghans who must build their nation. Rather, we are focused on disrupting, dismantling and defeating al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and preventing its capacity to threaten America and our allies in the future.
In pursuit of our core goal we are seeing significant progress. Today, al Qaeda’s senior leadership in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan is under more pressure than at any point since they fled Afghanistan nine years ago. Senior leaders have been killed. It’s harder for them to recruit; it’s harder for them to travel; it’s harder for them to train; it’s harder for them to plot and launch attacks. In short, al Qaeda is hunkered down. It will take time to ultimately defeat al Qaeda, and it remains a ruthless and resilient enemy bent on attacking our country. But make no mistake -- we are going to remain relentless in disrupting and dismantling that terrorist organization.
In Afghanistan, we remain focused on the three areas of our strategy: our military effort to break the Taliban’s momentum and train Afghan forces so they can take the lead; our civilian effort to promote effective governance and development; and regional cooperation, especially with Pakistan, because our strategy has to succeed on both sides of the border.
Indeed, for the first time in years, we’ve put in place the strategy and the resources that our efforts in Afghanistan demand. And because we’ve ended our combat mission in Iraq, and brought home nearly 100,000 of our troops from Iraq, we’re in a better position to give our forces in Afghanistan the support and equipment they need to achieve their missions. And our drawdown in Iraq also means that today there are tens of thousands fewer Americans deployed in harm’s way than when I took office.
With those additional forces in Afghanistan, we are making considerable gains toward our military objectives. The additional military and civilian personnel that I ordered in Afghanistan are now in place, along with additional forces from our coalition, which has grown to 49 nations. Along with our Afghan partners, we’ve gone on the offensive, targeting the Taliban and its leaders and pushing them out of their strongholds.
After discussing each of those areas in more depth, he closed with a simple message:
We’re going to have to continue to stand up. We’ll continue to give our brave troops and civilians the strategy and resources they need to succeed. We will never waver from our goal of disrupting, dismantling, and ultimately defeating al Qaeda. We will forge enduring partnerships with people who are committed to progress and to peace. And we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure the security and the safety of the American people.
An Important Step Towards Ending Violence Against Women Around the Globe
This week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA), taking an important step towards improving women’s lives around the world. I commend the Committee for taking action to reduce the global epidemic of domestic violence, rape, trafficking, and other crimes committed daily against women and girls.
Across the U.S. government, we are already working towards these goals. Our Global Development Policy speaks to the importance of investing in the health, education and rights of women. Through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), we are connecting efforts to reduce gender-based violence with HIV/AIDS prevention. Secretary Clinton has pledged $17 million to address rape in the Congo, and, on the ground, USAID is training health care providers to respond to the needs of victims. As a follow-up to its Safe Schools program, USAID is working on changing attitudes and behaviors about gender-based violence among parents, teachers and students, enabling girls to remain in schools. Through the Global Health Initiative (GHI), we are implementing a women and girls-centered approach to help partner countries improve health outcomes with a particular focus on maternal health.
President Obama has made the treatment of women an essential part of our global vision for democracy and human rights. Last year, the U.S. led efforts to pass UN Security Council Resolution 1888, establishing a UN Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict and enhancing the ability of peacekeeping missions to protect women and children from sexual violence during armed conflict. Yesterday, the UNSC passed a follow-on UNSC Resolution 1960 deepening these measures and improving how the UN system addresses sexual violence in conflict. As a part of our global leadership on this issue, our government is also undertaking a review of its own efforts to implement UNSC Resolution 1325, which promotes the participation of women in all aspects of peace and security.
In November, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Vice President Biden said: “For every woman who has been beaten in her own home, for the millions of women who have been raped as a weapon of war, for every girl who has been attacked on her way to school, for all of the children - girls and boys - who have witnessed this brutality, we must do better.” We join the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the commitment to do better.
Lynn Rosenthal is the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women
Mortgage Banker Production Volumes, Profits and Per Loan Costs All Higher in 3Q
While origination costs increased again in the third quarter, independent mortgage banks and subsidiaries saw a substantial increase in per-loan profits during the same period. The Mortgage Bankers Association's 3rd Quarter 2010 Mortgage Bankers Performance report states that bankers saw profits increase from $917 per loan in the second quarter to an average of $1,423 in the third quarter. Better profits were generated by increased secondary marketing gains (gain on sale) which rose to $4,069 per loan compared to $3,455 a quarter earlier. Low interest rate-driven refinancing brought the volume of loans up to an average of $237 million per month from $197 million in the second quarter, but this higher volume did not translate, as it usually does, to a lower cost to originate each loan. According...(read more)
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Source: http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/12142010_loan_profits_mba.asp
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Election Over, Problem Remains: Debt and Deflation Risks
The election is over. Republicans are on a roll. But the economy remains in the ditch.
The election, unfortunately did little to clarify the economic problem we face. Which is: We are in a hole. The hole was caused by too much borrowing and the collapse of asset prices (housing, commercial real estate, fancy financial products.)
The hole is deep. U.S. households took on almost $7 trillion in debt from in the seven years before the bubble burst. That's not something that goes away quickly.
Pimco's Mohamed El-Erian put it well in today's Washington Post:
As a whole, the United States is still overcoming the legacy of years of over-leverage and misplaced confidence that consumption can be financed by borrowing rather than earnings. The resulting debt overhangs act as strong headwinds to growth and employment generation.
So where are we now? Businesses are getting back, sitting on cash and waiting for things to get better. Consumers are paying down debts and saving more and waiting for things to get better. And unemployment is hovering near 10%.
Investors are shunning risk, throwing money at safe investments like Treasury bonds.
The problem is that, as consumers and businesses hang back, demand stagnates and prices fall. Thus we are flirting with deflation.
How do you change this? Democrats tried stimulus. It made a lot of sense. With everyone else pulling back, government could step in and create temporary demand in sectors like construction that were crushed.
Did it work? Critics on the right say no, it was a hodgepodge of the left's favorite pet projects that failed to do the job. Critics on the left say the stimulus was not big enough.
What about Republicans? They want to cut government and cut taxes to boost private investment. Problem is, cutting $100 billion out of spending amounts to cutting 0.7% out of an economy that is now growing at just 2%.
And remember the risk aversion? Those getting tax cuts are highly likely to save the money, sending it back to the federal government in the form of an investment in Treasury bonds.
This is not an encouraging analysis, but it fits the facts. The analysis is not all in yet, but the election was a reaction to Democrats not getting the job done. But I am not sure the election has clarified the economic task ahead. How do we get out of the hole?
Source: http://www.pbs.org/nbr/blog/2010/11/election_over_problem_remains.html
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3 Trulians Make Inman?s 2010 Top 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders List
Today, Inman News announced their 2010 list of the 100 Most Influential Leaders in Real Estate. And, today, I?m proud to announce that not one, not two, but THREE of my esteemed colleagues here at Trulia were named to the list! Trulia Co-Founders Pete Flint, CEO, and Sami Inkinen, COO, were [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TruliaBlog/~3/VOFsJpUU0rY/
Economy Interest Rates Celebrity Foreclosures Most Expensive Homes
Florida?s funny foreclosure fiasco
Not funny “ha-ha,” but more like funny “uh-oh.” First, SunSentinel.com passes along news that Elizabeth Bolinger was served with a foreclosure notice on an Oakland Park, Fla., condominium that she sold more than 14 years ago. Here’s the reason, apparently: “Bolinger was notified because while she sold the property as an individual in 1996, it [...]
Source: http://blog.foreclosure.com/2010/12/floridas-funny-foreclosure-fiasco/
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The President on the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010: "An Historic Step"
President Barack Obama makes Congressional calls from the Oval Office before Senate's final vote on the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010.
Today, President Obama released a statement on the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010. Today's historic vote would not have happened without the tireless efforts of many, including leaders in Congress, advocates, and the clear leadership provided by the President. As recently as this morning, the President has been reaching out to Senators from both sides of the aisle to help secure votes. It was only 11 months ago that the President called for the repeal in his first State of the Union and then laid out the plan, including the Pentagon’s Comprehensive Review for the Repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, that has taken us to where we are today.
Here's the President's full statement:
Today, the Senate has taken an historic step toward ending a policy that undermines our national security while violating the very ideals that our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives to defend. By ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay. And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love.
As Commander-in-Chief, I am also absolutely convinced that making this change will only underscore the professionalism of our troops as the best led and best trained fighting force the world has ever known. And I join the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the overwhelming majority of service members asked by the Pentagon, in knowing that we can responsibly transition to a new policy while ensuring our military strength and readiness.
I want to thank Majority Leader Reid, Senators Lieberman and Collins and the countless others who have worked so hard to get this done. It is time to close this chapter in our history. It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed. It is time to allow gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country openly. I urge the Senate to send this bill to my desk so that I can sign it into law.
Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/12/18/president-dont-ask-dont-tell-repeal-act-2010-historic-step
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Protecting Seniors, Military Families and Their Doctors
Today, President Obama signed legislation that will stop a significant pay cut for doctors who treat Medicare patients from taking effect. The pay cut was called for under an old formula called the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) that governs how much doctors are paid to treat seniors on Medicare and military families enrolled in the TRICARE program. President Obama and members of both parties agree this formula needs to be changed. Without the action the President took today, doctors who see Medicare patients and families enrolled in TRICARE would have seen their payments slashed by 23 percent.
The pay cut wouldn't have just hurt doctors – seniors and families across America would have suffered as well. Many doctors would have simply stopped seeing Medicare patients and military families if this pay cut took effect, effectively denying patients the chance to see the doctor they know and trust.
That wasn't acceptable to President Obama or leaders in Congress and the law the President signed today delays the pay cut from taking effect for another year.
The law wouldn’t have been possible without volunteers like Brenda Kelley of Woodbridge, Virginia and Robert Sargeant of Fairfax, Virginia. Brenda and Robert were two of the thousands of AARP members who worked hard to make this legislation a reality. They made phone calls, wrote letters, and helped ensure this important legislation was enacted.
They weren’t alone. American Medical Association President Cecil Wilson and Board Chair Ardis Hoven, along with doctors from across the country spoke out about the importance of ensuring doctors knew how much they would be paid for treating seniors on Medicare. Together with AARP CEO Barry Rand, AARP Board Chair Lee Hammond and Military Officers Association of America President Admiral Norbert Ryan, these individuals who helped protect seniors, military families and doctors celebrated with President Obama as he signed this legislation into law in the Oval Office.
They were also joined by some of the bipartisan leaders in Congress who helped pass this law including:
- Senator John Barrasso, R-WY
- Senator Max Baucus, D-MT
- Representative Henry Waxman, D-CA
Today was an important milestone, but signing this law is just the first step. For years, Congress and Presidents from both parties have acted to stop pay cuts for doctors called for by the Sustainable Growth Rate. Each solution was temporary, forcing Congress to continually deal with this matter and leaving doctors to wonder if they would be forced to take a pay cut in the future.
After years of temporary measures, the President believes it's time for a permanent solution. Over the next year, the President and his team will work with Congress to address this matter once and for all. We all agree that this formula needs to be changed. Now's the time to get it done.
Nancy-Ann DeParle is the Director of the White House Office of Health Reform
Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/12/15/protecting-seniors-military-families-and-their-doctors
Kitchen design for the everyday chef
It's not how it looks, it's how it cooks
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inmannews/~3/fqTaYtzGObY/kitchen-design-everyday-chef
Freddie Mac Mortgage Crisis Real Estate Agents Housing Market
Iraqi PM to Name New Cabinet Monday
Meanwhile, parliament votes to reinstate three banned Sunni lawmakers
Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Iraqi-PM-to-Name-New-Cabinet-Monday-112122364.html
Housing Starts President Obama Hope for home owners Fannie Mae
Today Show: What You Can Get For Under $500K
While some are out and about looking for deals at their favorite retailers, those who stayed in got a sweet treat (FOR FREE!). Barbara shared her favorites, for under $500K. See for yourself:
1012 Harwood Place #A, Austin TX 78704
$449,900 | 2bd | 2ba | 1,627 square feet
Perks:
- minutes from lake, dog park
- [...]
1012 Harwood Place #A, Austin TX 78704
$449,900 | 2bd | 2ba | 1,627 square feet
Perks:
- minutes from lake, dog park
- [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TruliaBlog/~3/wNkIaXRvtw0/
Celebrity Foreclosures Most Expensive Homes Luxury Home Prices Mortgage Rescue Scams
5 Tips to Help You Avoid Becoming a Rental Scam Victim
Internet-originating scams are not uncommon. From work-at-home scams to phishing scams to email lottery scams, some are more obvious while others, such as apartment rental scams, are less obvious but can still rob you of your hard-earned money.
Whether you are a tenant looking for apartments for rent or a landlord looking for a new tenant, [...]
Whether you are a tenant looking for apartments for rent or a landlord looking for a new tenant, [...]
Source: http://www.zillow.com/blog/5-tips-to-help-you-avoid-becoming-a-rental-scam-victim/2010/12/15/
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Selling real estate to children
Your clients may be younger than you think
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inmannews/~3/mHJunxJ1UKs/selling-real-estate-children
Interest Rates Celebrity Foreclosures Most Expensive Homes Luxury Home Prices
How to buy a house at auction in Florida for $40,000 (Video)
Just hit up an REDC auction near you … that’s how:
Source: http://blog.foreclosure.com/2010/12/how-to-buy-a-house-at-auction-in-florida-for-40000-video/
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