Americans are significantly more optimistic about homeownership than they were a year ago. That’s according to a new national survey released this week from Prudential Real Estate, a Brookfield Residential Property Services company. According to the second-annual Prudential Real Estate Outlook Survey, a full 60 percent of Americans have favorable views toward the real estate market. That's up 8 points since last year. The survey shows that signs of increasing optimism are widespread: • With interest rates at historically low levels, 96 percent agree or somewhat agree that now is a good time to buy.

CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX), a leading provider of information, analytics and business services, today released its National Foreclosure Report for January, which provides monthly data on completed foreclosures, foreclosure inventory

A simple measure of tightness in a market for owner-occupied housing is the homeowner vacancy rate (number of homes for sale divided by the number either for sale or owner-occupied). Builders are often interested in markets that are tight

Americans' concerns about key economic and housing issues are beginning to subside, according to results from Fannie Mae's February 2012 National Housing Survey. Consumers' attitudes have stabilized across most indicators—including personal finances, housing, and employment—demonstrating their sense that downside risks have abated somewhat compared to late summer and fall of 2011. While Americans' confidence in the direction of the economy has been the most pronounced (35 percent think that the economy is on the right track,

For the first time in six years, sellers’ asking prices tracked by the Department of Numbers Website have gone positive on a year-to-year basis, another sign that the housing economy is slowly healing itself.

Baby boomers are becoming seniors at a rate of 10,000 per day, 4 million per year. By 2020, 80 million people in the U.S. will be 65 or older. Many will uproot to flee ice storms and frost heaves, move closer to kids and grandkids, or seek gated retirement communities for security and social activities. It should matter to REALTORS® where boomers choose to live. Seniors commit fewer crimes and drive less, but require more medical facilities, which will increasingly affect municipal and federal spending. A study from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University states

Whether the market is good or not, real estate is always a hot topic. People crave real estate information, because it often hits close to home, as well as the pocketbook. Brokers and agents can capitalize on that interest by creating videos

With annual sales of more than $82 billion, international buyers who are interested in purchasing properties in the U.S. provide a tremendous opportunity for brokers and agents looking to expand their business this year.

Housing affordability conditions have reached the highest level since recordkeeping began in 1970, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR's Housing Affordability Index rose to a record high 206.1 in January, based on the relationship between median home price, median family income and average mortgage interest rate. The higher the index, the greater the household purchasing power. An index of 100 is defined as the point where a median-income household has exactly enough income to qualify for the purchase of a median-priced existing single-family home, assuming a 20 percent downpayment and 25 percent

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently announced a new comprehensive framework for housing finance system reform that would transition Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to a new mortgage securitization system

There’s a new genre of brokers taking the real estate stage, and they are striking the right chords within the industry. These next generation brokers are infusing innovation and vitality into the real estate market and bringing with them

When I ask sales reps to boil down the entire "selling process" into a one word answer, I get a wide variety of interesting responses such as service, education, or consulting. Seldom do I get the answer that I'm expecting to hear: relationship. Regardless of your industry, at the end of the day you're in the "people business." As the old saying goes, people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. The key to making a successful sale is not a transfer of information, but the establishment of a working relationship.

(MCT)—The U.S. housing market disappointed Warren Buffett last year, but he hasn’t given up hope. Buffett said in his annual shareholder letter, posted this weekend, that he was “dead wrong” when he predicted last year that the rebound in U.S. home prices would begin within a year. This year, though, he’s betting again that the housing market will recover, and for an interesting reason: hormones.

In the wake of U.S. District Court approval of a class action lawsuit settlement agreement, American Home Shield officials said they were pleased that the court confirmed the compliancy

Rob Barber, CEO of Environmental Data Resources, Inc. (EDR), a leader in property-specific environmental information and risk management solutions, recently announced the launch of the EDR City Directory Image Report.