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Freddie Mac recently released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey®, showing mortgage rates easing to new all-time record lows for all products covered in the survey helping to keep homebuyer affordability high. The average for the 30-year fixed mortgage rate has been below 4.00 percent for six consecutive weeks. The survey concluded that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.89 percent, with an average 0.7 point for the week ending January 12, 2012, down from last week when it averaged 3.91 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.71 percent.

Real estate auction activity continues to thrive. In today’s tumultuous economy, both residential and commercial properties are selling in droves via auction. According to PropertyAuction.com, the number of auctions posted on their site has almost doubled in 2011. From January to September, 99,924 residential, commercial and land auctions have been listed. Compare that with 52,404 during the same time period in 2010. And it’s not just foreclosed homes. As CCIM Institute reports, “Auctions are gaining popularity as an effective sales strategy for all types of commercial real estate. For instance, the number of industrial property auctions is increasing as companies divest themselves of surplus space resulting from the volatile economy…even multifamily real estate is garnering record sales prices at auctions as investment yield rates fall and condominium conversions drive up selling prices.”

By an overwhelming margin, American voters strongly value homeownership and would oppose efforts to weaken or eliminate the mortgage interest deduction or diminish a federal role to help qualified home buyers obtain affordable 30-year mortgages, according to a new nationwide survey gauging likely voters’ attitudes towards homeownership and housing policy issues. “The American electorate is sending a clear message that owning a home remains a cornerstone of the American Dream and preserving a federal commitment to homeownership is essential to maintain a thriving middle class and get housing and the economy back on track,” says Neil Newhouse, a partner and co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies.

Total U.S. foreclosure activity and the U.S. foreclosure rate in 2011 were both at their lowest annual level since 2007, according to RealtyTrac®, an online marketplace for foreclosure properties. The company recently released its Year-End 2011 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report™, which shows a total of 2,698,967 foreclosure filings—default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions—were reported on 1,887,777 U.S. properties in 2011, a decrease of 34 percent in total properties from 2010. Foreclosure activity in 2011 was 33 percent below the 2009 total and 19 percent below the 2008 total.

The WAV Group, a real estate consulting firm, has published results of research that demonstrates the high value consumers place on the term “MLS.” The research, commissioned by the MLS Domains Association, includes surveys of consumers

The federal government recently threw a lifeline to homeowners underwater with their current mortgages. Thanks to new changes to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) guidelines, more homeowners can refinance at today’s lower rates—even if their homes

The U.S. housing market will continue a slow recovery in 2012, led by stabilizing home prices and increasing sales. Those are among the key findings of a year-end survey of one thousand RE/MAX real estate agents who say housing’s vital signs are gaining strength. The majority of RE/MAX agents surveyed say housing prices will stay the same, or increase in 2012. Projections are the strongest for the Southern U.S. where 49.6 percent say prices will stabilize and 26.7 percent anticipate an increase. Agents in the Northeast see the biggest challenges, with 47.5 percent

The number of housing markets showing measurable improvement nearly doubled in January with the addition of 40 new metros to the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI). The IMI now boasts 76 improving markets, up from 41 in December, with 31 states and the District of Columbia represented by at least one entry. The index identifies metropolitan areas that have shown improvement from their respective troughs in housing permits, employment and house prices for at least six consecutive months. New entrants to the list in January include the following (listed alphabetically by state):

Home prices this year cease their decline and gain 0.2 percent across all markets as more and more individual markets stabilize in the months to come. However, though national prices will be flat, some 40 percent of the top 50 markets

Have you noticed that when a sports team wins a championship game, both the players and the coaches talk in terms of a "team victory" and appear to truly enjoy sharing the accomplishment? On the other hand, teams who are going through a losing streak tend to make excuses and point fingers. The success of any high-performance team is in direct proportion to the number of "team players" within the group. It's not difficult to spot a team player in any group of people because they tend to stand out from the crowd. Team players radiate a positive attitude, cooperative spirit and encourage their coworkers to excel. Team players are self-motivated individuals who are focused on the attainment of team goals.

Rand on Real Estate is now on national television. The Fox Business Network is running a new segment titled, "Where to Invest Now," featuring Greg Rand (@gsrand) , CEO of OwnAmerica (www.OwnAmerica.com), as its housing market analyst making his picks

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) will host a media teleconference next week to reveal the results of a national poll of 1,500 likely voters looking at the value Americans place on homeownership. Set to air on Wednesday, January 11 at 1 p.m., ET, the results of the poll indicate that, despite the economic downturn and housing crisis, respondents still consider owning a home an integral part of the American Dream and feel that policymakers need to take active steps to promote homeownership. Results reveal voter attitudes towards key housing issues including the mortgage interest deduction, and how those feelings would translate at the voting booth.

Stabilizing and restoring the health of the housing market is critical to a broader economic recovery, according to a white paper released yesterday by the Federal Reserve Board. Many of the issues and recommendations outlined in the paper support key principles established by the National Association of REALTORS® to help revitalize the housing industry and economy. The white paper, The U.S. Housing Market: Current Conditions and Policy Considerations, calls for increased lending to creditworthy home buyers and more loan modifications, mortgage refinancings, and short sales to reduce the rising inventory of foreclosed homes and help stabilize

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 ...

“Technology is changing everything!” When was the last time you heard this? Well, guess what? It’s still true, and as we make our way through 2012, your inbox will continue to be flooded with opportunities to own the latest and greatest “must-have” technology tools. But while emerging technology will always “change everything,” it also has the capacity to suck away your time and energy and cause you to lose focus on the most important things in your life and business. Let’s take a look at social media as just one example. Social media has taken not only the real estate industry, but the entire world, by storm. The concept of social media as a tool for business is a solid concept, and the premise of regularly staying in front of your clients has enormous value.