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RISMEDIA, June 29, 2011—A drop in some mortgage loan limits for the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration scheduled to occur on Oct. 1 will reduce housing demand and place downward pressure on home prices in major housing markets, according to a new study from the Economics and Housing Policy Group at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

RISMEDIA, June 28, 2011—A significant majority of the 108 economists and experts participating in MacroMarkets’ June Price Home Expectations panel believe that the bottom for home prices arrived in the first quarter or will arrive sometime before year-end.

RISMEDIA, June 27, 2011—U.S. house prices rose 0.8 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from March to April, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s monthly House Price Index. The previously reported 0.3 percent decrease in March was revised to a 0.4 percent decrease.

RISMEDIA, June 24, 2011—The so-called “shadow inventory” of foreclosures—properties in the foreclosure pipeline but not yet listed on multiple listings services—slowly sank over the past year but still amount to five months’ worth of home sales. The inventory fell from 1.9 million homes a year ago to 1.7 million in April, according to the latest report from CoreLogic, who attributed the decline to fewer new delinquencies over 90 days and a high level of distressed sales, which helped reduce the number of outstanding distressed loans. The shadow inventory nationally peaked in January 2010 at 2 million units, 8.5 months’ supply, and stands 18 percent lower today than it was in April 2011. The total shadow and visible inventory was 5.7 million units in April 2011, down from 6.2 million units a year ago. The decline occurred in both the visible and shadow inventories.

RISMEDIA, June 24, 2011—U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan recently announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to the State of Montana and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms and flooding in April.

RISMEDIA, June 23, 2011—Existing-home sales were down in May as temporary factors and financing problems weighed on the market, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, fell

RISMEDIA, June 23, 2011—Recently, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced that HUD will be investing an additional $67 million towards creating stronger, more sustainable communities that connect housing to jobs while fostering local innovation and building a clean energy economy

RISMEDIA, June 23, 2011— You would think the world was going to end. I know things are tough but the headlines are making me crazy: USA in decline... Foreclosures... Bankruptcies... Short Sales... Government Deficit... Unemployment... Wars... Debt Ceiling... Partisan Bickering... Gas Prices... No wonder we can’t get anything done. Everyone is worrying about everything and the media is having a feeding frenzy. Meanwhile, we have an industry in the midst of “seismic” change and too many brokerages are letting the noise keep them from doing what they need to do. We must reinvent ourselves and get out of the cycle of fear driven by the makeup of our industry and the crazy things going on all around us.

RISMEDIA, June 23, 2011— April home prices have improved over March in the new national composite index launched recently by FNC at the National Association of Real Estate Editors Annual Meeting in San Antonio. FNC’s Residential Price Index, which is based on public record data along with data collected

RISMedia, June 22, 2011— Nationwide housing starts rose 3.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 560,000 units in May, according to newly released figures from the U.S. Commerce Department. The gain partially offsets a larger decline

RISMedia, June 22,2011— U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced recently that HUD will provide $5.4 million to public housing authorities

RISMedia, June 21, 2011—The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) has published a report “The State of Hispanic Homeownership” that offers an overview of compelling data on the Hispanic home buyer market and why it is poised—due to its population size, high desire

According to its latest national homeless assessment, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reports the number of homeless persons in the U.S. held steady between 2009 and 2010, despite the economic downturn. For the first time, HUD’s annual report reveals how the Recovery Act’s Homelessness

As Congress looks into mandating E-Verify, a voluntary Internet-based system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the U.S., the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently urged lawmakers to ensure it is a fair, efficient and workable system and noted that this should

RISMedia, June 18, 2011—Nearly three out of four American voters believe that it is reasonable and appropriate for the federal government to provide tax incentives to promote homeownership—a sentiment that cuts across partisan and regional lines across the country, according to a recent poll conducted on behalf of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Further, an overwhelming majority of respondents oppose eliminating the mortgage interest deduction and would be less likely to support a candidate for Congress who wants to do away with this vital tax incentive.