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RISMedia, June 18, 2011—Newport Beach, Calif., led the list of most expensive U.S. real estate markets for the second year in a row, with an average home listing price of approximately $2.5 million for property listings meeting the subject home criteria.

RISMedia, June 17, 2011—New research from NAHB examines the scope of impact on housing markets from the scheduled October 1, 2011 decrease in the GSE and FHA loan limits. These loan limits determine what types of mortgages may be securitized by the GSEs, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, or insured by the Federal Housing Administration. Loans that fall outside of these limits would be subject to tighter credit conditions, including higher interest rates and larger downpayments.

RISMedia, June 17, 2011—U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson announced a historic collaborative effort to build upon current federal investments for regions that support sustainable and livable communities. For the first time

RISMedia, June 17, 2011—A comprehensive package of services to help credit unions manage their mortgage business in today's distressed credit markets will remain available through the renewed alliance agreement between CUNA and Freddie Mac (OTC Bulletin Board: FMCC), one of the nation's largest investors

RISMedia, June 16,2011— 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 in 18 states to supply permanent housing and case management

RISMedia, June 16,2011— Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTC) announced the expansion of incentives to encourage sales of HomePath REO properties to owner occupants. Now through October 31, qualified buyers and selling agents can receive financial incentives on sales of HomePath properties, which can be found

RISMEDIA, June 15, 2011—This week’s headlines from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® include: learn how to leverage 65 billion page visits with “Facebook Marketing for Dummies” from the REALTOR.org Store, REALTORS® Core Health Insurance locks their low rates for the second straight year,

RISMEDIA, June 15, 2011—Home sales prices continued a downward trend in May, but only half as far, and half as fast as in April. Clear Capital’s Home Data Index (HDI) Market Report found that national quarter-over-quarter home price declines (-2.3 percent) were reduced by half from last month’s report, helped

RISMEDIA, June 15, 2011—The homeownership rate dropped to 66.4 percent in April 2011, the lowest it’s been since 1998, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Some would argue this means owning a home is not as important to Americans as it once was—but they’re wrong. What it really means is that the artificially stimulated level of 69 percent in 2005 wasn’t sustainable. Today’s level is merely a return to a more normal rate. The dream of homeownership is as strong as ever, and it deserves protection—not more regulatory roadblocks.

RISMEDIA, June 15, 2011—The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently awarded more than $31 million in grants to public housing authorities, resident associations and non-profit organizations across the U.S. to help public housing residents connect to services available in the community

RISMedia, June 14, 2011—Today's buyer-take-all bonanza is a boon for fence-sitters and buyers with great credit and deep pockets. But sellers are steeling themselves to new realities that include paying (rather than making) money at the closing table, providing extras to sweeten the deal, and spending more time and cash making the home camera-ready. For first-time sellers who have never been through the process before, it's a different world. One where the value of the house isn't measured in the profit made on the sale, but by the enjoyment the owners had from living in the home.

RISMedia, June 14, 2011—As the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hears testimony on a suite of energy efficiency bills, including legislation to make residential housing more energy-efficient, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently urged lawmakers to take into account the differences

RISMedia, June 13, 2011— Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) recently released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), which showed weaker than expected job growth in May pushing both fixed and adjustable-rate mortgages to new lows for the year. The 30-year fixed averaged 4.49 percent and the 15-year

RISMedia, June 11, 2011—U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan recently announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to the State of Illinois and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms and flooding during the month

RISMedia, June 9, 2011—In cities like Los Angeles, where the car is king, the thought of commuters leaving their automobiles behind and opting for public transportation once seemed unimaginable. But CBS Evening News recently reported that Los Angeles commuter rail ridership had increased 8 percent from last year's figures. The rules of the road are shifting. High gas prices, climate change, and environmental awareness are altering the real estate landscape. The result is that more people are looking to work closer to home, not only because commuting is becoming more expensive, but also because of growing concern over car-centered life and its impact on greenhouse gases.