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RISMEDIA, June 26, 2010—(MCT)—When the going gets tough, the houses get smaller. Or at least that's what data from the U.S. Census Bureau are suggesting. The average size of a new single-family house shrank significantly from 2008 to 2009, the census figures show. According to the data, the national average decrease was 51 square feet, to 2,422 square feet. In the Northeastern United States, the change was more dramatic: House size diminished by more than 200 square feet, to 2,529 square feet.

RISMEDIA, June 25, 2010—(MCT)—Sales of newly built U.S. homes collapsed in May 2010, the government said recently, falling to a record low and stirring concerns among some economists that the housing market would stumble again now that a popular federal tax credit for buyers has expired. The Commerce Department said new homes sold at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 300,000 units in May, a 32.7% drop from the revised April estimate and 18.3% below the May 2009 figure. It was the lowest sales pace and the biggest decline since the government began tracking figures in 1963. Sales fell across all regions.

RISMEDIA, June 29, 2010—(MCT)—Home shoppers who missed the April 30 deadline for a housing tax credit might have the last laugh. For a variety of reasons, they could end up saving more than the $8,000 they could have received from the tax refund. In some neighborhoods and price ranges, sellers are dropping their prices because buyers are harder to find now that the credit has expired. Builders and real estate companies began offering promotions after the tax credit ended that, in many cases, are worth more than the credit.

RISMEDIA, June 24, 2010—As we continue to see record numbers of foreclosures across the country, Dan Steward, president, Pillar To Post, is making it his priority to educate the public about the proliferation of homes used as drug labs (specifically, meth) entering the residential real estate market. “As foreclosure numbers continue to mount, we at Pillar To Post feel it is our responsibility to help consumers be aware of what they could be getting themselves into when buying a home,” says Steward.

RISMEDIA, June 23, 2010—Existing-home sales remained at elevated levels in May on buyer response to the tax credit, characterized by stabilizing home prices and historically low mortgage interest rates, according to the National Association of Realtors. Gains in the West and South were offset by a decline in the Northeast; the Midwest was steady. Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.66 million units in May, down 2.2% from an upwardly revised surge of 5.79 million units in April. May closings are 19.2% above the 4.75 million-unit level in May 2009; April sales were revised to show an 8.0% monthly gain.

RISMEDIA, June 21, 2010—After getting the keys to their new homes, many first-time home buyers are excited about finally having the opportunity to personalize and furnish their new house. From coffee tables to lamps to lawnmowers, many previous renters leap into

RISMEDIA, June 19, 2010—The size of new single-family homes completed declined last year, dropping to a nationwide average of 2,438 square feet, according to detailed information about the characteristics of new homes completed in 2009 that was released recently by the Census Bureau. After increasing continually for nearly three decades, the average size of single-family homes completed in the United States peaked at 2,521 square feet in 2007. It was essentially flat in 2008, then dropped in 2009, so that new single-family homes were almost 100 square feet smaller in 2009 than in 2007.

RISMEDIA, June 19, 2010—Fannie Mae recently launched the first three in a series of “Five-Step” guides, offering useful information for current homeowners, those interested in purchasing a home and homeowners who may be struggling with their current mortgage.

RISMEDIA, June 18, 2010—(MCT)—Residential-construction starts fell in May 2010 to their lowest level in a year, as an anticipated slowdown in sales after the expiration of the home buyers' tax credits took hold of the market. The Commerce Department reported recently that overall housing starts fell 10% from April, while building permits were down 5.9%. The biggest hit in starts came in the single-family sector—down 17.2% from April. Still, both overall starts and permits were up from a year ago, 7.8% and 4.4%, respectively.

RISMEDIA, June 18, 2010—Trulia.com, smart real estate search to help you make better decisions, recently announced that 22% of listings currently on the market in the United States as of June 1, 2010 experienced at least one price reduction, which is a slight decrease

RISMEDIA, June 16, 2010—The size of new single-family homes completed declined last year, dropping to a nationwide average of 2,438 square feet, according to detailed information about the characteristics of new homes completed in 2009 that was released recently by the Census Bureau. After increasing continually for nearly three decades, the average size of single-family homes completed in the United States peaked at 2,521 square feet in 2007. It was essentially flat in 2008, then dropped in 2009, so that new single-family homes were almost 100 square feet smaller in 2009 than in 2007.

RISMEDIA, June 15, 2010—Alexander E. Perriello III, president and chief executive officer of the Realogy Franchise Group, said real estate industry leaders are asking Congress to extend the June 30 closing deadline imposed by the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009 at RISMedia's Leadership Conference "The Real Estate Social Media Summit" held last week in Rye, New York.

RISMEDIA, June 7, 2010—Pending home sales have risen for three consecutive months, reflecting the broad impact of the home buyer tax credit and favorable housing affordability conditions, according to the National Association of Realtors. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator, rose 6.0% to 110.9 based on contracts signed in April, from an upwardly revised 104.6 in March, and is 22.4% higher than April 2009 when it was 90.6. That follows gains of 7.1% in March and 8.3% in February.

RISMEDIA, June 5, 2010—(MCT)—Looking for a bargain? Actor Eddie Murphy's 30-room Englewood, N.J., mansion, which went on the market in 2004 for $30 million, can be yours for $12.75 million. And hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons' 35,000-square-foot mansion in Saddle River, N.J.,—offered for $23.9 million in 2007—is now listed for $13.9 million, not much more than the $13.5 million Simmons paid in 2001.

RISMEDIA, June 2, 2010—Sales of single-family homes in Connecticut soared 41% in April 2010 from a year earlier, while condo sales spiked 51%, according to a new report by The Warren Group, publisher of The Commercial Record. The median price for single-family homes and condos also increased. “Sales of single-family homes and condos have been climbing year-over-year for seven straight months now and prices have also been on the rise.