REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT—An analysis of the Washington, D.C. Metro Area housing market, prepared by RealEstate Business Intelligence (RBI), based on the September 2011 RBI Pending Home Sales Index™ was released recently.

The second edition of the National Association of Home Builders/ First American Improving Markets Index (IMI), released recently, shows 23 individual housing markets now qualifying as "improving" under the new gauge's parameters. This is nearly double the 12 housing markets that made the list last month. The index reveals metropolitan areas that have shown improvement for at least six months in housing permits, employment and housing prices. The following metros were listed in October:

National Association of REALTORS® President Ron Phipps recently released the following statement about the mortgage interest deduction, and bringing stability to the market.

Rates were already low at the start of the quarter, but following the Fed's announcement last week, the national average rate on a traditional 30 year fixed rate mortgage has inched lower. Informa Research Services, a subsidiary of Informa plc (LSE: INF), encourages qualified homeowners to take advantage

A home inspection is a crucial component of making a smart home-buying decision. According to Jay Gregg, director of marketing for Pillar To Post, not all home inspections are equal. Gregg, who has experience in home inspections, sales marketing and as a previous Pillar To Post franchisee,

Increased lending to creditworthy homebuyers and more loan modifications and short sales are necessary to reduce the rising inventory of foreclosed homes and help stabilize and revitalize the housing industry and economy, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

Homeowners are growing even more pessimistic about the potential short- and long-term values of their homes. ...

Bathroom renovations have become extremely popular in recent years. Many consumers choose to renovate their bathroom before any other room; not only is the bathroom a major focal point when it comes time to sell,

Household debt declined by a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 0.6%, dragged lower by a 2.4% decline in mortgage debt as consumers took out fewer mortgages, paid off or had debts forgiven, the Federal Reserve reported in its voluminous flow-of-funds report. Consumer credit outside mortgages rose by 3.4%. Owners had 38.6% of the equity in their houses—unchanged from the first quarter but well below the 49.5% of 2007 as the housing market began to tumble. Household real estate was worth $16.18 trillion, a 0.4% dip from the first quarter but about 29% lower than the peak in the fourth quarter of 2006.

Realogy Corporation, a leading provider of real estate and relocation services, announced that Richard A. Smith, its president and CEO, has been called upon to testify before the Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development

Seventy five percent of all homeowners who owe more on their homes than they are worth are paying mortgage interest rates nearly a point higher than today’s average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage.

Greg Rand (@gsrand), CEO of OwnAmerica, the host of Rand on Real Estate on 770 WABC, asks the question "Why didn't the Great Recession happen 10years ago today?" The circumstances were ripe for a major recession. We were already in a minor recession; endured the evaporation ...

Freddie Mac's (OTC: FMCC) full menu of relief policies for borrowers affected by disaster is being extended to homeowners whose homes were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Irene and are located in counties that the President has declared to be Major

Regional Spotlight—(MCT)—When it comes to housing, baby boomers are different from many people in two important ways: they have more equity in their homes, and many are preparing to move.

What do you do when the appraisal on the dream home you want to buy comes in below the price in the offer the seller has accepted—even as much as 10 to 20 percent below? Chances are that raising the cash for your down payment and closing cost has tapped you out. Finding thousands more to make up the difference between the appraised value and the contracted amount is out of the question. You’re not the only buyer who has hit the low appraisal snag. This past June and July, 16 percent of real estate pros reported a cancelation in a sale, mostly due to a large number of low appraisals.