RISMEDIA, February 19, 2011—Nationwide housing affordability during the fourth quarter of 2010 rose to its highest level in the 20 years since it has been measured, according to National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) data. The HOI indicated that 73.9% of all new and existing homes sold in the fourth quarter of 2010 were affordable to families earning the national median income of $64,400. The record-setting index for the fourth quarter surpassed the previous high of 72.5% set during the first quarter of 2009 and marked the eighth consecutive quarter that the index has been above 70%. Until 2009, the HOI rarely topped 65% and never reached 70%.

RISMEDIA, February 18, 2011—With the economy continuing to exhibit a slow recovery and mortgage rates inching up from historical lows, many Americans have chosen to remodel their current homes rather than purchase a new house or apartment. BuildFax, a leading provider of

RISMEDIA, February 17, 2011—As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) capital reserves, FHA Commissioner David H. Stevens announced a new premium structure for FHA-insured mortgage loans increasing its annual mortgage insurance

RISMEDIA, February 17, 2011—Despite the bone-chilling winter weather, Houston's housing market heated up in January 2011, recording the first increase in property sales since June 2010. Pricing also heated up in the first month of the New Year, with the average price of single-family

RISMEDIA, February 16, 2011—The Case-Shiller Index is one of the country’s most popular ways of measuring the movement of home prices. And in its latest rating, which went out in late December, the verdict was: Prices are down. The Case-Shiller report’s 20-City Composite rating was 0.8% lower than it was one year previously; the first year-on-year decrease since October 2009.

RISMEDIA, February 15, 2011—According to data recently released by RealEstate Business Intelligence (RBI), an MRIS company, there was a pronounced increase of 31% in pending sales in the January 2011 Washington, DC metro area housing market. The RBI Pending Home Sales Index [Washington, DC Metro Area], is a two-year moving window on the housing market using pending sales and median sold price. The results include pending sales through and including January 2011. The market area includes: Washington, DC, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Alexandria City, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Fairfax City, and Falls Church City.

RISMEDIA, February 12, 2011—Trulia.com, a top site for home buyers, sellers and renters, released the results of its biannual American Dream survey, which has tracked American attitudes towards homeownership since 2009. Harris Interactive conducted this online survey on Trulia's behalf in January 2011 among 2,079 U.S. adults aged 18 and over.

RISMEDIA, February 11, 2011—Home sales rebounded in 49 states during the fourth quarter of 2010 with 78 markets—just over half of the available metropolitan areas—experiencing price gains from a year ago, while most of the rest saw price weakness, according to the latest survey by the National Association of REALTORS®.

RISMEDIA, February 10, 2011—Home values in the United States posted their largest quarterly decline since the first quarter of 2009, falling 2.6% as the temporary stimulus of the home buyer tax credits wore off, according to Zillow's fourth quarter Real Estate Market Reports.

RISMEDIA, February 9, 2011—With the great recession driving unemployment, foreclosures and vacancy rates to historic highs, the housing market has certainly been on one wild ride the last few years. Today, we see the confluence of a deep recession driving behavioral change and shifts in the demographic distribution of the population poised to impact the real estate market in unexpected ways. Americans who have experienced or witnessed the loss of jobs, homes and home values have grown skeptical about the benefits of homeownership.

RISMEDIA, February 9, 2011—Home sales in the metro Chicago real estate market turned in their strongest 2010 performance in the north suburbs and Kane County, according to an analysis by the RE/MAX Northern Illinois real estate network of transaction data from MRED, LLC,

RISMEDIA, February 8, 2011— Every great endeavor begins with a clear vision of what you want to accomplish. Great investors approach real estate acquisitions the same way. Set a powerful long term objective, and find a property that meets that objective. Then let the forces of leveraged appreciation, cash flow, amortization and time do their thing.

RISMEDIA, February 5, 2011—(MCT)—Faced with a dramatic decline in the number of Americans moving to Florida, community boosters are promoting the Sunshine State as a cluster of research and technology, not just a balmy place to live.

RISMEDIA, February 2, 2011—MCT)—If you're remodeling your kitchen or want to build your dream home on property with a not-so-idyllic house, there's a way to tear down that doesn't involve the wrecking ball. Deconstruction—the careful removal of salvageable hardwood flooring, light fixtures, cabinetry, doors and nearly everything that makes a house a house—is gaining momentum. As a result, more than three-fourths of the house can be re-used and recycled instead of all of it ending up in the dump.

RISMEDIA, February 1, 2011—Even with the economy improving overall, it would be false to say the real estate market is booming, especially for home sellers. Unfortunately, negative financial headlines are causing some potential sellers to needlessly hide in fear. For many, it truly is not the ideal time to put their home on the market. But, even in a less-than-robust economy, you might be in the right—perhaps even the ideal—situation to sell. Unfortunately, some common impediments may make you run from doing so. Here are a few of those mental roadblocks, and how to overcome them: