RISMEDIA, January 28, 2011—(MCT)—Sales of new single-family homes rose almost 18% in December 2010 to the highest rate since last spring, but builders in 2010 still suffered through their worst year since record-keeping began in 1963.

RISMEDIA, January 27, 2011—This unprecedented housing crisis has a flip side—the investment opportunity of a generation. One in four real estate transactions in 2011 will be purchases by investors. Learn how to capture this opportunity: The gold rush is on. ...

RISMEDIA, January 25, 2011—You’ve probably seen those depressingly cheery home-themed TV shows: a couple needs to sell their house, they have an outdated kitchen, and a designer comes in and proceeds to convince them to renovate the kitchen into a stainless-steel-clad shrine to culinary greatness—for tens of thousands of dollars. In an ideal real estate market, that would add value, but in today’s market, expensive pre-sale renovations, for the most part, aren’t worth it.

RISMEDIA, January 21, 2011—Existing-home sales rose sharply in December 2010, when sales increased for the fifth time in the past six months, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 12.3% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.28 million in December from an upwardly revised 4.70 million in November, but remain 2.9% below the 5.44 million pace in December 2009.

RISMEDIA, January 18, 2011—Housing will see gradual improvements in activity this year as the nation’s economy and job market continue to move to higher ground, establishing momentum that will produce more considerable gains in 2012, according to economists who appeared at the NAHB International Builders’ Show in Orlando on January 12.

RISMEDIA, January 14, 2011—(MCT)—Housing will rebound moderately in 2011, economists at the International Building Show here are predicting, and should gain even more steam in 2012. But the recovery in home building and home sales will vary widely from one part of the country to another, with the states that had the most success during the boom times of the past decade being the last to come back from their historic bust, according to an analysis from the Portland Cement Association, a national trade group.

RISMEDIA, January 12, 2011—CoreLogic, a leading provider of information, analytics and business services released its November 2010 Home Price Index (HPI) which shows that home prices in the U.S. declined for the fourth month in a row. According to the CoreLogic HPI, national

RISMEDIA, January 8, 2011—The Great Recession of 2007 to 2009 created new declining cities, and posed further difficulties for cities already in decline. Some cities may not re-attain home price peaks for many years, and we could see some neighborhoods cease to be viable economically, according to a study recently released from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).

RISMEDIA, January 6, 2011—The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) released guidance to homeowners and lenders that use the reverse mortgage or Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program and are dealing with outstanding property taxes and unpaid hazard insurance premiums. FHA’s guidance is intended to assist elderly borrowers who have neglected to pay these expenses and may face foreclosure.

RISMEDIA, January 5, 2011—Outbound traffic from the Great Lakes region continued to lead the nation in 2010 with four states capturing high-outbound rankings. Western states that had traditionally experienced high-inbound traffic, most notably Nevada, saw their traffic level off. The findings are among the results of United Van Lines' 34th annual "migration" study, which tracks where its customers move from and the most popular destinations over the past 12 months.

RISMEDIA, January 4, 2011—Individual style, mixed with budget-conscious decorating will drive 2011 paint color trends, according to Debbie Zimmer, paint and color expert at the Paint Quality Institute. “There’s no escaping the state of the economy, even for homeowners who want to beautify their homes,” says Zimmer. “Rather than diving into large-scale renovation projects, in the coming year, consumers will search for inexpensive ways to freshen and update their homes. Many will conclude that painting is the perfect solution.”

RISMEDIA, January 3, 2011—(MCT)—A behind-the-scenes battle is forming over a provision to the sweeping bank reform law that will affect mortgage availability. At issue is a provision in the sweeping Dodd-Frank Act that requires banks to have "skin in the game" by retaining

RISMEDIA, December 30, 2010—(MCT)—One of the hallmarks of the American economy has been the mobility of its people—the speed with which they pulled up stakes to seek better opportunities elsewhere. But the deep recession ambushed long-running population trends, sharply

RISMEDIA, December 30, 2010—(MCT)—Morning begins in the Grisso household with the coffee maker grinding beans at 6:07, churning with the same grating sound as a fork spinning in a sink disposal. The eight occupants of the house stir. Two grandparents float into the kitchen and head to work, taking the whole pot of coffee with them for their hour long commute. Upstairs, a teenage girl hits the snooze button, annoying her uncle in the next room over, who doesn't want to hear the alarm buzz again after another all-nighter playing video games. Dogs run in and out of a crude doggie door in the wall.

RISMEDIA, December 29, 2010—In an effort to help families find decent housing and to prevent future foreclosures, the Obama Administration announced nearly $73 million in housing counseling grants to more than 500 national, regional and local organizations. As a result of the funding, hundreds of thousands of households will have a greater opportunity to find housing or keep the homes they have because of the housing counseling and counseling training grants awarded by U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan.