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RISMEDIA, April 15, 2010—RealtyTrac, a leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties released its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for Q1 2010, which shows that foreclosure filings—default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions—were reported on 932,234 properties in the first quarter, a 7% increase from the previous quarter and a 16% increase ...

RISMEDIA, April 15, 2010—A federal judge in Louisiana has ruled that a Chinese drywall manufacturer must compensate American homeowners who used its product and are now forced to tear it out because it emits noxious fumes and corrodes household wiring and plumbing. In the first critical U.S. trial decision over faulty Chinese drywall, U.S. District Court Judge Eldon Fallon, of the Eastern District of Louisiana ordered Taishan Gypsum Company, Ltd., to pay seven Virginia families a total of $2,609,129.99 in remediation damages. Taishan is headquartered in Tai’an, China, about 250 miles south of Beijing. The case is captioned Germano, et al. v. Taishan Gypsum Co. Ltd., et al., case no. 09-6687.

RISMEDIA, April 14, 2010—A new national survey gauging attitudes toward housing finds that two-thirds of Americans (65%) still prefer owning a home, despite the challenging economic environment and the housing downturn. The Fannie Mae National Housing Survey, conducted between December 2009 and January 2010, polled homeowners and renters to assess ...

RISMEDIA, April 13, 2010—I am deeply disturbed by the widespread and effective campaign of financial intermediaries to shift the blame for a plan they implemented onto an unsuspecting public

RISMEDIA, April 12, 2010—A vacant house is like a vacant stare. Something is just not right. Trying to sell a vacant house adds obstacles and depresses the sales price, says Showhomes, a nationally franchised home staging company. Showhomes uses live-in home stagers to lower the cost of staging and produce faster home sales. Take a look at their top five reasons why selling a vacant house is often a mistake in today's market:

RISMEDIA, April 10, 2010—(MCT)—Living in a world of tax apps for iPhones and e-filing of tax returns, you do a double-take after finding out that the Internal Revenue Service wants paper from taxpayers filing for a home buyer credit. "If I have a Form 5405 in my return, I have to paper-file, period," said Don Schippa, president of Tax Research Services in Southfield, Mich. "They're forcing you to file a paper return."

RISMEDIA, April 10, 2010—(MCT)—Billionaire tax cheat Leona Helmsley loved a good bargain. So, were she still around, the late hotelier might appreciate recent happenings at her Greenwich, Conn., estate known as Dunnellen Hall. ...

RISMEDIA, April 9, 2010—(MCT)—The number of American households dropped by an estimated 1.2 million between 2005 and 2008, even though the population increased by 3.4 million in 80 of the largest metropolitan areas during that time, according to a new study by a professor at the University of Southern California. More young people are living with their parents instead of moving out, postponing the creation of their own households. Meanwhile, more families are combining households for economic reasons, including the loss of a home due to foreclosure, said Gary Painter, associate professor

RISMEDIA, April 9, 2010—On the same day that the Obama Administration’s Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) Short Sale program took effect, RE/MAX University produced a special live broadcast

RISMEDIA, April 8, 2010—Building on the first Housing Finance Agency Innovation Fund for the Hardest Hit Housing Markets (the “HFA Hardest Hit Fund”), the Administration recently announced an expansion

RISMEDIA, April 8, 2010—The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently issued interim remediation guidance to help

RISMEDIA, April 7, 2010—Punch up your spring and give new life to rooms with these vibrant, happy shades. ...

RISMEDIA, April 6, 2010—It’s been more than three years since I wrote an article about mortgage servicing fraud. I’m a little older, but it’s still alive and thriving. Since then, we’ve had a complete meltdown

RISMEDIA, April 1, 2010—When it comes time to remodel, many homeowners think “do-it-yourself” or DIY is the smartest and most cost effective way to get the job done. And while popular TV shows on HGTV and publications

RISMEDIA, March 31, 2010—(MCT)—Wynn Bloch has always dutifully paid her bills and socked away money for retirement. But in December she defaulted on the mortgage on her Palm Desert, Calif., home, even though she could afford the payments. Bloch paid $385,000 for the two-bedroom home in 2006 when prices were still surging. Comparable homes are now selling in the low $200,000s. Bloch, a retired psychologist doubted she'd see her investment rebound in her lifetime. Plus, she said, she was duped into an expensive loan. The way she sees it, big banks that helped fuel the mess all got bailouts while homeowners like her are left holding the bag. No more.