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Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 1.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 417,000 units in March, according to newly released figures from HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau. “This is the second-best sales number we’ve seen since early 2010, and a good sign of the continued, gradual headway that our industry is making toward recovery as more buyers jump off the fence in time to take advantage of today’s low interest rates and prices,” said Rick Judson, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Charlotte, N.C. “The latest sales report is right in line with our forecast for continued, modest increases in home prices and sales through 2013,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “At this point, we are about half-way back to what would be considered a ‘normal’ level of sales activity

Marketing mavens have long been saying that when it comes to making personal connections with clients, you shouldn’t be reaching out solely from a business angle. Instead, you should be stimulating regular conversation.

Xerox recently introduced ConnectKey™, a software system embedded in Xerox multifunction printers (MFPs) and a set of solutions that respond to an increasingly mobile workforce and the need for more advanced IT security across connected devices.

Last month we discussed how changes in the corporate mobility industry may herald new business opportunities for brokerage-based relocation departments. Traditionally, relocation directors focused on buyer and seller referral revenue, but with fewer corporate transfers and increased renter populations, it may be time to include more non-traditional approaches. This month, we focus on key mobility trends and related support services. For future issues we’ll include topics that interest you most, so please take our short survey here. Awareness of trends that can impact mobility

(MCT)—With solar panel prices plunging and generous tax credits and incentives still available, now may be as good a time as any to go solar. But shopping for a solar power system can be a tough task. Consumers face a bewildering array of options. There are thousands of different solar panel models from dozens of manufacturers. In some regions, consumers can choose from among hundreds of different panel installers. And once they pick their panels and a contractor, they have to figure out how to pay for their system from among several different methods.

It’s 8:00 a.m. in a Ritz-Carlton meeting room in downtown Chicago as a baker’s dozen of real estate brokers representing $90 billion in annual home sales gather at the thrice-yearly board of directors meeting for the company they own and operate. This is arguably the single most powerful group of leaders in the industry. Yet curiously, the company that they collectively oversee and that has flourished over its 16-year history is often overlooked by real estate pundits and trend-spotters. That company is Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®,

Existing-home sales eased in March from inventory constraints, which continued to pressure home prices, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions

Since late last year, industry experts forecast a drop in mortgage refinancings as rates rise, and a revival of purchase mortgages, as the housing recovery creates business for lenders willing to work with buyers. The spring housing market is here and now the mortgage market is following. Purchase mortgages zoomed to their highest monthly market share since last August in Ellie Mae’s latest originations report, a sign that the mortgage business is shifting gears and the greatest boom in refis in recent years is ending. Loans to buyers made up 38 percent of all loans processed by the nation’s largest mortgage processing platform, up from 32 percent in February and 27 percent in January.

As the weather warms for spring, so are consumers—for home buying, that is. “Now that interest rates are at such a low level, people are beginning to realize that buying a home is more affordable than renting,” says Rob Sibcy,

In preparation for the beginning of the most trafficked months for open houses, realtor.com® has initiated systems for brokers and their agents to maximize their open house efforts.

Freddie Mac recently released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing average fixed mortgage rates moving lower this week amid data showing weaker consumer spending. This marks the third consecutive week fixed-rate mortgages have moved lower as the housing market continues to recover. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.41 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending April 18, 2013, down from last week when it averaged 3.43 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.90 percent. Additionally, the 15-year FRM this week averaged 2.64 percent with an average 0.7 point, down from last week

Housing construction passed the psychological mark of one million starts in March coming in at 1.036 million homes, up 7 percent from an upwardly revised February level of 968,000. The surge was due to a 31 percent increase in apartment construction to a level of 417,000 units, the highest since January 2006. Single-family construction fell 4.8 percent to 619,000 from an upwardly revised February level, which was the highest since May 2008. The first quarter single-family average was 628,000 up 6 percent from the fourth quarter 2012. Housing permits were down 3.9 percent but from a February high not seen since July 2008. The first quarter average was 915,000 up 2.6 percent from the fourth quarter. Builders were stock piling permits in February

In what the company is calling a bold effort to cut the cord that tethers real estate agents to their desktops, Royal LePage Real Estate Services has announced it will launch what it says is the real estate industry’s first

As the market continues to shift, one industry trend seems to be making continuous waves: vacation homes. With low prices and mortgage rates still available in most parts of the country, affluent buyers—or those who have always dreamed of a cabin on a lake—are making their move and purchasing second homes in exotic locations to be used as vacation getaways. According to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), sales of investment and vacation homes jumped in 2011, with the combined marketshare rising to the highest level since 2005. NAR’s 2012 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey, covering existing- and new-home transactions in 2011, showed vacation-home sales rose

ERA Real Estate, a global leader in real estate franchising, and Homes.com, a leader in enterprise-level real estate solutions, have jointly announced a renewal and expansion of their technology and marketing partnership.