RISMEDIA, August 24, 2010—In today’s global economy, more and more Realtors® are serving buyers from around the world. Last year, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), 23% of Realtors served international clients, and 12.5% experienced

RISMEDIA, August 16, 2010—If you ask your neighbor, your friends or your banker what a credit score is, you’re likely to get all kinds of answers. Which one is right?

RISMEDIA, August 12, 2010—(MCT)—A few years ago, it took little more than a smile to be a mortgage lender. There were 13,000 people writing home loans in Washington alone, but we all know the consequences of the no-doc, liar loan bust: defaults by millions of borrowers, failing banks and ultimately, the worst recession in many decades. But the pendulum has swung the other way.

RISMEDIA, August 10, 2010—(MCT)—With the overhaul of financial regulation in the bag, the Obama administration will focus next on housing finance with an eye to deciding the fate of mortgage finance titans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

RISMEDIA, August 6, 2010—Forward-looking real estate broker and agent confidence in the United States fell by 8.85% in July 2010 compared to June, and set a new low on Point2 Technologies’ Real Estate Confidence Index (RECI). The RECI, which surveys

RISMEDIA, August 4, 2010—The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced Neighborhood Networks Week 2010 will be held August 2-7 with the theme, “A Successful Past, A Promising Future.” The week-long observance

RISMEDIA, August 3, 2010—(MCT)—The 4.5% fixed-rate mortgage is here, although more than 14 months late. That magic number, or a close approximation, was reached recently, when Freddie Mac reported a 30-year rate of 4.54%. The possibility first arose in early 2009, when the government began mass-purchasing mortgages from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to prop up housing. Just about everyone predicted the rates would hit what builders and real estate agents call a "sweet spot" in a few months, and the housing recovery would begin, especially if consumer confidence had recovered to prerecession levels as well.

RISMEDIA, August 2, 2010—The lending landscape has changed quite drastically over the past several years. Practices, approvals and standards that were once widely accepted have either vanished or transformed beyond the point of recognition.

RISMEDIA, August 2, 2010—(MCT)—As we exit the era of the McMansion and begin to embrace the concept of the "big-enough" home, we need to rethink some of our interior-design ideas. ...

RISMEDIA, July 31, 2010—(MCT)—If you're a baby boomer, the odds are high that you'll exhaust your retirement savings after 10 or 20 years of retirement, according to the latest Retirement Readiness Rating report released by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

RISMEDIA, July 30, 2010—RealtyTrac, a leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties released its Midyear 2010 Metropolitan Foreclosure Market Report, which shows 154 of the 206 U.S. metropolitan areas with a population of 200,000 or more posted year-over-year increases in foreclosure activity even while foreclosure activity decreased in nine of the ...

RISMEDIA, July 28, 2010—The van line community lost a lot of drivers during the economic downturn, and that is creating a backlog this summer as van lines are unable to keep up with demand. In some cases, families are being put on wait lists for up to two months. That can be a pretty stressful situation...especially if a deal can fall through because the homeowners weren't able to vacate by close date.

RISMEDIA, July 27, 2010—Despite slowdowns in home sales across the country, California is still the nation’s hottest spot for home buying activity, with homes fetching multiple offers and selling above list price, according to the Q2 2010 Home Hunter report

RISMEDIA, August 2, 2010-(MCT)-For some people, now is precisely the right time to build the house they want. ...

RISMEDIA, July 24, 2010—(MCT)—The outdoor kitchen is rapidly becoming the social hub of the home, much as the indoor kitchen is the favorite gathering place for family and friends. The trend is especially strong in areas where the climate favors outdoor living almost year-round. "It's a hot item," said Scott Redmon, owner of Alfresco Living in Maitland, Fla. "And the outdoor kitchen is becoming a lot more than a grill and a sink in the corner of the porch. It's a whole entertainment system.