RISMEDIA, October 21, 2010—Nationwide housing starts edged up 0.3% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 610,000 units in September, due entirely to a 4.4% gain in the single-family sector, according to U.S. Commerce Department figures. "Builders are cautiously responding to the small improvement they are seeing in interest among potential home buyers," noted Bob Jones, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Bloomfield Hills, Mich. "However, as consumer demand for new homes rises, a major limiting factor for a housing recovery continues to be builders' inability to access credit for new construction."

RISMEDIA, October 21, 2010—Stefan Swanepoel, noted expert on real estate business trends and social media was the keynote speaker at the recent Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS) annual conference in Chicago. Within the first 20 minutes, Swanepoel imparted one very

RISMEDIA, October 21, 2010—I recently spent time with an amazing group of Coldwell Banker agents who came to our corporate office to provide us with a sense of the challenges they and consumers are facing today. I was inspired by Cindy Yoder of Coldwell Banker Vinson Chase

RISMEDIA, October 21, 2010—Real estate broker and agent outlook for the United States market declined by 8.42% in September 2010, versus August, on a seasonally adjusted basis. Continued weakness in confidence sent the U.S. Real Estate Confidence Index (RECI) to its lowest level

RISMEDIA, October 21, 2010—One of the biggest challenges for a real estate professional is to find prospects to work with. We market ourselves in many different ways looking for leads all the time. A lead could be a free tip from a friend that someone is looking to buy or sell, or a lead can

RISMEDIA, October 20, 2010—It is hard not to notice what consumers want these days: information. They crave it. Gone are the days when real estate professionals held tight to property details and neighborhood information. Now, any consumer can find that with a click of a button. So how do you, as the real estate professional, once again become the resource in consumers’ minds? By learning all you can…and educating them. At RISMedia’s 15th Annual Power Broker Forum—Information Share = Market Share—to be held next month during the NAR Conference and Expo, top brokers will dissect this very topic.

RISMEDIA, October 20, 2010—This week’s headlines from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® include: find even more resources for your success at the expanded NAR booth at the Conference & Expo; get your Field Guide for Understanding the Do-Not-Call Policy at no-cost

RISMEDIA, October 20, 2010—The summer season of home buying was a difficult one because many buyers purchased earlier in the spring in an attempt to qualify for the government’s tax credit. Now the market is still attempting to return to traditional seasonal trends. A monthly survey

RISMEDIA, October 20, 2010—As a REALTOR® association executive, you are not only responsible for the constant improvement of your personal leadership skills, but also for the growth and cultivation of your volunteer leaders. You are responsible for inculcating in the mind

RISMEDIA, October 20, 2010—(MCT)—Home construction is one of those things that really hasn’t changed a whole lot for hundreds of years. For example, if you look at the houses in Colonial Williamsburg, they have pitched roofs with shingles, walls with siding or brick on the outside and plaster on the inside, wooden floors, casement windows and so on. Yes, a modern home has central heat and electrical wiring not found in the 1700s, but the structure and common features are remarkably similar.

RISMEDIA, October 19, 2010—Up until 2009, the first few real estate applications that arrived on the scene for smartphones were certainly visually exciting. But although they were interesting examples of new technology for real estate, it was not clear if these apps would ultimately be a meaningful contributor toward building listings and sales. Not any more, says MOVE. Today, the value of mobile is quite evident. REALTOR.com® and Top Producer Systems, (both operated by MOVE, Inc.) are making deeper commitments to developing mobile solutions for agents and real estate consumers.

RISMEDIA, October 19, 2010—We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. One of the basics of shooting a good video is to always use a tripod. You’ll be rewarded with steadier shots, smoother pans, and a more enjoyable experience.

RISMEDIA, October 19, 2010—(MCT)—Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, citing the threat of prolonged high unemployment and an economy potentially falling into a dangerous deflationary spiral, Friday laid out a case for the central bank to buy more U.S. government bonds

RISMEDIA, October 19, 2010—The National Association of Realtors (NAR) strongly supports the proposed guidance from the Federal Housing Finance Agency to prevent government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the 12 Federal Home Loan Banks from investing

RISMEDIA, October 19, 2010—Often, our first encounter with mold at home occurs in that infamous spot between the shower curtain and tub. It’s pretty disgusting, but it’s easy to wipe up. Unfortunately, in most homes, this isn’t the extent of the mold—the more problematic mold is the insidious kind, hiding behind walls and in floorboards, and potentially contributing to a range of allergies and other illnesses. In fact, a 1994 study by the Harvard University School of Public Health, which involved 10,000 homes in the U.S. and Canada, found that half of those homes had mold levels that participants said caused a 50-100% increase in distressing respiratory symptoms.