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RISMedia, June 10, 2011—Mortgage applications decreased 0.4 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending June 3, 2011. This week's results include an adjustment to account for the Memorial Day holiday.

RISMedia, June 9, 2011—With financial institutions tightening lending standards and requiring more from home buyers, consumers are asking more from their agents than ever before. And in response, many agents and brokers are pursuing advanced education and professional certifications to help them navigate the changing real estate landscape and better serve their clients. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to speak at RISMedia’s 2011 Achieve! Conference last month to a group of agents with similar expectations. And just like these agents, I found myself asking the same question as I prepared for the conference: What are the key programs and tools that agents need for success in today’s market? And how can REBAC help?

RISMedia, June 9, 2011—In cities like Los Angeles, where the car is king, the thought of commuters leaving their automobiles behind and opting for public transportation once seemed unimaginable. But CBS Evening News recently reported that Los Angeles commuter rail ridership had increased 8 percent from last year's figures. The rules of the road are shifting. High gas prices, climate change, and environmental awareness are altering the real estate landscape. The result is that more people are looking to work closer to home, not only because commuting is becoming more expensive, but also because of growing concern over car-centered life and its impact on greenhouse gases.

RISMedia, June 9, 2011—Fannie Mae recently issued new standards for mortgage servicers regarding the management of delinquent loans, default prevention and foreclosure time frames under the Federal Housing Finance Agency's Servicing Alignment Initiative. The new standards, reinforced by new incentives and

RISMedia, June 9, 2011—The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced recently that $3.6 million in Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants will be awarded in fiscal year 2011 to assist in the transformation, rehabilitation and preservation of public housing and privately owned HUD-assisted housing.

RISMedia, June 8, 2011—At a time when new home construction in the Northeastern region of the United States has dropped by more than half since 2007, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), there is at least one Connecticut builder/developer whose company remains well in the black—and whose innovative single-family homes and multi-family condos are attracting a new kind of consumer.

RISMedia, June 8, 2011— This week’s headlines from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® include: free samples of a customized brochure from NAR’s Print On Demand Service, purchase a select Dell PC and receive a free XBOX360 4GB, and volunteering works announces winners. For more information

RISMedia, June 8, 2011—In 2009, an estimated 423,773 children lived in foster care in the U.S., as case workers helped to reunite them with their families or primary caregivers. Recently, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced nearly $15 million to help public housing authorities

RISMedia, June 8, 2011—Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) announced recently its second offering of Structured Pass-Through Certificates ("K Certificates") backed only by multifamily mortgages with a 7-year term. The company expects to offer approximately $1.0 billion in K Certificates ("K-702 Certificates"), which are expected

RISMedia, June 8, 2011—New listing prices, which lead transactions by three to six months, are already up 8.7 percentage points over the March trough, an indication that sellers are pricing more confidently, says Scott Sambucci, vice president of market analytics for Altos Research in a Webcast for customers. But he warned that we’ve entered a new market environment that won’t be easy to forecast.

RISMedia, June 7, 2011—As time goes on, the landscape of our real estate industry is beginning to look more and more like a high school campus. We have cliques, and whichever one is on top at the time looks down on the others as inferior. However, our cliques don’t have names like “popular,” or “troubled,” or “wannabes.” Instead, we have Traditional, REO, and Short Sale. Originally, the clique on top of our industry was Traditional sales. Traditional sales can be likened to those kids years ago who were “popular” because they were very status quo. They had few blemishes, never caused any problems, and did what was expected. Traditional held the top spot for many years, and no one ever thought they would be outnumbered.

RISMedia, June 7, 2011— 77WABC Radio in New York is featuring “Rand on Real Estate,” a talk show hosted by OwnAmerica CEO Greg Rand that focuses on building wealth in the greatest asset class known to mankind—American housing. In this segment, Rand takes a call from a homeowner in Staten Island who called in to his

RISMedia, June 7, 2011—Having received his real estate license shortly after he turned 18 and entering the real estate industry right out of college, Chad Rogers, a real estate agent in Beverly Hills, Calif. is dedicated to educating buyers and sellers on the realities of today’s market. “Now more than ever, people want to trust

RISMedia, June 7, 2011—For many, achieving the American Dream means taking control of their destiny, quitting their 9 to 5, and opening the doors to their very own business. These brave entrepreneurial souls have shaped American enterprise, and today, they’re playing the very important role of helping to drive the nation’s economic recovery. And if you’re one of these brave souls—pouring your blood, sweat, and tears into running your own business— Professor Ed Hess stresses that there’s no time for rest. Once you’ve got your start-up off the ground, he says, the daunting task of growing your business to the next level must begin.

RISMedia, June 7, 2011—So many of us giggled nervously as we thankfully avoided the end of the world a couple of weeks ago. But judging by the continued “end of the world” type coverage the Case-Shiller housing study got recently, maybe we are nearing the end.