No minimum down payment, as NAR sought The mortgage financing environment for households could improve as a result of a rule federal regulators are releasing starting today. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is the first of six financial regulators to release the final version of the long-awaited qualified residential mortgage (QRM) rule, which stems from the big 2010 banking reform bill...
Real estate firms are confident about the future growth and profitably of their industry, according to the 2014 National Association of Realtors® Profile of Real Estate Firms. Firms also expect industry competition to increase in the next year. Read more...
“As both a REALTOR® and an Arkansan, I am saddened by this morning’s news of Beverly Carter’s untimely death. My heart goes out to her family, her friends, her co-workers, and everyone whose life Beverly touched in her 49 years with us. Working in real estate involves risk and, unfortunately, that risk takes many forms. As an industry, we collectively work...
Daily Real Estate News | Monday, September 08, 2014 The Federal Housing Administration is overhauling a long-held policy of charging extra interest payments on loans it insures to borrowers who have already paid off the principal debts on their mortgages. FHA has permitted its lenders to charge borrowers a full month of interest when they sell or refinance a home, even if...
Colorado regulators have urged real estate professionals to avoid selling property in off-the-market deals because they say it can pose greater risks for sellers. The Colorado Real Estate Commission issued an opinion last week stating that selling property without putting it officially on the market is OK, if sellers realize the risk, but if they don’t, such a tactic can...
Zillow, Inc. announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Trulia, Inc. for $3.5 billion in a stock-for-stock transaction, which is expected to close in 2015. The combined company will keep both the Zillow and Trulia consumer brands and will see Trulia CEO Pete Flint maintaining his position, though he will report to Zillow CEO Spencer...
As a Commercial Real Estate Practitioner you understand how the market can be adversely affected by uncertainty. That is why NAR is asking for your help to extend the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program created following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. When private insurers withdrew from the terrorism insurance market, construction projects ground to a halt and commercial property values...
NAR President Steve Brown was at the White House recently to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Federal Housing Administration. Just as REALTORS® were key to the creation of FHA in 1934, REALTORS® are key players in keeping the agency strong today. During the visit, REALTORS® celebrated FHA's successes, shared what they see as the greatest challenges and opportunities FHA faces today,...
The housing market is starting to show some improvement after a slow start to the year, but home sales likely will still likely be shy of 2013 numbers, according to Fannie Mae’s June 2014 Economic Outlook, released this week. "Home price improvements have contributed to consumers’ household wealth, but overall growth in the housing market pulled back in the first quarter, with major...
Student loan debt is a growing concern for REALTORS®, because of its impact on household formation. What is NAR doing to address the issue of growing student debt? NAR's 2014 President, Steve Brown explains in his latest video. Original post here. ...