GLOZAL's Blog – September 2011 Archive (64)

WASHINGTON – Sept. 30, 2011 – Some homeowners are tricked into a forensic loan audit – a new scam that targets struggling owners who hope a loan modification can save their home from foreclosure.



Several organizations popped up in the last two years. The usually link themselves to attorney and…

Pending home sales slipped in August with a mixed regional performance but are higher than a year ago, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, declined 1.2 percent to 88.6 in July from 89.7 in July but is 7.7 percent above August 2010 when it stood at 82.3. The data reflects contracts but not closings.

Lawrence Yun, NAR…

According to S&P/Case-Shiller  Home Price Indices, U.S. home prices enjoyed a fourth consecutive month of increases for the 10- and 20-City Composites, with both up 0.9% in July over June.



Seventeen of the 20 MSAs and both Composites posted positive monthly increases; Las Vegas and Phoenix were down over the month and Denver was unchanged. On an annual basis, Detroit and Washington DC were the two MSA that posted positive rates of change, up 1.2% and 0.3%,…

The nation's residential shadow inventory as of July declined slightly to 1.6 million units, representing a supply of five months, according to a report from CoreLogic.

That's down from 1.9 million units, a supply of six months, from a year ago, and follows a decline from April when…

If you have listings that sit on the market too long otherwise or don't sell, you may want to consider your approach to pricing. Here are a few ways to get homes priced right

Too many homes are sitting on the market today for weeks and months, and while some of that is due to the unique…

To generate leads through marketing efforts, real estate agents should develop a brand that distinguishes them from the competition. 

They might want to become part of an online…

Few things are more important to Americans than their homes. Most Americans consider homeownership to be the single best long-term investment and a primary source of wealth and financial security. Countless generations of Americans have counted on their homes for their children's education,…

More home owners who are unable to sell their home or afford to drop the price any more are opting to rent out their homes until the market improves. But some “accidental landlords” are now having regrets. 

The number of formerly owned-occupied homes turned into rentals has soared in recent years, according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies. In 2009, nearly 25 percent of single-family detached rentals had been owner-occupied two years earlier.

But while home owners…

CHICAGO – Sept. 26, 2011 – If agents are working with a house-hunter determined to secure a major bargain – and that client found a home that meets his or her needs – experts say agents should write up the buyer’s low-ball…

While the recession officially ended in mid-2009, young adults in their 20s and 30s continue to feel the after-effects, facing the highest unemployment since World War II and at risk for living in poverty more than other age groups. Young adults are purchasing fewer homes, unable to find work, avoiding long-distance moves, moving in with their parents, and even delaying marriage, new data from the U.S. Census shows. 

Richard Freeman, an economist at Harvard University, refers to young…

NEW YORK – Sept. 24, 2011 – In America, it’s starting to feel as if there are two housing markets. One for the rich and one for everyone else.…

Prices are rising in Florida: Florida cities have had the largest year-over-year increases in average list prices, according to the latest real estate data from Realtor.com. Florida cities make up 9 of the top 10 places for highest year-over-year list price spikes, based off of August data of 2.2 million listings in 146 markets.

Nationwide, the average list price is $320,325,…

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Sept. 23, 2011 – Someone selling a home is more likely to pay a full real estate commission today than during the housing boom, when discounts ruled and most properties sold quickly.



Commissions have steadily increased in recent years, despite a rash of foreclosures and…

The weak U.S. economy will likely dampen the housing market until 2015, according to a new survey of economists, analysts, and real estate professionals. 

Home prices are expected to grow only slightly at 1.1 percent annually through 2015, the survey by MacroMarkets LLC and Pulsenomics notes. Yet,…

World class cities not only attract international business, they are also the haunt of a growing number of global billionaires who are increasingly important investors in residential real estate and their wealth is creating a new global super class of real estate, according to new research.

In the…

In luxury home markets, bidding wars are back and homes are selling quickly, serving as a stark contrast to everywhere else. 

"Luxury is the best performing segment of the…

Brighton, Colo., man is trying to sabotage the sale of his neighbor’s home by posting warning signs to potential buyers of what they can expect if they become his neighbor: Loud parties, loud music, and loud cars.  

Titus Terranova posted…

Tech firms are ramping up offerings for businesses and consumers on mobile security, responding to the growing threat from hackers and viruses hitting mobile devices.  

Mobile devices are "uniquely more sensitive than PCs," because "the device is with you all the time," says Tarek Alawdeen with…

ORLANDO, Fla. – Sept. 20, 2011 – The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) brings its “Home Ownership Matters Bus Tour” to Orlando this week. The bus will be parked in front of the Orange County Convention Center’s North Building on Thursday, where the nation’s fifth Republican candidate debate takes…

Which housing markets are “most searched” at Realtor.com? Here are Realtor.com’s search rankings from August. 

1. Chicago
2. Las Vegas
3. Detroit
4. Los Angeles-Long Beach, Calif.
5. Atlanta…