General

WASHINGTON (May 12, 2014) – Although strong year-over-year price growth continued in most metropolitan areas in the first quarter, increases were somewhat smaller, according to the latest quarterly report by the National Association of Realtors®. A companion breakout of income requirements to purchase a median-priced home on a metro basis shows the typical buyer was in a good position to buy an existing home in many cities in the Midwest and South.

The median… Read More Continue Reading →

WASHINGTON (May 13, 2014) – Homeownership is expected to retain its political luster through the 2014 election cycle, even as lawmakers struggle to reach consensus on major policy issues like immigration and healthcare, said two top political strategists at today’s Federal Legislative and Political Forum during the Realtor® Party Convention & Trade Expo.

Steve Schmidt, who served as a… Read More

WASHINGTON (May 12, 2014) – REALTOR® Magazine and the Good Neighbor Society have announced the recipients of the sixth annual Volunteering Works, a program that matches Realtors® who work on small-scale charitable efforts with mentors and awards them grant money.

The Volunteering Works recipients were selected based on their dedication to the community through volunteer work and the potential for their charitable work to be expanded or improved with the help of an expert mentor from a member of the Good ...

WASHINGTON (May 14, 2014) – The inability of the U.S. Congress to compromise on key issues such as immigration reform, healthcare and government spending will likely continue through President Obama’s second term. This was the message delivered to Realtors® by news anchor and political commentator Chris Matthews, who spoke at today’s Insights and Perspectives with Chris Matthews session at the Realtor® Party Convention & Trade Expo.

Matthews, best known as the talk show host of MSNBC’s… Read More Continue Reading →

WASHINGTON (May 13, 2014) – The Federal Housing Agency is taking additional steps to expand access to mortgage credit for underserved borrowers, according to Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, who spoke to Realtors® today at the FHA: 80 Years and Counting – Regulatory Issues Forum during the Realtor® Party Convention & Trade Expo.

Donovan said lending to potential buyers with lower credit scores has fallen dramatically in recent years and announced a new blueprint for… Continue Reading →

WASHINGTON (May 15, 2014) – Housing activity was sub-par in the first quarter of this year, dampened in part by severe weather patterns, but an uptrend is expected with healthy underlying demand over the balance of the year and through 2015, according to presentations at a residential real estate forum here during the Realtor® Party Convention & Trade Expo.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the U.S. population has been growing steadily, but job creation has not. “When you… ...

WASHINGTON (May 14, 2014) – A group of rising young Realtors® is taking advantage of renewed optimism in housing and commercial real estate markets to champion their client’s buying, selling and investing goals and advance their real estate careers. This year’s Realtor® Magazine “30 Under 30” honorees are hardworking young professionals who understand the importance of building strong customer and community relationships.

“I am consistently amazed by the skills, accomplishments and ingenuity of the  “30 Under 30”… Read More Continue Reading →

WASHINGTON (May 15, 2014) — Realtors^® who specialize in commercial real estate expressed confidence and optimism in the market during a forum at the REALTOR^® Party Convention & Trade Expo. Despite a sluggish economy, commercial practitioners are not only reporting improvements in the market, but they expect improvements to continue in the years to come.

National Association of Realtors^® Chief Economist Lawrence Yun joined… Read More

WASHINGTON (May 15, 2014) – New enhancements to residential listing site realtor.com® are giving consumers the features they want and ensuring that they can continue to rely on the site for the freshest and most comprehensive property listings. That was the message delivered today by Steve Berkowitz, CEO of Move Inc., operator of NAR’s official property listing website realtor.com®, during the Realtor® Party Convention & Trade Expo.

During the meeting, Berkowitz laid out future plans for realtor.com®,… Read ...

WASHINGTON (May 16, 2014) – The Department of Veterans Affairs is taking steps to improve services for active and former military service members who are ready to buy a home, said officials from the VA Home Loan Guaranty program yesterday at an agency briefing for Realtors® during the Realtor® Party Convention & Trade Expo.

The VA Home Loan Guaranty program has guaranteed more than 20 million mortgages to American veterans, with a total loan volume of over one trillion dollars. ...