Housing Affordability Index to Set Annual Record for 2012

WASHINGTON (January 9, 2013) – With 11 months of data reported, 2012 will clearly go down as a record year for favorable housing affordability conditions, and a great year for buyers who could get a mortgage, according to the National Association of Realtors®. NAR’s national Housing Affordability Index stood at 198.2 in November, based on […]

Joint NAR/Google Study Shows More People Use Internet to Research Homes for Sale

WASHINGTON (January 7, 2013) – Real estate-related searches on Google.com have grown 253 percent over the past four years, according to a joint study from the National Association of Realtors® and Google.  “These results parallel the trends shown in NAR’s economic research reports,” said NAR President Gary Thomas, broker-owner of Evergreen Realty in Villa Park, […]

NAR Statement on the Qualified Mortgage Rule

WASHINGTON (January 11, 2013) – “The National Association of Realtors® applauds the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for creating a broadly defined Qualified Mortgage rule that establishes strong consumer protections while ensuring continued access to safe, affordable mortgage credit. “NAR forged a coalition of partners that urged regulators to honor Congressional intent by crafting a broad […]

REALTOR® Magazine Seeks Entries for 2013 Volunteering Works Program

WASHINGTON (January 9, 2013) – Realtors® work hard to improve communities, often sacrificing their own time and energy for those who are less fortunate. For the past five years, Realtor® Magazine’s Good Neighbor Society has helped Realtors® grow and develop their charitable efforts through the Volunteering Works Program. The program, which matches Realtors® who want to […]

Second Century Ventures Brings Cloud Computing to Realtors®

WASHINGTON (January 16, 2013) – The National Association of Realtors®’ venture capital fund Second Century Ventures has become a strategic investor in Symform, a revolutionary, distributed cloud backup service. “Second Century Ventures was created to help develop and deliver real estate industry technologies to Realtors® so they can best serve their clients and customers,” said […]

BombBomb Joins NAR's REach™ Tech Accelerator Program

CHICAGO (January 15, 2013) – The National Association of Realtors®, along with Second Century Ventures today announced BombBomb, a video email marketing platform, as the first company selected for its REach™ accelerator program. BombBomb’s patented technology is platform independent, meaning that video recorded on any platform can be sent and viewed in any platform. Video […]

Pending Home Sales Down in December but Remain on Uptrend

WASHINGTON (January 28, 2013) – Pending home sales declined in December but have stayed above year-ago levels for 20 consecutive months, according to the National Association of Realtors®. The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, fell 4.3 percent to 101.7 in December from 106.3 in November but is 6.9 percent […]

Existing-Home Sales Slip in December, Prices Continue to Rise; 2012 Totals Up

WASHINGTON (January 22, 2013) – Existing-home sales eased in December but are well above a year ago, while limited inventory maintained the upward momentum in home prices, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Total sales in 2012 were the highest in five years, while the annual price rose the most since 2005. Total existing-home […]

Commercial Real Estate Investors Eager to "Turn the Page," According to New Outlook Report

WASHINGTON (February 7, 2013) – Frustrated by continued uncertainty, a sluggish recovery, and a challenging investment environment, investors generally appear eager to put the past behind them and adjust to the new normal, as outlined in Expectations & Market Realities in Real Estate 2013—Turn the Page, a new annual report published jointly by Real Estate […]

Exterior Replacement Projects Provide Biggest Return on Investment for Homeowners, Say Realtors®

WASHINGTON (January 29, 2013) – Homeowners looking for the most return on their investment when it comes to remodeling should consider exterior replacement projects. According to the 2013 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report, Realtors® rated exterior projects among the most valuable home improvement projects. “Realtors® know that curb appeal projects offer great bang for your… […]