Consumers across the country can now take advantage of a Federal Housing Administration program to allow qualified home buyers to apply the $8,000 tax credit when purchasing a home. FHA will now permit its lenders to provide a short-term bridge loan that will let qualified home buyers use the tax … [Read more...]

Existing-home sales, including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 2.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.68 million units in April from a downwardly revised pace of 4.55 million units in March. Yet, home sales were 3.5 percent below the 4.85 million-unit … [Read more...]

"You can get a small one-bedroom in Brooklyn, a Georgian mansion in Georgia, or a rambling ranch in Southern California," says Barbara Corcoran, real estate expert and founder of The Corcoran Group, a New York-based real estate firm. This year, that money buys more: more space, more special … [Read more...]

The general economic downturn, complicated by a severe credit crunch in commercial real estate, is dampening commercial real estate activity. In addition, a forward-looking index shows the forecast for commercial real estate sectors will remain weak for the remainder of the year, according to the … [Read more...]

Historically high housing affordability and low mortgage interest rates, combined with buyer opportunities in the distressed sales market, have increased home sales in many areas of the country. "There has never been a better time to buy," said National Association of Realtors® Chief Economist … [Read more...]

A short sale can be a good alternative for homeowners who can no longer make their mortgage payments and hope to avoid foreclosure; however, navigating these long and often confusing transactions can be challenging for even the seasoned real estate professional. A short sale is a transaction in … [Read more...]

Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said that the Federal Housing Administration is going to permit its lenders to allow homeowners to use the $8,000 tax credit as a down-payment. Secretary Donovan said that important changes, which the National … [Read more...]

As Realtors® from across the country gather this week for the National Association of Realtors® they come committed to continue working with Congress and the administration on efforts to stimulate the housing market. The Realtors®' agenda also includes measures to protect commercial real estate … [Read more...]

As the leading advocate for housing and homeownership issues, NAR is pleased that President Barack Obama's 2010 budget, released today, includes increased funding for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and many of its important programs. HUD helps millions of families obtain … [Read more...]

Home buyers must be protected against mortgage lending abuses while being assured of access to affordable mortgages. Toward this end, the National Association of Realtors® today expressed its support of H.R. 1728, the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2009. "Realtors® have a … [Read more...]