Web seminar to analyze employee relocation trends

GMAC Global Relocation Services will offer a free online "Webinar" presentation and analysis of its 10-year Global Relocation Trends Surveys on Nov. 22.

The interactive Webinar, which begins at 10 a.m. CST, will analyze relocations trends and data going back a decade to the first time the company published its trends survey.

In 2003, for instance, GMAC Global Relocation Services found that 40 percent of companies surveyed offered education and training support for employees' families.  more...

Point2 Realty Solutions sells domain names

Point2 Realty Solutions this week announced it now offers domain names directly to its real estate consumers through a partnership with domain registrar Go Daddy.

Through an Application Programming Interface, or API, arrangement with Wild West Domains, an ICANN-accredited registrar and the reseller division of The Go Daddy Group Inc., Point2 will sell domain names for as little as $8.95 per year.  more...

SoCal real estate sales lose steam

Sales volume in Southern California's real estate market dropped for the fourth month in a row in October, as prices hit a record high, a real estate information service reported.

A total of 28,189 homes were sold in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange counties in October, down 5.9 percent from September's 29,942 and down 13.3 percent from 32,522 for October last year, according to DataQuick Information Systems.  more...

Housing starts climb from September

Housing starts and completions were higher in October than the previous month, while building permits fell during the same period, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported today.

The seasonally adjusted annual rate for privately owned housing starts in October rose approximately 6.4 percent to 2.03 million units. Single-family housing starts in October were at a rate of 1.65 million units, a gain of approximately 5.7 percent compared to the September figure of 1.56 million.  more...

Low-fee real estate company expands

Austin, Texas-based One Percent Realty, a residential brokerage firm known for its low fees, has expanded into the Houston marketplace.

The company, founded in July 2002, previously was available to Austin and San Antonio consumers.

A recent capital infusion of $1 million by the private investment firm JMM PHLP Ltd. is fueling One Percent Realty's expansion into major Texas cities.  more...

Realtors PAC is big spender in election

The National Association of Realtors, the largest trade group in the nation, backed a lot of winners in the latest national election and its political action committee outspent all other PACs.

The association reported that it spent a record $13 million in the 2003-04 election cycle, and its PAC raised $7 million and distributed $4.2 million in direct contributions to federal candidates. The $13 million included dues-funded political advocacy activities for some candidates.  more...

Real estate refinance applications jump

Overall mortgage applications jumped by 4.3 percent last week on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's weekly survey.

The MBA seasonally adjusted purchase index decreased by 0.6 percent to 480.3 from 483 the previous week. The seasonally adjusted refinance index increased by 10.6 percent to 2,375.4 from 2,148.7 one week earlier.  more...

Overnight real estate rates nudge higher

Long-term mortgage interest rates were higher Tuesday, and the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond yield rose to 4.21 percent.

The 30-year fixed-rate average inched up to 5.36 percent, and the 15-year fixed-rate climbed to 4.78 percent. The 1-year adjustable was up at 3.38 percent.

The 30-year Treasury bond yield inched up 4.9 percent.

Rates are current as of 7:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.  more...