The Internet revolution

Businesses in rural areas have a higher adoption rate of basic commercial Internet technologies, such as e-mail, Web browsing and passive document sharing, than small and mid-sized metropolitan areas, according to an economic report prepared for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

The report, prepared by researchers for the Center for the Study of Innovation and Productivity, a part of the bank's Economic Research Department, found that 85.1 percent of businesses in rural areas h  more...

Arizona Realtors go wireless

Retrieval Dynamics Corp. and the Arizona Regional MLS today announced an agreement through RDC's Mobile Listing Advantage program that will provide real estate agents and brokers with instant wireless access to all current property listings.

The program bundles together the Mobile Listing Advantage wireless MLS software from Retrieval Dynamics, the BlackBerry Wireless Handheld from Research In Motion, and network airtime plans from various wireless carriers.  more...

The presidential housing platform

The National Association of Home Builders, a trade association whose members employ about 8 million workers, asked leading presidential candidates, President George W. Bush and U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., about their political stances on various housing issues.

Their responses were featured this week in an edition of Nation's Building News Online, the association's weekly online news publication.  more...

Discount firm to go full-service

Foxtons, a discounter that shocked the industry with a business model and ad campaign boasting 2 percent real estate commissions for limited real estate services, has reportedly tweaked its plans and will now phase-in a 3 percent commission rate for fuller services.

The New Jersey Star-Ledger newspaper and other media in Foxtons' East Coast market area have reported that Foxtons will be transi  more...

Consumers turn cautious again

Consumer confidence, which had been on the rise since April, fell sharply in August, private research group The Conference Board reported today.

The Conference Board's consumer confidence index now stands at 98.2 (1985=100), down from 105.7 in July. The survey is based on a sample of 5,000 U.S. households.

Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board's Consumer Research Center, attributed the decline in confidence to the slowdown in job growth.

"Until the job market and pace of hiring picks up, this cautious attitude will prevail," Franco said.  more...

Luxury real estate prices set records in California