'Hate mail' climbs at Christian real estate network

The Christian Real Estate Network, which refers home buyers and home sellers to Christian real estate professionals, has come under fire for alleged discrimination and breaches of fair housing laws, said Justin Smith, president of the 2-year-old company.

The network, based in California, has received some "hate mail" and other criticisms, though the company is open to doing business with everyone and the criticisms are misguided, he said.

In a Jan.  more...

Bleeding edge of online real estate lead generation

With just four days left before Inman News' Real Estate Connect conference in New York City kicks off, industry leaders are set to discuss new waves in online lead generation, paperless transactions and digital real estate content.

The event will take place Jan. 9-11 at the historic Waldorf Astoria in New York.  more...

Sotheby's expands real estate franchise

Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates Inc., a subsidiary of Cendant Corp., today announced that it has entered into a franchise agreement with Stamford, Conn.-based William Pitt Real Estate LLC.

William Pitt Real Estate's 24 offices will now become part of the Sotheby's International Realty network of luxury real estate firms under two ownership structures.

Twenty-one offices will remain independently owned by L. Casey Jones and Paul E. Breunich and will now do business as William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty.  more...

Toronto posts banner year in real estate

Single-family home sales broke records last year in the Toronto, Canada, metropolitan area, with Realtors reporting 83,501 closed transactions, the Toronto Real Estate Board reported today.

"The year-end total was up 6 percent from the previous record of 78,898," said TREB President Ron Abraham. "In addition, 2004 prices were up 7 percent over 2003 to $315,231, their highest level ever recorded. The median price came in at $270,000, up 6 percent over last year."  more...

Fannie Mae appoints new auditor

Fannie Mae's Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as its independent auditor to perform an audit of 2004 and a re-audit of prior period financial statements that will be restated.

The announcement comes in the wake of a top management shakeup, and federal investigations surrounding accounting missteps at the mortgage giant.  more...

Intuit launches real estate software for rentals

Intuit has launched Quicken Rental Property Manager, a software program designed for people who manage up to 10 rental properties. The program enables property owners to organize income and expenses throughout the year, making tax time much easier.

The software also provides a clear picture of rental property performance, eliminating guesswork as to which properties are profitable.  more...

Low-commission real estate company expands

A low-commission real estate company based in Tampa, Fla., has expanded its reach into five South Florida counties.

Home Discovery Real Estate Services Corp., formerly known as Home Discovere, launched as a mortgage company in 2000, and the real estate brokerage operations launched in 2002.  more...