By Inman News, Thursday, August 11, 2005. A nine-year drop in California foreclosure activity appeared to level off during the second quarter, the result of a maturing real estate cycle and cooler appreciation rates, a real estate information service reported today. Lending institutions sent default notices to 12,408 California homeowners during the April-to-June period, down 14.4 percent from 14,501 for the first three months of the year, and down 0.9 percent from 12,520 for last year's second quarter, according to DataQuick Information Systems. more...
By Inman News, Thursday, August 11, 2005. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson this week announced $10 million in funding that aims to get chronically homeless persons who are addicted to alcohol off the streets and into a permanent residence. A dozen pilot programs in 11 cities around the country are receiving two-year grants through HUD's new "Housing for People Who Are Homeless and Addicted To Alcohol" program. "As we continue to work toward ending chronic homelessness, there is no better place to devote our energies than to offer a helping hand to those who are the hardest to help," said Jacks more...
By Inman News, Thursday, August 11, 2005. For the sixth consecutive survey, more Americans would like to live in or near New York City than in any other city, according to a recent online poll conducted by Harris Interactive, while California, Florida and Hawaii are respectively the #1, #2, and #3 states where U.S. adults would choose to live. The next most popular states in which people would like to live are Colorado (#4), New York (#5), Arizona (#6), Oregon (#7), Texas (#8), North Carolina (#9), and Tennessee (#10). more...
By Inman News, Thursday, August 11, 2005. First American Residential Group has formed a partnership with the Houston Association of Realtors and has acquired HAR'sDatabase Integrity system, software that increases listing accuracy for MLSs and their members. The Database Integrity system is a software program that monitors the accuracy of real estate information and enforces compliance with MLS rules and regulations, First American said Thursday. Developed by HAR, the system is currently implemented throughout the association's user base and will now be offered to the MLS industry by First American. more...
By Inman News, Thursday, August 11, 2005. The Wisconsin Realtors Association has announced the formation of a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization to represent homeowners and property owners in the state. The mission of this Wisconsin Homeowners Alliance Inc. is "to advance and promote issues of concern to all Wisconsin property owners," according to the trade group's announcement. On its Web site, the Realtor group has prepared short videos that provide information about the new nonprofit group. more...
By Inman News, Thursday, August 11, 2005. A major mortgage banking association has endorsed the adoption of residential and commercial electronic mortgages. The board of directors of the Mortgage Bankers Association passed a resolution endorsing electronic mortgages based on a recommendation from the board of directors' Technology Steering Committee, the MBA said Thursday. The resolution includes three focus areas: more...
By Inman News, Thursday, August 11, 2005. Long-term mortgage interest rates dropped again Thursday, and the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond yield dropped to 4.32 percent. The 30-year fixed-rate average fell to 5.45 percent, and the 15-year fixed-rate dipped to 5.05 percent. The 1-year adjustable was down at 3.82 percent. The 30-year Treasury bond yield decreased to 4.51 percent. Rates are current as of 7:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. more...
By Janis Mara, Thursday, August 11, 2005. In this three-part series, Inman News examines floating homes, the lifestyle, the structures themselves, what's different and what's the same about living in these peculiar dwellings. The unique lifestyle aboard water-bound homes has been glamorized in Hollywood films and also stigmatized as radical and non-conformist. Today, floating-home communities have emerged as luxurious retreats from crowded cities and bland subdivisions while maintaining a tight-knit, bohemian crew of residents. more...
By Bernice Ross, Thursday, August 11, 2005.
By Katherine Salant, Thursday, August 11, 2005.
Where will you spend your golden years? If you get along with your children, sharing a life and a house together can be richly rewarding, and it's more common than you might think. That's what Builder Magazine's research team learned when they interviewed 8 multigeneration families in three different housing markets. Though a sample of this size is hardly definitive, MarketScape Research & Consulting's (MSRC) findings challenge conventional notions of what constitutes a multigenerational household, and why they are living together. more...
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