It's looking like Congress is going to have to sprint through a minefield to keep the downturn in the housing market from becoming a bust. Clamp down too hard on lenders, and the resulting credit crunch will only fuel more... more...
While the Detroit metro area has had some of the steepest price declines in a monthly Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home-price index that compares 20 U.S. markets, the National Association of Realtors had no price information for that market area in... more...
Another public service announcement instructing homeowners having trouble paying their mortgages to call their lenders. This one's from the Mortgage Bankers Association (which also chipped in for the NeighborWorks/Ad Council spots noted here yesterday). The script sticks to the story... more...
Podcasts are quickly becoming a popular way for real estate professionals to broadcast their expertise to a wider audience. The Rory, Steve and Dave podcast is a good example of this and Morgan Brown from the Blown Mortgage blog has... more...
In an article for Realtor Magazine online, the newly-appointed National Association of Realtors Chief Economist Lawrence Yun pens the same old story we heard from his predecessor: "To a great extent, we can thank steady media coverage of the real... more...
This is a public service announcement that you're going to start seeing on TV in July, and which may run for as long as three years. It was produced by NeighborWorks America and the Ad Council, but it's mortgage lenders... more...
Troubles continue for home builder Beazer Homes USA Inc. -- and some of these appear to be self-inflicted rather than market-driven. The company, in an SEC filing Wednesday, announced that it has fired chief accounting officer and senior vice president... more...
It's not your imagination. U2 front man Bono is everywhere these days. So news that the rock star plans to attend the Mortgage Bankers Association's convention in Boston this fall probably won't raise even a single eyebrow. Bono -- perhaps... more...
The manager of the world's biggest bond fund, PIMCO, says the mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) that helped fuel the housing boom dazzled ratings agencies with their "six-inch hooker heels." In a strongly-worded commentary on the impact... more...
The California Association of Realtors is mulling over some important plans for the future of multiple listing services and their content. The group has approved an engineering project that will map out data fields from MLSs throughout the state --... more...
By toddwcarpenter@gmail.com, Tuesday, June 26, 2007.
In two and a half years of blogging, I have had three different readers call me the "Matthew Lesko" of the mortgage industry. I'm pretty sure they meant it as a compliment. I've offered training, opinions, product reviews, and market... more...
From the Real Estate Connect Conference blog: The Inman Innovator Awards recognize companies that use technology and innovation to enhance the real estate transaction and experience for consumers and real estate professionals. In addition, one individual who embodies the spirit... more...
Bank of America Corp.'s no-fee mortgage has helped the lender boost purchase applications by 40 percent "after adjusting for changes in overall market activity," Reuters reports, and BofA is working on a similar product for those seeking to refinance. The... more...
Karim Tahawi of my-currency.com joins us on the InmanTV couch to explain what exactly is the 'wisdom of the crowds' and how it can be used to value a home. more...
Auctions of foreclosed properties are an ongoing affair in Detroit and other places where the glut of REO properties necessitates an "everything must go" approach. But since when did that include the San Francisco Bay Area? The San Francisco Chronicle... more...
