California real estate loan risk levels increase

Lending institutions in California have increased their scrutiny of home loan applications because of higher default risk, the result of a shift in sales patterns and of a real estate market nearing the end of its boom cycle, a consumer Web site reported.

Risk levels for new mortgages statewide increased 28.6 percent from the first half of 2005 to the second half of the year.  more...

First American acquires real estate management software co.

First American MLS Solutions, which focuses on multiple listing service technology for the real estate industry, has acquired Maryland Management Systems, or MMSI, a provider of management software to Realtor associations, the companies said today.

The two did not disclose terms of the transaction, which closed Jan.  more...

Report: Housing price decline risk grows

The risk of housing price declines in the 50 largest U.S.  more...

San Diego tops nation in online job ads

Some 1.63 million new online job ads were offered in December, a decline of 187,000, or 10.3 percent, from November, according to The Conference Board Help-Wanted OnLine Data Series. The December level was well below the August 2005 peak of 2.13 million new online job ads.

Ken Goldstein, labor economist at The Conference Board, noted that "a large portion of the declines in ads in November and December are seasonal declines as businesses cut back recruitment ads during the holiday season. The December data are in-line with what we are seeing in other data.  more...

Google dives into radio advertising

Google Inc. today announced that it plans to branch out into the radio advertising business.

Google has agreed to acquire dMarc Broadcasting Inc., a Newport Beach, Calif.-based technology company focused on the radio broadcast industry.

"In the future, Google plans to integrate dMarc technology into the Google AdWords platform  more...

E-LOAN, RE/MAX mortgage affiliate announce alliance

E-LOAN, an online consumer direct lender, and Mortgage Initiatives Inc., a division of RE/MAX Regional Services that serves RE/MAX of Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Southern Ohio, today announced a strategic alliance.

As part of the alliance, the home pages of the RE/MAX Regional Services Web sites for Georgia, Kentucky, Southern Ohio and Tennessee prominently display an E-LOAN link to direct consumers to the E-LOAN pre-qualification and pre-approval center.  more...

BirdView launches new mortgage tools on real estate Web sites

Consumers visiting real estate Web sites built by BirdView Technologies will be able to instantly shop thousands of mortgage brokers and lenders online, the company said in a recent announcement.

The new service is part of a new set of mortgage tools BirdView has extended to its entire real estate client Web sites as a free upgrade, according to a company statement.  more...

SettlementRoom transaction software now accessible from MS Outlook

SettlementRoom has teamed up with Sonoma Enterprises on a new product accessible from the widely used Microsoft Outlook e-mail application and uses the SettlementRoom transaction management software and Agent Outlook marketing software, the companies said Monday.

The new product, SR Producer, will be available later this month and combines the SettlementRoom Web-based transaction management platform and Agent Outlook, software that adds real estate marketing, campaign management, e-mail and mail merge capabilities into exist  more...

Most Home signs deal with Windermere

Most Home Technologies and Windermere Real Estate have signed a two-year agreement for Most Home's Internet response services to be provided for the 280 offices and 8,000 associates throughout the Western United States.

As part of the agreement, Most Home Technologies will provide Windermere Real Estate with a lead management program that tracks sales prospects from initial inquiry to completion, a contact center staffed with real estate professionals and a comprehensive online  more...

Weichert franchisees add East Coast offices

Weichert Real Estate Affiliates Inc., the franchise arm of Weichert, Realtors, recently announced that Weichert affiliates in Florida, South Carolina and New Jersey have opened additional offices.

Weichert affiliates adding offices include: Weichert, Realtors - Hallmark Properties, two new offices in Vero Beach and Ormond Beach, Fla.; Weichert, Realtors - Peggy Wilson & Associates, one new office in Inman, S.C.; and Weichert, Realtors - Hoey Group, a new office in Avalon, N.J.

Martin J.  more...