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FHA regaining market share  Premium Content

By Inman News, Friday, August 29, 2008.

Private mortgage insurers saw demand hit a low for the year in July, with applications falling 4.6 percent from the previous month and 52 percent from a year ago, an industry group said.

The 86,734 applications received by private mortgage insurers in July continues a downward slide that began in the spring. Private mortgage insurance applications hit a high for 2008 in March, with 160,139 received, according to the Mortgage Insurance Companies of America.  more...

Brokerages can learn from Prudential Georgia

By Inman News, Friday, August 29, 2008.

Editor's note: The following is a reader comment in response to an Aug. 19 Inman News story, "Real estate company makes the news."  more...

Guardian Mortgage Documents has new parent

By Inman News, Friday, August 29, 2008.

Guardian Mortgage Documents Inc. has been acquired by a former client, LenderLive Network Inc., in the latest fallout related to Mercury Companies Inc.'s hasty exit from the title insurance and settlement services business.

Denver-based LenderLive, which provides outsourcing services for lenders, including mortgage originations, loan processing, underwriting, closing and post-closing, said it will leave Guardian's management and operations intact, with founder Michael O'Leary continuing as president of the company.  more...

Housing bottom: Who cares anyway?

By Inman News, Friday, August 29, 2008.

Jonathan Miller tackles every real estate analyst's favorite game right now -- "calling the bottom." It is probably one of the most talked about issues for anyone even remotely involved in real estate, and Miller does an excellent job addressing the issues behind the need to know where the bottom of the market might be. He also does an even better job explaining why all of the discussion might be pointless.  more...

New CEO named at REA Group

By Inman News, Thursday, August 28, 2008.

Australian-based REA Group, which operates RealEstate.com.au in Australia, nine other country-specific sites and a global property site, on Thursday announced the appointment of Greg Ellis as the company's new chief executive officer.  more...

Fixed-rate mortgages more affordable

By Inman News, Thursday, August 28, 2008.

Rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.4 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending Aug. 21, down from 6.47 percent a week ago and 6.67 percent a year ago, Freddie Mac said in its weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey.

The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.93 percent with an average 0.6 point, down from 6.00 percent a week ago and 6.12 percent this time last year.  more...

Rehava, a one-stop real estate shop Premium Content

By Glenn Roberts Jr., Thursday, August 28, 2008.

It's no coincidence that rehava, a real estate company that offers rebates to buyers and flat-fee services to sellers, chose to open in a retail mall in South Carolina.

Rehava (pronounced REE-haw-vah) offices are intended to operate much like typical retail shops in offering real estate brokerage, mortgage, home insurance and legal services, said Steven DeGuzman, the company's founder and broker in charge.  more...

British Columbia home sales at decade low

By Inman News, Thursday, August 28, 2008.

Home sales in the Canadian province of British Columbia during July fell to their lowest level this decade amid a rising number of for-sale inventory and increasingly cautious buyers, according to a report this month in The Vancouver Sun.  more...

Forecaster iEmergent sees 2009 bottom in lending

By Inman News, Thursday, August 28, 2008.

Purchase mortgage lending volume will bottom out in late 2009, but won't get back in step with long-term trend lines until 2011 or 2012, market research and forecasting firm iEmergent projects.

The Des Moines, Iowa-based company estimates that total purchase mortgage volume will fall 4 percent in 2009, to 4.95 million loans totalling $837.9 billion. Total mortgage volume, including refinancings, will range from a low of $1.53 trillion to a high of $1.61 trillion, iEmergent said in its Preliminary Mortgage Volume Forecasts for 2009-2013.  more...

Formulas for a real estate recovery Premium Content

By Inman News, Thursday, August 28, 2008.

Editor's note: The following is a collection of real estate professionals' views on an industry-related topic.

QUESTION: What is the key to the housing market recovery in your market area?


Dominic Labriola
Associate broker
Selman & Associates
387 South Lake Havasu Ave.
Lake Havasu City, Ariz.  more...

FHA to discontinue risk-based pricing Oct. 1

By Inman News, Thursday, August 28, 2008.

Bowing to Congress, the Federal Housing Administration will discontinue risk-based premium pricing on its loan guarantee programs for one year beginning Oct. 1.  more...

Fannie, Freddie 'profiteering' off borrowers?

By Inman News, Thursday, August 28, 2008.

Editor's note: The following is a reader comment in response to an Aug. 18 Inman News story, "Buyers flock to FHA, government-backed loans."  more...

Dreaming of a low-rate future

By Inman News, Thursday, August 28, 2008.

Dan Green of The Mortgage Reports in a recent blog post gives readers a breakdown of the effects of the surging dollar on mortgage rates. Green contends that not only is the surging dollar good short-term, but long-term as well, as it will help to curb inflation pressures. He goes on to predict that if inflation is held in check, the Federal Reserve is unlikely to raise rates any time soon. Check out the full post: "What the Surprising Strength of the U.S.  more...

IPhone real estate app showdown Premium Content

By Joel Burslem, Wednesday, August 27, 2008.

The real estate application category on the iPhone really seems to be filling out. When the upgraded version of the software launched in July, Puluwai was the only real estate specific search tool (see 5 Apps Every Real Estate Agent Should Have on Their iPhone).

But that’s now changing and it looks like there is an epic battle brewing for screen space on my phone.

Trulia iPhone application  more...

Frontdoor signs deal with Relocation.com

By Inman News, Wednesday, August 27, 2008.

Frontdoor.com, an online real estate listing service powered by HGTV, has added content from Relocation.com that aims to help consumers make more efficient moves.

Free moving quotes and news and advice from relocation experts, providing everything from packing tips to planning tools to money-saving tips for their upcoming move, are available at www.frontdoor.com/move.  more...

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