Realtor.com sleeps with 'lion'

Realtor.com and MSN yesterday announced an exclusive content provider and revenue-sharing agreement that will create a co-branded MSN version of Realtor.com's Web site. The co-branded Web site connects MSN's House and Home section to Realtor.com's listings data, display advertising and other information.  more...

Homes & Land magazine sold

Endurance Business Media today announced the acquisition of Prince Communications, which publishes Homes & Land Magazine, as well as Rental Guide, Home Guide and Estates & Homes magazines.

Also included in the acquisition were two major printing plants: The Printing House in Quincy, Fla., and Century Publishing Co. in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. Robert Prince, prior owner and chairman of the board of Prince Communications, is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.  more...

Mortgage interest rates move lower

Long-term mortgage interest rates were lower Monday, and the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond yield rose to 4.09 percent.

The 30-year fixed-rate average sank to 5.35 percent, and the 15-year fixed-rate dropped to 4.69 percent. The 1-year adjustable was down at 3.26 percent.

The 30-year Treasury bond yield increased to 4.97 percent.

Rates are current as of 7:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.  more...

RealPage secures real estate technology financing

RealPage Inc., a provider of residential real estate technology services, on Monday announced that it has secured $20 million in financing from Apax Partners. Proceeds from the investment will be used to fund expansion of the company's current property management and property marketing products, and provide additional capital for potential strategic acquisitions.

RealPage offers software products and services that automate operations for owners and managers of real estate properties, serving more than 20,000 apartment communities across the United States.  more...

Seniors defy real estate perceptions

A recent survey conducted by ERA Real Estate highlights some real estate trends and opinions among seniors that may contradict certain long-held assumptions about this growing market segment.  more...

Chief executives' confidence dips

Chief executives' confidence in the nation's economy, which surged in the third quarter, declined in the fourth quarter of 2003, The Conference Board reports today.

The Conference Board's quarterly measure of CEO confidence, which had improved to 67 in the third quarter, slipped to 66 in the final quarter of 2003. A reading of more than 50 points reflects more positive than negative responses. The survey covers more than 100 CEOs in a wide variety of industries.  more...

Realtors face ethics training

By the end of the year, all members of the National Association of Realtors must successfully complete a two-and-a-half-hour course in ethics, according to a NAR policy established in 2001.

The policy requires that Realtors take ethics training within given four-year cycles and continue to update their education in successive four-year periods thereafter. The first four-year cycle ends Dec. 31, 2004.

New members are to take ethics training upon becoming Realtors.  more...

Homestore, MSN partner for online listings

Homestore Inc. today announced that Realtor.com will become the exclusive provider of integrated home listings and Realtor directory content to the House & Home channel on the MSN network. The new multi-year agreement is expected to go live before the end of the first quarter.

By expanding on its existing relationship with MSN, Homestore aims to build the largest online audience for Realtors and their listings. Soon, the 4 million-plus unique visitors that go to MSN House & Home each month will have access to more than 2 million property listings from Realtor.com.

Mortgage co. sued for Do-Not-Call violation

California's attorney general on Monday filed a lawsuit against a Florida-based mortgage company, alleging the company violated the Federal Trade Commission's Do-Not-Call law. The suit is the second the state has filed since federal no-call laws went into effect in October.

More than 250 Californians have lodged complaints about L.M.A. Marketing Inc., doing business as Mortgage Concepts, according to the attorney general's office.  more...

Federal report waste of time, money

Federal regulators who are supposed to be keeping a watchful eye on Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's financial activities have penned a woefully wordy and unimaginative dissertation about technology developments in mortgage origination. They needn't have bothered.  more...