Secondary Market

Michael C. Hall, whose famous for his portrayal of serial killer Dexter in the Showtime series of the same name, is braving the dangers of the Los Angeles housing market. Recently listing his Hollywood Hills home for $1.995 million, Hall is looking to unload his classic Hal Levitt-designed home.

Florida-based ISGN Corporation is welcoming a new CEO. The industry technology provider has appointed Ritesh Idnani to lead the company.

Record-breaking low mortgage rates and rising home sales are leading to increase mortgage activity in New England, according to The Warren Group's Mortgage MarketShare Module. According to the data, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island have all seen strong mortgage activity so far in 2012, with Massachusetts showing the strongest numbers. Activity in the state is up more than 28 percent, rising to 99,097 in the first four months of the year ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔé¼┼ô an increase from 76,930 during the same period in 2011. Purchase mortgages increased almost 13 percent year-over-year to 13,376.

RE/MAX is rolling out a sweet social media contest with some very special prizes at stake. The company recently launched the inaugural What Moves You? competition, which honors weekly winners who send in creative submissions capturing the compelling stories behind their decision to move.

The Miami Beach home that once belonged to the late fashion icon, Gianni Versace, is making housing headlines for its record-setting price tag.

Feelings about homeownership remain positive in the face of a diminished market, but an uncertain economy and increasing down payments are keeping Americans from making purchases, a report from Integra Realty Resources said. Wednesday's report detailed results from an IRR-commissioned survey of non-homeowners ages 22-50 in 11 major markets. While 85 percent of potential buyers indicated that market conditions are favorable for purchasing a home, unemployment and job instability make many respondents reluctant or unable to buy a home.

Negative reports on the economy may be shaking up confidence, but Capital Economics released a report Friday stating that in their view, the foundations for a sustainable recovery are still in place. The employment situation in the U.S. and issues overseas such as the euro-zone crises are all taking a toll on the economy and consumer confidence. Yet, there are still reasons to make the argument that the recovery is not going to be derailed. Home sales and prices have increased, and mortgage affordability stays high.

WMI Holdings Corp., formerly Washington Mutual, Inc., has named a new interim chief accounting officer. As part of the entity's ongoing strategy following the completion of Chapter 11 proceedings, WMI has appointed Timothy Jaeger to the leadership role.

As the employment situation continues to raise concerns, fixed rates fell even lower, slipping yet again to new record lows, according to a survey from Freddie Mac released Thursday. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.67 percent (0.7 point) for the week ending June 7, falling from last week's average of 3.75 percent. The 15-year fixed rate declined even further below 3 percent to 2.94 percent (0.7 point), down from last week's 2.97 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.68 percent.

Lulls in employment and income growth led to a plateau in consumer sentiment in May, according to Fannie Mae├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós May 2012 National Housing Survey. The data released by Fannie Mae on Thursday showed that although many consumers (72 percent) believe that now is a good time to purchase a house, the percentage of respondents who said they would buy a house after moving actually dropped for the second consecutive month ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔé¼┼ô 63 percent in May compared to 64 percent in April and 66 percent in March. Fifteen percent of respondents said now is a good time to sell a home.