Joining an elite list of the nation's most expensive listings, Carolwood Estate has hit the market for a whopping $90 million. The 35,000-square-foot home, located in Los Angeles' sought-after Holmby Hills area, offers buyers more than just luxury, because the property boasts history as well, having once served as Walt Disney's residence.
Read More »USFS Appoints Two New Executive Leaders
National independent mortgage lender United Shore Financial Services, LLC (USFS), is welcoming two new corporate leaders. The Michigan-based organization, parent company of United Wholesale Mortgage, recently added Tim Forrester as chief financial officer for USFS and named Kristin Hammond as EVP of capital markets.
Read More »NAHB: Housing Construction on Track for Growth in Coming Years
In a webinar hosted by the NAHB, economists discussed the housing recovery, what's keeping it going, and what may throw it off course.
Read More »Social Game Gives Players a Chance at $200K Mortgage Payoff
PopRox Entertainment's first game pits players in a contest to win real-life prizes, including a $200,000 mortgage payoff.
Read More »Report Predicts Slow Growth for Commercial Real Estate in 2013
The commercial real estate sector is improving, but investors need to be patient and not expect "quick wins," PwC and the Urban Land Institute said in a jointly-released report. According to their findings, "modest gains in leasing, rents, and pricing will extend across U.S. markets from coast to coast and improve prospects for all property sectors, including housing." Overall, recent job creation should bring down vacancy rates in the office, industrial, and retail sectors, and demand for apartments should remain.
Read More »Florida Housing Market Continues Upswing in September
As national home sales and prices showed mixed results for September, Florida's market posted higher sales, higher pending sales, higher median prices, and a slightly down inventory for the month. Statewide closed sales of existing single-family homes totaled 15,643 in September, up 2 percent year-over-year. Meanwhile, pending sales rose 40.1 percent in the same period to 21,368. The statewide median sales price for single-family homes was $145,000 in September, up 7.4 percent from a year ago.
Read More »Wolters Kluwer Announces 16th Annual CRA & Fair Lending Colloquium
Compliance and risk management professionals will flock to Texas in November for Wolters Kluwer Financial Service's 16th annual CRA & Fair Lending Colloquium. The financial services company is hosting the event November 12-15 at The Westin La Cantera in San Antonio. The colloquium is an opportunity for senior compliance and risk management executives to discuss their most pressing concerns with top regulators and industry leaders.
Read More »Bipartisan Think Tank Launches Financial Regulatory Reform Initiative
At an event in Washington Thursday, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) announced the launch of its new Financial Regulatory Reform Initiative to evaluate the financial regulatory system after the Dodd-Frank Act. The initiative is designed to assistant Congress, the executive branch, and regulators as they work to develop and modify financial supervision and regulation.
Read More »Study: Less than Half of State Settlement Money Being Used for Housing
Five servicers--Ally/GMAC, Bank of America, Citi, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo--agreed to a $25 billion penalty as part of the national mortgage settlement. Of that total, $2.5 billion was paid directly to the participating states. To date, states have announced plans to spend $966 million of the settlement money on housing- and foreclosure-related activities, according to Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. Another $988 million has been funneled toward general funds or non-housing ventures.
Read More »Report: Construction Improving Most in Southeast
Six of the top 10 markets with the most single-family construction activity over the last year are located in Texas and the Southeast, according to a report from John Burns Real Estate Consulting. Because housing demand and employment are usually tied together, single-family permit growth has also meant job growth for many metros. Oklahoma City, Orlando, and Phoenix have all seen substantial employment growth (above 2.5 percent year-over-year) to match the rise in permits.
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