Tag Archives: Processing

New home sales jumped 4.4 percent in November to 377,000, the highest level since April 2010, the Census Bureau and HUD.

First time claims for unemployment insurance dropped 12,000 to 350,000 for the week ended December 22, the third lowest level of the year, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists expected claims to increase to 365,000. The previous week├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós report was revised upward to 362,000 from the originally reported 361,000.

Home prices fell in October for the first time since March according to the monthly Case Shiller Home Price Index.

Economic indicators are never clear and are not isolated bits of data. The numbers released in the week before Christmas provided another example of that maxim.

As Zillow continues to grow its rental offerings, the company announced it's providing a free service to help rental professionals grow their business.

After five years of cumulative losses, home values will finally post their first annual gain, according to data from Zillow. The calculations show homes are expected to gain $1.3 trillion in cumulative value for 2012, the largest gain since 2005 and the first annual increase since 2006, Zillow reported. The company expects the year-end total to reach $23.7 trillion, which is a 6 percent increase from last year's total. In 2011, the cumulative loss in home values was $792 billion compared to 2010.

No matter how foggy the haze is, economists typically dust off their crystal balls in December. However economic forecasts too often involve driving by looking in a rear-view mirror. Because housing is a unique expenditure--combining elements of investment and a service--it depends on a variety of elements. The biggest question mark over the housing picture, though, is the fiscal cliff and the on-again, off-again negotiations to avoid a national financial calamity.

Optimism among both real estate professionals and homeowners regarding home values is rising, according to a nationwide survey.

As Washington engages in a standoff over budgetary proposals to avert the fiscal cliff, several industry professionals and associations are calling upon lawmakers to avoid slaughtering what was once thought to be a sacred cow: the mortgage interest tax deduction (MID). While many housing professionals view the deduction as a break for homeowners and an incentive for others to purchase their own homes, critics call the MID a "subsidization of the real estate industry."

In Bethany, Missouri, AmeriBid LLC is preparing to preside over the bank-ordered sale of a very unusual property--a medium security prison. Recently announcing plans for a sealed-bid auction in 2013, AmeriBid's regional director Don Gabriel put a positive spin on the proceedings, noting that the 14.56-acre spread was "a great opportunity to own a multi-use property between Kansas City and Des Moines."