Iowa AG defends robo-signing settlement

HousingWire — Fri, 18 May 2012 20:51:37 +0000

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller defends the $25 billion robo-signing settlement with the five largest mortgage servicers. Miller talked with HousingWire about the settlement in this exclusive video.

Silicon Valley housing market gets Facebook bump

HousingWire — Fri, 18 May 2012 20:30:58 +0000

As Facebook and its social media and tech brethren boom, so, too, does the housing market in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area.

New Condo Tower Set to Break Ground in Midtown Manhattan

WSJ Staff — Fri, 18 May 2012 20:25:48 +0000

A venture of JDS Development Group and Starwood Capital Group hopes to break ground within months on a 50-story condominium and retail tower in a part of Midtown Manhattan that’s already seeing a rash of new development.

Bipartisan bill seeks end to REO-to-rental pilot in California

HousingWire — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:43:17 +0000

Eight Republican and Democratic California congressional members introduced legislation Thursday calling for the Federal Housing Finance Agency to cease its plan to sell Fannie Mae-owned foreclosed homes in California to large investors.

Housing markets recover faster in nonjudicial foreclosure states, report says

HousingWire — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:39:35 +0000

How quickly a local market recovers in terms of home prices and real estate activity may be contingent on whether its located in a judicial or nonjudicial foreclosure state. Nonjudicial foreclosure markets are performing better in terms of price stabilization, according to a new report.

Big Week On Tap for Housing

Dawn Wotapka — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:34:49 +0000

Some big housing numbers are expected next week: Existing-home sales, new-home sales and quarterly results from Toll Bros.

Mortgage fraud ringleader sentenced to more than 4 years

HousingWire — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:20:27 +0000

Nathan Orms was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for leading a mortgage fraud ring in Ohio. Between 2004 and 2006, roughly the duration of the housing bubble, Orms defrauded lenders of more than $26 million, authorities said.

Flood Insurance Program Still in Limbo

WSJ Staff — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:01:45 +0000

The long-running struggle to figure out the future of a federal program that provides insurance to homeowners in flood-prone areas is continuing, apparently without any end in sight.

Dearth of affordable rentals cause for concern, housing experts say

HousingWire — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:48:35 +0000

The housing downturn put rental properties in high demand, but housing advocates say falling incomes and rising rents are cause for concern, especially in the affordable multifamily segment.

State, regional job employment improves slightly

HousingWire — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:35:04 +0000

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a slight, but steady ray of improvement for the state and regional job markets in April.