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LOS ANGELES, CA - April 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The share of distressed homes sold in March declined from February, but was unchanged from a year ago, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today.

LOS ANGELES, CA - April 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Improvement in the overall economy and favorable market conditions led to increases in both the median price and home sales in March, according to data from the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.).

LOS ANGELES, CA - March 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) today announced it has partnered with Fannie Mae on an initiative designed to help REALTORS® quickly resolve issues that may arise after a short sale offer is made on a Fannie Mae-backed loan. The Fannie Mae Short Sale Assistance Desk ("Assistance Desk") provides brokers and agents the ability to significantly shorten the time they have to wait for approval on Fannie Mae short sale transactions and helps real estate professionals with the handling of post-contract issues such as loan servicer responsiveness, the existence of a second lien or issues involving mortgage insurance.

LOS ANGELES, CA - March 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Pending home sales rose in February, as did the share of distressed properties sold, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today.

LOS ANGELES, CA - March 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Following three months of sales gains, California home sales posted a weaker-than-expected performance and declined in February, according to data from the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.).

LOS ANGELES, CA - March 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Fewer than three of five short sales close in California, illustrating the complexity and difficulty of navigating lenders’ and servicers’ short sale procedures, according to a Short Sale Lender Satisfaction Survey conducted by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.). The survey gauges REALTORS®’ experience in working with short sale transactions – transactions in which the lender or lenders agree to accept less than the mortgage amount owed by the current homeowner.

LOS ANGELES, CA - February 23, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) today debuted its Pending Home Sales Index and released key distressed property data

LOS ANGELES, CA - February 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- California home sales rose in January, marking three consecutive monthly increases and posting their highest level since May 2010, while the statewide median price declined to its lowest level since June 2009, according to data from the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.). “With lower home prices and rates edging up from their historic lows of late last year, prospective home buyers should consider the opportunities in today’s market,” said C.A.R. President Beth L. Peerce.

LOS ANGELES, CA - February 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In response to the White House’s recommendations today to phase out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) said the elimination of government involvement would raise borrowing costs for home buyers and severely restrict a safe and affordable flow of financing, further impeding the still-fragile housing market recovery

LOS ANGELES, CA - February 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- First-time buyer housing affordability matched or set new record-high levels in all regions of the state during the fourth quarter of 2010, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today. Led by historic-low interest rates and a slight decline in home prices, housing affordability surpassed or maintained current levels in both quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year comparisons statewide.

LOS ANGELES, CA - January 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- California home sales rose in December, posting their highest level since May, according to data from the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.). The statewide median price increased from November, but was down from a year ago

LOS ANGELES, CA - December 22, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- California home sales rose in November, but were down from the previous year, according to data from the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.). The statewide median price declined from both the previous month and previous year

LOS ANGELES, CA - December 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- In response to recommendations in the Deficit Reduction Commission report released today, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) said it strongly opposes any changes that would modify or reduce the mortgage interest deduction.

LOS ANGELES, CA - November 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- California home sales declined in October, from both the previous month and previous year, according to data from the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.)

LOS ANGELES, CA - November 18, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- More than 5,500 first-time home buyers were approved for the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) Housing Affordability Fund (C.A.R.H.A.F.) Mortgage Protection Program (MPP), which provides mortgage payment assistance in the event of a job layoff

LOS ANGELES, CA - November 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Housing affordability among first-time home buyers improved slightly in the third quarter of 2010, both on a quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year basis, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today. The percentage of first-time buyers who could afford to purchase an entry-level home in California stood at 66 percent in the third quarter of 2010, according to C.A.R.’s First-time Buyer Housing Affordability Index (FTB-HAI). In the second quarter of 2010, the Index was a revised 65 percent and was 64 percent in the third quarter of 2009

LOS ANGELES, CA - November 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) Leadership Team for 2011 is now in place. REALTOR® Beth L. Peerce is the Association’s 2011 president; REALTOR® LeFrancis Arnold is president-elect; REALTOR® Don Faught is treasurer; and Joel Singer is state secretary. The officers for 2011 began their official term earlier this week at the close of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR) Conference and Expo in New Orleans, La.

LOS ANGELES, CA - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- California home sales posted their second consecutive monthly gain in September, but were down from the same period a year ago, according to data from the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.)

LOS ANGELES, CA - October 19, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Real Estate Business Services® (REBS®) today announced that the Downey Association of REALTORS® (DAOR) has signed an agreement to provide Clarus MarketMetrics® as a member benefit to its more than 1,900 REALTOR® and Multiple Listing Service (MLS) members. The Downey Association of REALTORS® uses Southern California Multiple Listings Service (SoCalMLS) as its multiple listing provider to provide Clarus MarketMetrics® as a member benefit.

LOS ANGELES, CA - October 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A weaker-than-expected economic recovery will result in a projected decline in California home sales for 2010, although home sales are expected to edge up slightly in 2011, according to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) “2011 California Housing Market Forecast” released today

LOS ANGELES, CA - October 1, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Congress late yesterday passed a continuing resolution that included a provision extending through fiscal year 2011 the current conforming loan limit of $729,750 for high-cost areas, including many in California. The same limits will also be extended to loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration. President Obama is expected to sign the resolution today, which is a short-term funding bill that will prevent a government shutdown in the absence of a budget

LOS ANGELES, CA - September 22, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- California home sales edged up 1.8 percent from July, but were down 14.9 percent from August 2009, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today. The statewide median home price also increased 1.2 percent from July and was up 8.6 percent from a year ago.

LOS ANGELES, CA - August 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- California home sales decreased 20.8 percent in July compared with the same period a year ago, while the median price of an existing home rose 10.4 percent from July 2009, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today.

LOS ANGELES, CA - August 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The California State Assembly today approved SB 1178 (D-Corbett) by a 49 to 14 vote, extending anti-deficiency protection for consumers who have refinanced their original mortgage loans and now are facing foreclosure. The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) is the sponsor of the consumer-protection legislation.

LOS ANGELES, CA - August 19, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The percentage of households that could afford to buy an entry-level home in California stood at 64 percent in the second quarter of 2010, compared with 67 percent for the same period a year ago, according to a report released today by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.)

LOS ANGELES, CA - August 19, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The percentage of households that could afford to buy an entry-level home in California stood at 64 percent in the second quarter of 2010, compared with 67 percent for the same period a year ago, according to a report released today by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.)

LOS ANGELES, CA - August 19, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The percentage of households that could afford to buy an entry-level home in California stood at 64 percent in the second quarter of 2010, compared with 67 percent for the same period a year ago, according to a report released today by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.)

LOS ANGELES, CA - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) subsidiary California MLS, Inc., doing business as calREDD®, and the Multi-Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. (MRMLS), last week signed an agreement to merge the efforts of calREDD® and MRMLS. calREDD® is the C.A.R. initiative to create one Multiple Listing Service (MLS) accessible to real estate agents throughout the state. The new yet-to-be-named entity will serve more than 33,000 real estate professionals and 25 REALTOR® associations throughout California.

LOS ANGELES, CA - July 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Home sales decreased 4.2 percent in June in California compared with the same period a year ago, while the median price of an existing home rose 13.6 percent, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today

LOS ANGELES, CA - July 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Real Estate Business Services Inc. (REBS) and ForeclosureRadar™ today announced a new agreement to provide members of the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) with discounted pricing and an extended trial period on the ForeclosureRadar™ service, including ForeclosureRadar™’s new iPhone application. ForeclosureRadar™’s iPhone app, the first distressed-property app on the market, allows users to review the status of a foreclosure property and update their distressed-property tracking analysis from their mobile device.