Marketing & Statistics

Washington, D.C. - June 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Almost two-thirds of architects surveyed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) last month report that they have at least one project that is stalled due to lack of financing, despite record low interest rates.

BROOKLYN, NY - June 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Marketing Directors, Inc. is executing one of the most successful leasing programs in today’s market at Arias Park Slope, the upscale collection of 95 rental homes located in Brooklyn’s Park Slope

SOUTH BEND, IN - June 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Saint Joseph County housing market is showing significant improvement in one key measure over the first four months of 2011. According to the latest data compiled by RE/MAX of Indiana, average home sales prices in Saint Joseph County went up nearly 11 percent from January to April over the same period in 2010. But, that’s only part of the story.

MORRISTOWN, N.J - June 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- 40 Park’s brand new, fully-furnished Penthouse model is now open. The spectacular new Penthouse features sensational views from a magnificent terrace that is ideal for entertaining.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Kenneth W. Edwards, Policy Counsel for the Center for Responsible Lending, presented the following remarks at a press briefing held to discuss the impact of the proposed Qualified Residential Mortgage (QRM) rule on consumers. Other groups participating in the conference were the Mortgage Bankers Association, Consumer Federation of America, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, and the National Housing Conference

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Construction spending inched up for the second straight month in April, 0.4 percent – following downward revisions to the March spending figures – thanks to increases in private nonresidential and home-improvement spending, the Associated General Contractors of America reported today in an analysis of new Census Bureau data. Association officials noted, however, that the gains were tempered by sluggish homebuilding and declining levels of public investment in construction

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - May 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Cushman & Wakefield’s first quarter statistics for the U.S. industrial market show leasing activity in New Jersey increased in the first three months of 2011, as the U.S. market continued towards recovery.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced the final Fiscal Year 2011 block grant allocations to approximately 1,200 state and local governments under the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), and the Emergency Shelter Grant Program (ESG). Read more about how HUD’s block grant programs will be allocated at the state and local level.

Washington, DC - May 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Pending home sales fell in April with regional variations following increases in February and March, with unusual weather and economic softness adding to ongoing problems that are hobbling a recovery, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that among those who moved between 2009 and 2010, more than four out of 10 (16.4 million or 43.7 percent) did so for housing-related reasons, such as the desire to live in a new or better home or apartment, according to data from Geographical Mobility: 2010. Among other reasons for moving, people cited family concerns (30.3 percent), such as a change in marital status, employment needs (16.4 percent) and other factors (9.5 percent).

DENVER, CO - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Despite the worst housing market in recent history, two respected national surveys show RE/MAX agents continue to outperform their competitors, selling more homes, assisting more families, and leading all other national real estate companies in sales performance

NEW YORK, N.Y. - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage rates dropped again, with the benchmark conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate falling to 4.77 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.4 discount and origination points.

SACRAMENTO, CA - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Total housing starts in California, as measured by the number of building permits issued, rose 2 percent in April, the California Building Industry Association announced today.

AUSTIN, TX - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Vacation homes aren’t just for rest and relaxation; they are also a satisfying, moneymaking venture for many owners. HomeAway, Inc. – the world’s leading online vacation rental marketplace – finds in its latest “HomeAway Vacation Rental Marketplace Report” that 81 percent of vacation home owners who rent their homes to travelers are satisfied with the overall experience.

SACRAMENTO, CA - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Overall housing affordability in California continued to increase in the first quarter of 2011, but half of the state’s 28 metropolitan areas included in the report showed decreases, the California Building Industry Association announced today.

Washington, DC - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Housing Finance Agency today reported that the National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders, used as an index in some ARM contracts, was 4.80 percent based on loans closed in April. This is a decrease of 0.04 percent from the previous month.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nationwide housing affordability during the first quarter of 2011 rose to its highest level in the more than 20 years it has been measured, according to National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) data released today.The HOI indicated that 74.6 percent of all new and existing homes sold in the first quarter of 2011 were affordable to families earning the national median income of $64,400. This eclipsed the previous high of 73.9 percent set during the fourth quarter of 2010 and marked the ninth consecutive quarter that the index has been above 70 percent. Until 2009, the HOI rarely topped 65 percent and never reached 70 percent.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 7.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 323,000 units in April, their best pace since December of 2010, according to figures released by the U.S. Commerce Department today. The report also showed that the nationwide inventory of new homes for sale continued to fall to just 175,000 units in April, which is a new record low."The fact that new-home sales have now risen for two consecutive months is certainly welcome news following an all-time low sales number in February," said Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev. "That said, builders are still contending with a great deal of competition from foreclosed properties for sale in certain markets, and in places where this is not an issue, it remains extremely difficult to obtain credit to build new homes."

Spring Hill, FL - May 23, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Agent Trust Realty, currently in Orlando and Miami is expanding into Spring Hill Florida in Hernando County. While for most the current economy has made expansion difficult to say the least, Agent Trust Realty is a company that continues to grow. After years of successful operation in Orlando markets and a recent expansion into Miami, Juan Paradas the broker of Agent Trust Realty is expanding the companies reach into the Hernando County Real Estate Market. According to Juan, “Agent Trust Realty is in a perfect position to expand into this new territory” And with the help of Steve Fingerman at Allied Home Mortgage the two have formed a dynamic partnership to be able to offer home buyers and sellers a broad range of Real Estate and Mortgage related products.

EDGEWATER, N.J. - May 23, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Peninsula at City Place’s newest model home was born out of a recently-established partnership between Savanna Partners, developer of the luxury condominium community located along the Hudson Riverfront in Bergen County’s Edgewater, and furniture designer and retailer, BoConcept.

CHICAGO, LONDON, SINGAPORE - May 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Cross-border direct commercial real estate investment volumes reached US$37 billion in Q1 2011, up 25 percent from a year ago, according to the recent Global Capital Flows report from Jones Lang LaSalle. Inter-regional volumes (capital moving between the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific) rose to US$26 billion, a 70 percent increase over Q1 2010. This emphasises the appetite real estate investors have for acquiring foreign assets and far exceeds the 40 percent gain across the total market (cross border plus domestic investment) in the first quarter.

MIAMI, FL - May 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Cervera Real Estate has named Susie Glass as vice president, marketing and sales. One of her primary roles at Cervera is to provide extensive marketing and sales support to the agents and increase the communication between branch offices and Cervera corporate. Glass is a recognized leader in the real estate industry.

SPRINGFIELD, IL - May 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- April marks the third consecutive month of home sales gains in Illinois as low mortgage interest rates and lower-priced inventories add up to affordability conditions not seen in decades. According to the Illinois Association of REALTORS® latest report, statewide home sales (including single family and condominiums) in April 2011 totaled 8,526 homes sold, up 8.5 percent from 7,856 sales in March 2011; sales were down 21.8 percent from the tax credit-bolstered sales gains of 10,897 homes sold in April 2010

ORLANDO, FL - May 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida’s existing home and existing condo sales rose in April, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. Existing home sales increased 2 percent last month with a total of 17,192 homes sold statewide compared to 16,781 homes sold in April 2010, according to Florida Realtors. Statewide sales of existing condos last month rose 17 percent compared to the year-ago sales figure.Twelve of Florida’s metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) reported higher existing home sales in April; 14 MSAs also had higher condo sales. It’s the fifth consecutive month that Florida Realtors has reported higher year-over-year existing home and existing condo sales statewide.

New York, NY - May 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- NYU’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy’s Quarterly Housing Update reports that housing prices declined between the last quarter of 2010 and the first quarter of 2011 in every borough except Queens, where prices remained essentially flat. Manhattan home prices declined 1.7 percent in the first quarter of 2011, but were still 2.5 percent higher than in the first quarter of 2010, and only 11 percent lower than in the peak of the market. Home values in the Bronx and Queens have each depreciated by almost a third since their peaks in the second quarter of 2007 and fourth quarter of 2006, respectively.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The delinquency rate for mortgage loans on one-to-four-unit residential properties increased to a seasonally adjusted rate of 8.32 percent of all loans outstanding as of the end of the first quarter of 2011, an increase of seven basis points from the fourth quarter of 2010, and a decrease of 174 basis points from one year ago, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) National Delinquency Survey. The non-seasonally adjusted delinquency rate decreased 117 basis points to 7.79 percent this quarter from 8.96 percent last quarter.

Washington, DC - May 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Existing-home sales slipped in April, although the market has managed six gains in the past nine months, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Existing-home sales1, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, eased 0.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.05 million in April from a downwardly revised 5.09 million in March, and are 12.9 percent below a 5.80 million pace in April 2010; sales surged in April and May of 2010 in response to the home buyer tax credit.

PALM DESERT, CA - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of Coachella Valley existing homes jumped about 12 percent in February, rebounding from slower sales January, The California Desert Association of REALTORS® reported today

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage applications increased 7.8 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 13, 2011. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 7.8 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 7.1 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 13.2 percent from the previous week and is at its highest level since the week ending December 10, 2010. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 3.2 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index decreased 3.3 percent compared with the previous week and was 1.7 percent lower than the same week one year ago

Chicago, IL - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A number of RE/MAX firms in the Northern Illinois real estate market, each of which is independently owned and operated, were recently spotlighted in one of the nation’s most prestigious surveys of real estate company productivity -- Real Trends 500. The 2011 Real Trends 500, an annual report from Real Trends magazine, ranks the 500 most successful residential firms by closed transaction sides and closed sales volume. Rankings are determined by applications received. This year, 501 firms qualified based on transaction volume due to a tie for the final spot.