Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. is planning “important” real estate sales in the first half of 2011 as values for its properties rise after the firm’s two years in bankruptcy, Chief Executive Officer Bryan Marsal said. View full post on real estate – Yahoo! News Search Results

RISMEDIA, December 28, 2010—(MCT)—In response to the recent crimes against real-estate agents in the Youngstown and Kent, Ohio, areas, local real-estate brokers are reviewing safety precautions for their agents. These incidents remind all agents nationwide to review safety procedures when…

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Charles Dickens didn’t have the Savannah real estate market in mind when he penned the line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” The notion certainly applies, however. The best of times: Available housing and commercial buildings are as affordable as they’ve ever been. Even with interest rates rallying off historic lows in the last month, it’s a buyer’s market. And there is … View full post on real estate – Yahoo! News Search Results

RISMEDIA, December 28, 2010—(MCT)—A Bank of America freeze on foreclosure sales spread Friday to the Inland Empire in California after the biggest bank in the U.S. announced it was broadening an investigation into its foreclosure practices to all 50 states.…

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It’s no secret that the U.S. real estate market remains in the doldrums. The majority of market experts see a recovery on the horizon, but that horizon remains a number of years off. For the past couple of years, the… View full post on real estate – Yahoo! News Search Results

RISMEDIA, December 28, 2010—Improvements in consumer spending and consumer confidence, increased demand for goods and services, and falling unemployment claims are all positive factors for a brighter outlook as we move into 2011, according to the December 2010 Economic Outlook released today by Fannie Mae’s (OTC Bulletin Board: FNMA) Economics & Mortgage Market Analysis Group. Downside risks still exist, however, including a weaker than expected employment report, the ongoing economic turmoil in Europe, and potential inflation problems in China.

For 2011, forecasted growth was upgraded from 2.9 percent to 3.4 percent based on the positives in the recent reports. The forecast anticipates improving labor market conditions, despite the huge disappointment from the November employment report. The housing recovery should gain momentum going into 2011 if the expected stronger labor market materializes.

“Despite rising mortgage rates, our forecast for home sales is stronger than the previous forecast, given our brighter economic growth and labor market outlook,” said Fannie Mae Chief Economist Doug Duncan. “We expect modest increases in home sales, despite recent interest rate rises, due in part to modest additional declines in home prices, and we expect people to take advantage of affordability as their employment and income outlook brightens.”

For an audio synopsis of the December 2010 Economic Outlook, listen to the podcast on the Economics & Mortgage Market Analysis (http://www.fanniemae.com/media/economics/index.jhtml?p=Media&s=Economics+%26+Mortgage+Market+Analysis) site at www.fanniemae.com. Visit the site to read the full December 2010 Economic Outlook, including the Economic Developments Commentary, Economic Forecast, and Housing Forecast.

Also available via link from the Economic Developments Commentary is a Multifamily Market Commentary by Kim Betancourt, Director, Multifamily Economics and Market Research. The Commentary provides information on current multifamily market conditions. Sales of multifamily properties have been rising all year, and property sales are expected to remain stable in 2011. Location, class, and condition of properties continue to be the greatest decision-making factors for investors.

Opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, and other views of Fannie Mae’s Economics & Mortgage Market Analysis (EMMA) group included in these materials should not be construed as indicating Fannie Mae’s business prospects or expected results, are based on a number of assumptions, and are subject to change without notice. How this information affects Fannie Mae will depend on many factors. Although the EMMA group bases its opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, and other views on information it considers reliable, it does not guarantee that the information provided in these materials is accurate, current, or suitable for any particular purpose. Changes in the assumptions or the information underlying these views could produce materially different results. The analyses, opinions, estimates, forecasts, and other views published by the EMMA group represent the views of that group as of the date indicated and do not necessarily represent the views of Fannie Mae or its management.

Fannie Mae exists to expand affordable housing and bring global capital to local communities in order to serve the U.S. housing market. Fannie Mae has a federal charter and operates in America’s secondary mortgage market to enhance the liquidity of the mortgage market by providing funds to mortgage bankers and other lenders so that they may lend to home buyers. Our job is to help those who house America.

For more information, visit http://www.fanniemae.com.

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.

Have you heard about RISMedia’s Real Estate Information Network® (RREIN)? RREIN is an elite network of leading real estate companies dedicated to providing consumers and their agents with leading real estate information, and committed to the belief that Information Share Equals Market Share. Having only launched this past June 2010, the RREIN network is already comprised of 40 leading brokerages, which make up 575 offices, 30,000 agents, 167,000 closings and represents over $41 billion in transactions. How can RREIN help your recruiting efforts and differentiate your company today? For more information, email rrein@rismedia.com.

Copyright© 2010 RISMedia, The Leader in Real Estate Information Systems and Real Estate News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be republished without permission from RISMedia.

View full post on RISMedia » Home Buying 101

Be smart when you buy or sell a home in 2011. Follow these tips to ensure a smooth move. View full post on real estate – Yahoo! News Search Results

Rachel Schreck, a retired real estate agent known for her energy and devotion to family, died Friday in the Center for Hospice&Palliative Care, Cheektowaga. She was 86. View full post on real estate – Yahoo! News Search Results

As you celebrate Christmas this year, the one small lump of coal in your real estate stocking is that your house’s value probably didn’t rise at the same pace in 2010 as it did the year before. View full post on real estate – Yahoo! News Search Results

Investment in commercial real estate in metro Denver more than doubled this year over 2009, a sign that the market may be on the mend. View full post on real estate – Yahoo! News Search Results