msnbc.com staff and news service reports updated 23/12/2011 New U.S. single-family home sales rose to a seven-month high in November and the months’ supply of houses on the market was the lowest in 5-1/2 years, adding to signs of a budding recovery in the sector. The Commerce Department said on Friday sales rose 1.6 percent […]

By Lucia Mutikani Wed 21 Dec, 2011 Reuters Home sales rose in November, adding to hints of recovery, but updated data showed the housing crash was much deeper than previously thought. The National Association of Realtors said on Wednesday that sales of previously owned homes increased 4 percent from October to an annual rate of […]

By Tara-Nicholle Nelson updated 21/12/2011 Forbes By now, you’ve probably heard the age-old rules of thumb about translating home listings from real estate lingo to plain English: “cozy” = tiny, “needs TLC” = needs massive repairs, and “all original details” could mean beautiful moldings or moldy linoleum, depending on the home. Almost everything about the […]

CNBC recently reported that millions of Americans who lost their homes in foreclosure are driving demand in the rental market. So much so that Oliver Chang, Morgan Stanley’s head of U.S. housing strategy and research believes it is time for institutions such as hedge funds and private equity to enter the Single Family Rental market.

October 2011 Are the rumors true that the U.S. government is going into the landlord business? Probably not, but Wall Street might. Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, along with the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), are currently holding approximately 250,000 foreclosed homes. That’s roughly half of all unsold, repossessed properties – making the federal […]

Sales of existing homes in September were up a whopping 11.3% from last year at this time, according to data released by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) this morning. That’s significant, considering buyers were eligible for the $7000 first-time homebuyer credit until the end of September last year. Remember? The tax credit allowed a […]

Headlines around the world scream in panic about the housing crisis in America. But did you know the Chinese symbol for crisis also means opportunity? Consider comparing the economy to a game of tug-of-war. When there are winners, there are also losers on the other end. And if you’ve played tug-of-war, you know you can […]

September 2011 Imagine if you could buy a little machine that spits out $500 cash every month. How much would you pay for such a gadget? Now imagine owning 10 of these cash machines. You’d have an annual income of $60,000 and all you’d have to do to earn that money is maintain the machines. […]