ziprealty: ZipRealty Made Top 5 Largest Brokerages Nationwide
- 05/20/11 05:33 AM
The top five brokerages in both transaction sides and sales volume remained unchanged from last year. For transaction sides, NRT LLC was at the top, followed by HomeServices of America Inc., The Long & Foster Companies Inc., Hanna Holdings Inc., and ZipRealty Inc. ZipRealty closed 22,013 the buyer’s side 2010 The 500 largest real estate brokerages in the country completed 6.7 percent fewer transaction sides in 2010 than in 2009, according to rankings from real estate publishing and communications company Real Trends. (1 comments)
ziprealty: Tax Benefits for Homeowners
- 01/06/11 05:08 AM
Owning a home grants a number of benefits, particularly financial perks. If you're like most people, a home purchase will be the greatest financial investment you'll make in a lifetime. Besides enjoying freedom from renting or leasing and the security of building equity in your home, there are also multiple tax benefits. Let's explore the most common tax benefits and how you can receive them. Mortgage Interest Deduction (MID) While legislation is now being considered by U.S. Congress to reduce or eliminate the mortgage interest deduction for homeowners (MID), this is currently one of the biggest advantages for homeowners. With most (0 comments)
ziprealty: "Loan Quality Initiative" went into effect on June 1, 2010
- 06/24/10 04:16 AM
"Undisclosed debt is a leading cause of mortgage fraud and early payment loan defaults. That's why, as of June 1, lenders who originate mortgages that will be sold to Fannie Mae are being advised to pull a second credit report on many transactions just before the loan closes. By reviewing a second credit report, lenders can find out whether other creditors have recently requested information about the mortgage applicant. This can uncover situations in which an applicant might be trying to obtain several loans (from multiple, unwitting lenders) on the same property. It can also reveal less insidious, but still relevant (0 comments)
ziprealty: ZipRealty Introduces Free Google Android Mobile Phone Application for Home Hunters
- 04/11/10 07:05 AM
House hunters can use the Android application, similar to the already well-received iPhone and iPod Touch version, to search for actively-listed "for sale" homes and view property photos of each listing in more than 4,000 U.S. cities and neighborhoods nationally. The application displays search results on Google Maps, including homes currently on the market, as well as a comprehensive list of recently sold homes with sale prices. Android app users can also view search results through Google's Street View option, which gives a home buyer a "drive up" feel for each property. The application also provides access to third-party home value (1 comments)
ziprealty: Mortgage Rates Rising and Tax Credit Expiring!
- 03/10/10 03:50 AM
Time is running out! For prospective home buyers, any increase in interest rates erodes your purchasing power. In other words, a 1% increase in rate represents an approximate decline in purchasing power by 10%. For example, if rates increase by 1%, people who qualify for a $300,000 purchase price today may only qualify for a purchase price of $270,000 afterwards. For those who qualify for the tax credit for first-time and repeat home buyers, another deadline also exists. The last day to obtain a contract to qualify is April 30th and closing must occur by the end of June. Miss either (2 comments)
ziprealty: ZipRealty.com Introduces Comprehensive Tools for Real Estate Investors
- 02/11/10 01:57 AM
ZipRealty (NASDAQ: ZIPR) (www.ZipRealty.com), the nation's largest online-based real estate brokerage, has partnered with eRealInvestor, creator of a real-time, web-based analytics solution for real estate investors, to become the first national brokerage providing the industry's premier research tool aimed specifically at buyers searching for investment properties on its site. The "Investors' Info" tab, powered by eRealAnalyzer and embedded within each listing on ZipRealty.com, provides investors and homebuyers with detailed information to help determine a property's short and long-term investment potential, in addition to the traditional insight previously provided on the site, such as a property's estimated value, comparable sales data and (0 comments)
EMERYVILLE, Calif. (FEBRUARY 9, 2010) – Just over 40% of available homes for sale had reduced prices in January, compared with 44 percent in December, according to a monthly survey of home listings in 27 markets conducted by the national real estate brokerage ZipRealty (NASDAQ: ZIPR). With fewer reduced price homes available in January, sellers were able to ask for their original list prices, rather than cut them to attract buyers.
“Sellers are taking a realistic look at current market conditions before listing their homes,” said ZipRealty CEO Pat Lashinsky. “We have a lot fewer homes for sale (3 comments)
ziprealty: HUD TAKES ACTION TO SPEED RESALE OF FORECLOSED PROPERTIES TO NEW OWNERS
- 01/19/10 02:14 AM
Measure to help bring stability to home values and accelerate sale of vacant propertiesWASHINGTON - In an effort to stabilize home values and improve conditions in communities where foreclosure activity is high, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced a temporary policy that will expand access to FHA mortgage insurance and allow for the quick resale of foreclosed properties. The announcement is part of the Obama administration commitment to addressing foreclosure. Just yesterday, Secretary Donovan announced $2 billion in Neighborhood Stabilization Program grants to local communities and nonprofit housing developers to combat the effects of vacant and abandoned homes."As a result of (0 comments)
ziprealty: Major Housing Stories of 2009
- 12/30/09 01:34 AM
Foreclosures and Short Sales Dominated the U.S. Housing Market in 2009 December 29, 2009: 03:07 PM ET Foreclosures were the driving force behind the roller coaster year for U.S. real estate in 2009. With banks controlling many home listings, fewer homes coming on the market, and government intervention, foreclosures played a large part in shaping the housing market this year -- both good and bad. Leading online real estate brokerage ZipRealty (www.ziprealty.com) (NASDAQ: ZIPR) has compiled the nine key housing stories of 2009. The list follows below. Nine in 2009 1. Bank Market -- Many have described the 2009 housing market (0 comments)
ziprealty: Loan Limit Extension Passed!
- 10/31/09 06:40 AM
The House and Senate moved quickly to pass an extension of the $729,750 GSE loan limit through the end of 2010, hoping to avoid any potential disruption in the mortgage market. Both chambers cleared the loan limit extension late Thursday as part of a continuing funding resolution. President Obama is expected to sign the continuing resolution (CR) shortly. The maximum $729,750 loan limit for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Federal Housing Administration loans in high cost areas will expire at yearend, dropping to $625,500. The CR extends the higher loan limits through December 31, 2010. The CR also extends the nationwide (0 comments)