Weekly Real Estate News

Top News
Mortgage plan has helped 12% of borrowers reduce payments - USA Today - - WASHINGTON — The government's mortgage relief plan has helped about 12% of borrowers who signed up since President Barack Obama announced the program a year ago.

Market News
Real Estate Weekly: Remodeling on the rise in hard-hit markets - MarketWatch - - By MarketWatch Don't miss these top stories: Evidence of an uptick in remodeling late last year is giving some in the industry hope for a busier 2010. ServiceMagic.

Mortgages: 30-year fixed-rate mortgage falls farther below 5% - MarketWatch - - By Amy Hoak, MarketWatch CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Mortgage rates fell again this week, with the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropping to an average 4.93%, according to Freddie Mac's weekly survey of conforming rates, released on Thursday. "Mortgage

Mortgage applications fell 2.1% last week: MBA - MarketWatch - - By Amy Hoak, MarketWatch CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- The volume of mortgage applications filed last week dropped a seasonally adjusted 2.1%, compared with the previous week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported on Wednesday. Mortgage interest rates

Technology News
NAR's HouseLogic: The Logical Source for Today's Homeowners - Market Wire - - NAR Press Office Email a Friend Latest News Releases SOURCE: National Association of Realtors WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - February 16, 2010) - Today the National Association of Realtors® launched HouseLogic, a new, comprehensive consumer Web site

Verizon bringing Skype to wireless users - USA Today - - SAN FRANCISCO — In a move to vastly expand its presence on smartphones, Skype on Tuesday announced a major deal with Verizon Wireless that would make Skype's inexpensive online-calling service available to up to 90 million Verizon users.

Other News
Housing Starts Bounce Back; Building Permits Fall - CNBC - - U.S. housing starts rebounded more strongly than expected to their highest level in six months in January, while permits fell slightly less than forecast, pointing to a mild housing market recovery.

Where's housing headed? Follow rents - CNN Money - - NEW YORK (Fortune) -- It may not be the most widespread measure of housing prices, but if you want to follow a powerful driver, look at rents.

Restitution for Floridians - DSNews.com - - Some 16 months after Countrywide Financial reached an agreement with the Florida attorney general’s office to settle one of the biggest predatory lending lawsuits in the nation’s history, restitution is coming for distressedhomeowners.

State Supreme Court makes it tougher for lenders to foreclose - Tampa Bay Online - - The court says lenders are now required to verify the y own loans before they file a foreclosure lawsuit. And, according to the court order, lenders can no longer charge the homeowner for that investigation.