http://nationalrealtynews.com/Daily News and Information for the Professional Real Estate AgentYou may have noticed in passing that your real estate sales agreement includes a clause regarding FIRPTA - but what does it mean and how does it impact your business? http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1133&z=0The Short Sale is an excellent tool for helping lenders to minimize their losses and move buyers into homes but the process is not for the faint of heart.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1132&z=0With the current conditions in the US real estate markets, it is becoming ever more critical that an agent's online technology tools are up to the task of fueling the demand for qualified buyer and seller leads.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1131&z=0Freddie Mac released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.52 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending July 31, 2008, down from last week when it averaged 6.63 percent.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1130&z=0The President signed into law The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, which could be the most important housing bill in our generation and pave the road to market recovery.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1129&z=0Move over lawyers, mortgage brokers have joined the ranks of the most hated professions...at least that's what former real estate agent Lisa LaShawn believes.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1128&z=0For the second straight month, all 20 markets posted annual declines, nine of which are posting record lows and ten of which are in double-digits.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1127&z=0The Senate has passed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act. The legislation contains comprehensive reforms to our nation's housing sector, including the creation of a strong, new regulator for the government-sponsored enterprises.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1126&z=0The Commerce Department released a report that shows sales of newly built single-family homes dipped slightly in June. Every region registered declines in the number of new homes for sale.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1125&z=0Foreclosure activity was up 14 percent from last quarter and 121 percent from the same period last year. 95 of the 100 largest metro areas posted annual increases.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1124&z=0You only have one chance at making a good first impression, and this opportunity is only a small window of time - so how do you maximize that opportunity?http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1123&z=0Freddie Mac released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.63 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending July 24, 2008, up from last week when it averaged 6.26 percent.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1122&z=0Now that the House has passed a badly needed housing stimulus package that includes a temporary, $7,500 first-time home buyer tax credit, homebuilders want the Senate to move quickly.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1121&z=0After gaining in May, existing-home sales declined in June with many potential buyers on the sidelines, according to NAR.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1120&z=0Two women were each sentenced to long federal prison terms for their roles in orchestrating a mortgage fraud scheme to defraud Lehman Brothers Bank, FSB and Commerce Bank of several millions.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1119&z=0The Federal Trade Commission has charged a credit repair company and its owner with violating federal law by falsely promising to remove derogatory information from consumers' credit reports – even if the information is accurate and not obsolete.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1118&z=0HUD says that a PSA designed to educate consumers about their fair lending rights is now running on 595 screens in 32 movie theatres in 28 cities, including 10 cities with some of nation's highest foreclosure rates.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1117&z=0The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3221, the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008. The bill includes a temporary, $7,500 first-time home buyer tax credit.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1116&z=0One of the most basic concepts I teach agents is that if you want your message to be heard, you have to say something your prospects want to hear. So, how do you figure out what your prospect will pay attention to?http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1115&z=0In the world of real estate that one item - Time - rules with an iron hand and nowhere does it do so more than in the "Short Sale" arena. It is a very time consuming process and the lender is most often the culprit. So what can you do to speed it up?http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1114&z=0There are a lot of people remodeling for any number of reasons – it's over a $240 billion dollar industry. So how do you respond to your sellers when they solicit your opinion – "Should we remodel or not and if so, what should we do?" http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1113&z=0Responding to worsening conditions in the nation's housing and financial markets, single-family home builders continued to slow the pace of new construction in June, according to the latest data released by the U.S. Commerce Department.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1112&z=0NAR supports the federal government’s actions to promote the availability of home mortgage credit during a period of stress in the financial markets, says NAR President Richard F. Gaylord.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1110&z=0IndyMac customers were lining up at the thrift's 33 retail branches earlier in the week to withdraw their hard-earned savings, clearly panicking after the financial institution's assets were seized by federal regulators.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1109&z=0House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank released the following statement on pending housing legislation in the House of Representatives:http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1108&z=0Almost a half-million Americans lost their homes to foreclosure in the first half of the year, nearly double the same time a year ago. One industry expert says if the trend continues, we could see one million properties lost to foreclosure across the country by year-end.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1107&z=0Foreclosure Trackers, Inc. announced the launch of foreclosuretrackers.com, a comprehensive online foreclosure data resource featuring accurate, and timely foreclosure data and investment tools.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1106&z=0Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke stood before the House Financial Services Committee and addressed the issue on everyone's minds - the survival of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1105&z=0Builders are reporting that traffic of prospective buyers has fallen off substantially in recent months. A housing stimulus bill now being considered in Congress would provide a temporary tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time home buyers, helping to stimulate sales.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1104&z=0It never fails to amaze me just how bad some investments can be when you're a regular Joe dabbling in the stock market. But here's an investment that will dwarf any returns you'll get in the stock market, bond market or any market for that matter…http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1103&z=0When you took on the responsibility of representing that seller who was in foreclosure, you accepted and entered into a fiduciary relationship – one of placing the seller's interests above your own. So what about your commission?http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1102&z=0Nobody trusts every professional completely, but some professions fare better than others. While 50% of people in a Harris Poll completely trusted their doctor, only 7% completely trusted their real estate agent.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1101&z=0Freddie Mac released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.37 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending July 10, 2008, up from last week when it averaged 6.35 percent.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1100&z=0FrontDoor.com now gives its users access to the extensive archives of designer room makeovers featured on HGTV's hit series, Designed to Sell as part of the site's new feature HGTV's Designed to Sell – Room by Room.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1099&z=0During the week, Steven Vornea closes multi-million dollar real estate deals. On Saturdays, he spends his time delivering food to the needy. Vornea urges others to step up to the plate.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1098&z=081 companies from across the United States were honored at the fifteenth annual Chrysalis Awards for Remodeling Excellence on June 11th at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta during the Southern Building Show.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1097&z=0Century 21 Real Estate LLC announced the relaunch of its Web site, Century21.com. The enhanced site is part of a national initiative aimed at helping consumers better navigate their home buying and selling process.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1095&z=0CRES Appraisal Services, LLC, has announced a major personnel expansion. Five commercial real estate appraisers formerly of Colliers International Appraisal Group in Phoenix have joined CRES Appraisal Services.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1094&z=0The workshops provide property owners and other stakeholders with the tools they need to help residents of Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured and assisted multifamily housing communities to achieve even greater results.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1093&z=0A closer look at HOPE NOW's data shows their published reports greatly overstate the help being provided and that the foreclosure crisis continues to accelerate and overwhelm industry's voluntary attempts to renegotiate unaffordable home loans.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1092&z=0Indymac began shutting down mortgage lending operations this week and said it will cut about 3,400 employees or about 53% of their staff. Prospect Mortgage will acquire the majority of IndyMac Bancorp's retail mortgage branches.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1091&z=0Modest near-term movement is expected in existing-home sales, with a recovery in sales seen during the second half of the year, according to NAR's latest forecast.http://nationalrealtynews.com/content/templates/?a=1090&z=0