Written by Nathan Thomas on August 17, 2004
Real estate is becoming more complex with each transaction bringing about the potential for more and more lawsuits. Real estate agents are increasingly finding themselves caught in the crossfire between buyers and sellers, making errors and omissions (E&O) insurance a necessity. Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 17, 2004
Productivity in the field has never been more important than it is today, with homebuying showing no signs of slowing - existing home sales increased at a record pace in the second quarter, the National Association of REALTORS® said. Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 17, 2004
Adjustable-rate loans (ARMs) are more popular than ever, even though today's low rates have almost nowhere to go but up, but homeowners who opted for this type of loan may be in for more mortgage than they can handle in the next few years. Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 17, 2004
Microsoft said August 6 that it released Windows XP Service Pack 2 to PC manufacturers, and said it would be made available for end users to download by the end of August. What's SP 2? It's a response to security concerns exploited in Windows XP. "Service Pack 2 is a significant step in delivering on our goal to help customers make their PCs better isolated and more resilient in the face of increasingly sophisticated attacks," said Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft. Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 10, 2004
According to a la mode CEO and founder Dave Biggers, technology's role in the appraisal profession has evolved from purely cost-cutting and timesaving to opportunity creation and client retention. Biggers made his remarks in a presentation in San Francisco at the Appraisal Today conference there last week. Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 10, 2004
A Monroe County (Pa.) homeowners association filed a $1.5 billion lawsuit against two developers, two appraisers and 25 financial institutions last week in federal court in Pennsylvania. Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 10, 2004
Fifteen years ago this week the first President Bush signed into law the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA), Title XI of which created today's appraiser regulatory structure, administered by the states to national standards maintained by the Appraisal Foundation and its boards. Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 5, 2004
The robust housing market in America has broken records once again as the homeownership rate rose to an all-time high of 69.2 percent and sales of existing single-family homes rose 2.1 percent in June to a [seasonally adjusted annual rate] of 6.95 million units. Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 5, 2004
Fueled by low mortgage rates, alternative loan programs and baby boomers in their peak-earnings years, the second home market is experiencing a boom of its own, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 5, 2004
While some homebuyers may stumble across their real estate agents by answering ads for property sales, more and more are starting to shop for their agents before even beginning the house hunt. Read more...