From C.A.R.

  California home sales and median price are predicted to improve only slightly in 2012, as the continuation of the tepid economic recovery, uncertainty about the future, and funding challenges for residential mortgages are expected to keep the market moving sideways, with little foreseeable momentum in either direction, according to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ (C.A.R.) “2012 California Housing Market Forecast” released today.    The forecast for California home sales next year is for a slight 1 percent increase to 496,200 units, following essentially flat sales of 491,100 homes this year compared to the 491,500 homes sold in 2...

From the Wall Street Journal

  The National Association of Realtors, which publishes the monthly report on sales of previously occupied homes, said it will release revisions to home sales for 2007 through 2010 and for the first 10 months of this year. The data is scheduled to be released on Dec. 21, along with the group’s monthly report on home sales in November. Earlier this year, outside analysts called into question some of the assumptions behind the trade group’s data. For example, CoreLogic Inc., an independent housing data firm, found a far smaller number of home sales by tracking property records through local courthouses. The Realtors group cited several reasons for...

From Reuters.com

New York's highest court allowed the state on Tuesday to proceed with a lawsuit that had accused First American Corp and its eAppraiseIT unit of colluding with the former Washington Mutual Inc to fraudulently inflate home values.  The Court of Appeals rejected the defendants' argument that federal law precluded New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman from pursuing claims alleging fraud and violations of real estate appraisal independence rules. It upheld a June 2010 ruling by an intermediate state appeals court.  The eAppraiseIT unit is now part of CoreLogic Inc., which was created when First American split last year into that company and First American...

IVAR

The Asian Real Estate Association of America, Inland Empire Chapter proudly presents the "Inland Empire Parade of Homes....Where Dreams Come Home!" on November 5th and 6th. This event, presented in alliance with Chase, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and Neighborhood Housing Services of the Inland Empire, will include a Homebuyer Educational Seminar at the Hilton Ontario Airport followed by guided bus tours and open house events.  Our goal is to help homebuyers purchase their dream homes and eliminate vacant homes in our communities by placing families into homes.  Click here to view the flyer and learn more. Or register online as an agent at www.areaa.org/ie. ...

RealtorTek.IVAOR.com

The first ever IVAR REALTORS and Technology Conference is less than 24 hours away! Members register for FREE at Realtortek.IVAOR.com. This event features six breakout rooms, 34 exhibitors, stage presentations, instructional workshops and more. Learn more at RealtorTek.IVAOR.com. Non member registration is just $20.  ...

LATimes.com

  Uncle Sam is about to take a first tentative step out of the mortgage business by lowering the size of home loans that the federal government will guarantee, and it's already hitting California neighborhoods with higher costs and bigger down payments.   The downward adjustments have ignited outcries from California politicians and sparked a campaign by the state's largest real estate group and its national partner to extend the higher limits; they argue that the Golden State's housing market and economy can ill-afford another setback to recovery.   "This is just going to kill us," said Beth L. Peerce, president of the California A...

From Realtor.org

  BofA Reaches out to NAR on exiting its correspondent mortgage lending business. Rumors had been circulating for weeks that Bank of America (BoA) was planning to exit the correspondent mortgage lending business. On August 31, 2011, BoA confirmed this announcement and immediately requested a conference call with NAR Leadership. The purpose of the call was to provide information to NAR regarding BoA's decision to leave this line of business, outline itsnext steps and to assure NAR that the bank willcontinue to be a driving force in the home lending business. During the call, BoA confirmed that it will be exiting the correspondent mortgage lending business and intends t...