– HUD gives Fla. $49.6M for affordable housing Nationwide, HUD granted a total of almost $1.8 billion, with the top amount, $321.5 million, going to New York.
– HUD: $7.5 million to fight housing discrimination Only two Fla. enforcement groups received funds: Jacksonville and Broward County will split about $100,000. Foreclosure settlement: Fla. to get $8.4 billion About $170M for foreclosure victims, rest for underwater owners; will take up to 9 months to identify beneficiaries.
– Realtor University Approved for Master of Real Estate degree program The Master of Real Estate degree, available online, includes five areas of concentration. First course starts Feb. 27. Trulia: 1 in 3 home searches cross state lines Trulia analyzed users’ locations and where they searched for a home....
– Fannie Mae expands online offers for HomePath properties An Orlando-area pilot program goes national. Realtors now submit offers online and track status through HomePath.com.
– Aid for military families facing foreclosure Hope Now, a private lender alliance, will start to focus on military families at risk of foreclosure.
– Survey: Apartment industry continues recovery Survey: Multi-family market continues upswing as developers play catch-up to growing consumer demand for rental housing. NAHB: Nearly 100 house markets improving Seven Fla. metro areas have shown consistent improvement for at least six months, with Miami new entrant on latest list.
– Short sale sellers need to close in 2012 If lawmakers don’t extend break and a bank nixes $100K in short sale debt, it could cost a taxpayer in 25% bracket $25K.
– CoreLogic releases 2011 home price stats Fla. better than nation overall with a 3.3% price drop compared to 4.7%; prices down only 0.9% without distressed sales. Florida Realtors to launch new data system soon Jan. 2012 report to launch new housing market data system; includes only statewide numbers...
– Obama details broader housing refinance plan NAR-supported plan faces uphill battle; but, if passed, could help underwater owners refinance at lower interest rates. UF: Fla. consumer confidence surges upward in January U.S. consumers may be a tad gloomier, but Floridians’ outlook surged 7 points; economic expectations rose 14...
– Consumer Confidence Index decreases slightly The Conference Board says American’s confidence rose in Dec., but it dropped back to Nov. levels in this month’s survey. HUD: Sexual identity a protected class Starting in March, all HUD-run programs will ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, including FHA mortgages. EEM...
