Real estate search engine gathers more listings

Trulia Inc., a real estate search-engine company, has announced partnerships to display property listings represented by GMAC Real Estate's company-owned offices and ERA Real Estate offices.

GMAC Real Estate is the fourth-largest brokerage firm in the nation.  more...

Iowa real estate market stabilizes

Home sales in Iowa dipped 0.2 percent in August compared to the same month last year, while prices continued their flat streak, according to statistics provided by the Iowa Association of Realtors.

Realtors recorded 3,972 sales statewide in August, down slightly from 4,051 a year earlier.

The overall median price of an Iowa home registered $128,600, up just 0.1 percent from $128,500 a year earlier, but down from $129,350 in July.  more...

Mortgage broker sued for recruiting competitor's employees

A Connecticut mortgage company is accused of illegally recruiting a competitor's employees to gain access to confidential customer lists, loan applications and referral sources.

State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection have filed suit against CTX Mortgage Co., claiming the company violated state law and public policy against corporate raiding and the misappropriation of trade secrets.

Nevada-based CTX allegedly began recruiting employees of Da  more...

Real estate loan applications jump 11.9%

Overall mortgage applications rose 11.9 percent last week on a seasonally adjusted basis from the week before, taken higher by a strong increase in refinancings, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported today.

The seasonally adjusted refinance index increased by 17.5 percent last week to 1,970.8 from 1,677.5 the previous week, boosting the refinance share of mortgage activity to 46.7 percent of total applications -- the highest since February 2005.

"Refinance applications continue to increase as mortgage rates have declined to their lowest levels since the beginning of the  more...

Canadian forecast calls for record real estate sales

Canadian existing-home sales are expected to set a new record in 2006, according to a forecast released today by The Canadian Real Estate Association.

After setting the fifth consecutive annual record in 2005 at 483,233 units, CREA expects national resale housing activity to edge up to 483,265 units in 2006 – an increase of about 0.1 percent.  more...

Colorado expects mortgage brokers to register with state by Jan. 1

Mortgage brokers who want to do business in Colorado must register with the Division of Real Estate by Jan. 1 and put up a $25,000 bond.

Colorado Gov.  more...

Irwin Financial completes exit from conventional mortgage banking

Irwin Financial Corp. has sold its conforming conventional mortgage servicing portfolio for $261 million as part of a strategy to exit the conventional mortgage banking business and concentrate on commercial and nonconforming consumer mortgages.

The sale, to four independent investors, follows last month's $275 million sale of Irwin Financial's conforming mortgage production assets to Freedom Mortgage of Mount Laurel, N.J.  more...

Overnight real estate rates rest

Long-term mortgage interest rates were unchanged Tuesday, and the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond yield stayed at 4.61 percent.

The 30-year fixed-rate average remained at 5.81 percent, and the 15-year fixed-rate held at 5.51 percent. The 1-year adjustable was up at 5.29 percent.

The 30-year Treasury bond yield held at 4.75 percent.

Rates are current as of 7:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Mortgage rate figures are according to Bankrate.com, which publishes nightly averages based on its survey of 4,000 banks in 50 states.  more...