Craigslist to charge for broker apartment listings in NY

Craigslist, the nationwide classified ad network, will begin charging a $10 fee for broker apartment listings in New York City in March, the organization announced in a posting on its site.

"After many months of evaluating feedback and deliberating, we've decided to institute a $10 fee for each listing posted to the broker apartment categories on the New York site (both "fee" and "no fee"), starting March 1, 2006," says a posting on the craigslist site.

In general, all listings on the national network have been free, excep  more...

Consumer confidence flat

Consumer confidence improved in early January but then fell back as gas prices rose late in the month, resulting in no overall change to confidence from December to January, according to the University of Michigan's Survey of Consumers released today.

"Consumers view high gas prices as a threat to their living standards and a threat to the ability of the economy to create new jobs," said Richard Curtin, director of the survey.  more...

Company claims California's first e-mortgage closing

The first electronic notarization and electronic mortgage closing in California took place this month in Orange County, according to NotaryPro, the company that facilitated the transaction.

Irvine, Calif.-based NotaryPro coordinated what it called "the first electronic home equity mortgage closing" in the state on Feb.  more...

NAR takes on Wal-Mart's banking proposal

The National Association of Realtors trade group is asking Ben Bernanke, the new chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, to oppose Wal-Mart's pending application to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. for an industrial loan company charter.

"NAR strongly believes that Wal-Mart's effort to obtain a federally insured (charter) will establish a dangerous precedent that will inevitably lead to an erosion of the separation of banking and commerce," said Thomas M.  more...

Overnight real estate rates rise again

Long-term mortgage interest rates were back up Thursday, and the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond yield was unchanged to 4.56 percent.

The 30-year fixed-rate average edged up to 5.81 percent, and the 15-year fixed-rate increased to 5.4 percent. The 1-year adjustable climbed to 4.54 percent.

The 30-year Treasury bond yield slipped slightly to 4.7 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...