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Realtors see first bump in income in a decade

By Inman News, Monday, May 14, 2012.

Median gross income for the typical Realtor rose for the first time since 2002 last year, though net income fell, according to the National Association of Realtors' 2012 Member Profile.

The median gross income of a Realtor increased 2.3 percent to $34,900 in 2011, with brokers and broker associates earning a median $48,400 and sales agents earning a median $27,200.  more...

New Freddie Mac CEO takes pay cut Premium Content

By Inman News, Monday, May 14, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-152701p1.html?cr=00&pl=edit-00">Frontpage</a> / <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/?cr=00&pl=edit-00">Shutterstock.com</a>

Freddie Mac's new chief executive officer, former JPMorgan Chase & Co. executive Donald H. Layton, will make just a fraction of what his predecessor did.

Layton -- who retired from JPMorgan Chase in 2004 as head of the company's financial services unit, which included the fourth-largest mortgage firm in the U.S. -- has resigned his position on the board of American International Group (AIG) to take over at Freddie Mac, where he will earn a base salary of $600,000 a year, the mortgage giant said in a regulatory filing.  more...

6 cool apps for real estate agents Premium Content

By Bernice Ross, Monday, May 14, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=90496231" target=blank>Tablet PC and smartphone</a> image via Shutterstock.

With the exponential increase in the use of smartphones and iPads, real estate apps are springing up everywhere. The question is which apps are right for your business?

What's new at your local app store that you may have missed? Here is a list of apps that you may want to consider adding to your smartphone or tablet.  more...

Overcoming challenges of borrower-ordered appraisals

By Jack Guttentag, Monday, May 14, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=62699218" target=blank>Mortgage issues</a> image via Shutterstock.
Having borrowers purchase appraisals directly from appraisers is not a good idea because borrowers could shop for the appraiser that would do the borrower's bidding. But in purchasing appraisals through appraisal management companies, borrowers would have very little leverage -- much less than lenders because each borrower transaction would be a one-shot deal.  more...

Walk Score wants to get you on your bike, too

By Inman News, Monday, May 14, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=57818200">Bicycle commuter</a> image via Shutterstock.

Walk Score -- the Seattle-based developer that helps homebuyers and renters find "walkable" and transit-friendly communities -- is celebrating Bike to Work Week by expanding its scope to include "bikeability" ratings.

The new Bike Score -- which is based on the factors like bike lanes, hills, road connectivity, and the percentage of people in an area who bike to work -- is initially available for what Walk Score has identified as the nation's "top 10 most bikeable cities."  more...

4 traits of happy homeowners

By Tara-Nicholle Nelson, Monday, May 14, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=78076867" target=blank>Happy homeowners</a> image via Shutterstock.

If someone were to chart it, I'd guess that the bell curve that represents how happy American homeowners have been over the last 10 years would be just about as volatile as the one that represents home values.

Actually, the emotional roller coaster might even be a carbon copy of the path of home prices from peak to trough, as the joy and exuberance most owners express about their homes at any given moment is directly proportional to what it's worth at the time.  more...

8 things to know about buying a home today

By Dian Hymer, Monday, May 14, 2012.
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The home-sale market is showing signs of life. More buyers are confident now than they were a year ago that now might be a good time to buy. Interest rates are near all-time lows and home prices in some areas are back to 2002-2003 levels.

Some analysts are finally suggesting that we may be headed for recovery. If you have a secure job, plan to stay put and feel this is the right time for you to buy a home, consider the following.  more...

8 luxury rentals for the very well-heeled

By Inman News, Monday, May 14, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=79848433">Swimming pool</a> image via Shutterstock.

Say "rental." The word conjures some pretty scary images: a sixth-floor walk-up, a basement mother-in-law, or some other way-less-than-upscale unit carpeted with worn-out wall-to-wall shag. We've all been there, done that.

But there is another level of rental properties that is nothing short of top shelf. These rentals are the crème de la crème of real estate, complete with huge footprints, stunning views, indoor pools, and blowout gourmet kitchens that let you know you're not in Kansas -- or an apartment complex -- anymore.  more...

PlanetRE adds rental tools to Socialite CRM

By Inman News, Monday, May 14, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=86441311">Social network</a> image via Shutterstock.

Real estate software provider planetRE has updated its customer relationship management (CRM) platform with new tools and technologies targeted for residential property rentals and management.

PlanetRE's Socialite CRM launched last summer as a "single sign-on" (SSO) platform that combines social media relationship management on Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter with paperless transaction management.  more...

Move Inc. to launch Realtor.com TV channel Premium Content

By Andrea V. Brambila, Monday, May 14, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=90978809">TV remote</a> image via Shutterstock.

Realtor.com operator Move Inc. says it will venture into the television landscape this year by launching an on-demand video channel devoted to property listings.

Move announced today that it will launch the Realtor.com Channel with RealBizMedia, a provider of home tours and videos online and on television.  more...