Brad Butler's (bradblig01) Blog

Roughly 183,000 at-risk homeowners were provided loan workouts in April, 23,000 more than in March, according to a new report from HOPE NOW, a private sector alliance of mortgage servicers, counselors, and investors working to prevent home foreclosures across the country. The April numbers repres...

Roughly 183,000 at-risk homeowners were provided loan workouts in April, 23,000 more than in March, according to a new report from HOPE NOW, a private sector alliance of mortgage servicers, counselors, and investors working to prevent home foreclosures across the country. The April numbers repres...

The United States is already in a recession and it will be longer as well as deeper than many people expect, U.S. investor Warren Buffett said in an interview published in German magazine Der Spiegel on Saturday. He said the United States was "already in recession" and added: "Perhaps not in the ...

Metro AreaHome Price (median)Price Change (5 years)Forecast (May '09)% change in foreclosure rate (1 year) McAllen, TX $109,000 23.3% 4.0% 23% Rochester, NY $121,000 20.1% 2.7% 5% Birmingham $156,000 29.4% 2.7% 20% Syracuse $126,000 29.5% 2.6% 27% Buffalo/Niagara Falls $105,000 24.5% 2.4% 14% Ne...

Foreclosure filings in 10 communities within 10 miles of a military facility jumped by an average of 217 percent between January and the end of April compared with the same period a year ago - a rate more than four times that of non-military towns and cities, according to RealtyTrac.  Foreclosur...

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index slipped to 57.2 in May, down from 62.8 in April and the lowest level since 1992 when it dipped to 54.6."Weakening business and job conditions coupled with growing pessimism about the short-term future have further depleted consumers' confidence in th...

True or false:  More and more homeowners who owe more than their house is worth are giving their house keys back to the bank?  While anecdotal evidence suggests that mailing the keys back to the bank is occurring, there doesn't appear to be any evidence that the practice has become widespread.

Two-thirds of the nation's 149 metropolitan real estate markets experienced lower home prices during the first quarter of 2008 - the largest number of declines ever reported - and 46 states saw declining sales, according to figures issued Tuesday by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of REALTORS® (NAR).  ...

GREEN TIP OF THE WEEK: WHAT IS AN ECOBROKER®?EcoBroker® is a real estate designation that helps green-minded consumers identify REALTORS® who have received training that addresses "green" home certification programs like Energy Star® Qualified Homes, energy-efficiency, and sustainable design.EcoB...

Sales of existing home sales in March declined 1 percent to 83 units from 83.8 in February, a 20.1 percent decline from March 2007 at 103.9, according to NAR's recent Pending Home Sales Index.NAR reports that agents across the country are reporting an up-tick in interest among buyers, but actual ...