Filed under: Economic Data, Housing, Federal Reserve

The Commerce Department reported that housing starts fell 5.9% in February to 575,000. Building permits also fell in February. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg news had forecast starts to fall to between 510,000 to 610,000.

Much of the weakness can be blamed on the weather. You don’t start new construction in the midst of snowstorms and blizzards. Also, with a backlog of unsold existing homes, it becomes more difficult begin new constructions. Builders remain cautious of moving forward too rapidly.

Here is a breakdown of the stats:

Continue reading Housing Starts Fell 5.9% in February

Housing Starts Fell 5.9% in February originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RiverSource Lasalle International Real Estate Fund, Inc - MSN Money
the “Fund”) SLS this day declared a first quarter distribution of $0.085 per share of Common Stock. Dividends on Common Stock will be paid on March 29, 2010 to Common Stockholders of record funds in the RiverSource Family of Funds.

InnVest REIT Reports Fourth Quarter Results - Market Wire
TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire - March 12, 2010) - InnVest Real Estate Investment Trust (”InnVest Our operating performance in 2009 reflected the broader economic environment, with declining demand and increasingly competitive pricing resulting in

EPA Recognizes USAA Real Estate Company With 2010 - Earthtimes
SAN ANTONIO, March 11– The U.S. Environmental Protection Bureau (EPA) has awarded USAA Real Estate Co. a 2010 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award in recognition of its continued leadership in protecting our environment through energy efficiency

Real estate research firm reports 972 foreclosure - Washington Examiner
Even so, February’s count was the fourth-highest on record in Hawaii. RealtyTrac’s marketing communications manager, Daren Blomquist, states its too early to call two months of decline a downward trend. The 972 foreclosure filings works out to one

Monterey Real Estate Firm To Pay Back $315K - KPIX-TV5
the Salinas office of Ed Veronick Mortgage Loans Inc. employed a man named Ronnie Esparza to help bring in Hispanic clients for the company’s loans and other products. Esparza, who wasn’t licensed by the state’s Department of Real Estate

Carlos Slim Tops Forbes List of Billionaires - New York Times
Slim, 70, who built a telecommunications empire after buying Mexico’s state-run phone monopoly two decades ago outside the United States led the ranking — the Japanese real estate tycoon Yoshiaki Tsutsumi. “We’ve been watching Trim for a

Priest pleads guilty to $2.7M real estate scheme - NWI.com
A northern Indiana man pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to a scheme defrauding real estate developers and churches of more than $2.7 million while presenting himself as a priest, court documents stated. Byron “Father Barney” Canada pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in South Bend to 31

Quinlan directors set up real estate firm under Avestus - Irish Times
THE DIRECTORS of property investment firm Quinlan Private have set up a new real estate business under the name Avestus Capital Partners. The move follows the resignation of founding partner Derek Quinlan from the company last year. Thomas Dowd

Paint can be a wallpaper alternative - The Ledger
Elaine Griffin is crazy about stripes - in small rooms and kids’ rooms, powder rooms and halls Bonnie Roberts-Burke, a real estate agent, had 80 feet of stripes painted in her 100-year-old Washington town home. They start in the living room, go

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Filed under: Housing

Dividend Yield: 14.8%
Market Cap: $2.0 billion

MFA Financial (MFA) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that primarily invests in mortgage-backed securities. According to Wall Street rules, a REIT is a corporation that invests in real estate in some form and gets a special tax designation as a “trust” that reduces or altogether eliminates income taxes. In return, Real Estate Investment Trusts must return 90% of their income to investors. This provides for some great dividends for income-oriented investors — such as the nearly 15% yield that MFA offers.

Continue reading Dividend Stock #3: MFA Financial (MFA)

Dividend Stock #3: MFA Financial (MFA) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arlington Richfield: Capital Flowing Into Real Estate - PRLog (free press release)
PR Log (Press Release) – Mar 13, 2010 – There is capital coming into real estate, with lenders and equity investors reporting greater desire and capacity to put money to work in 2010. Speak of a ‘liquidity bubble’ might be overdone, as capital

Real estate agent hailed as a hero after crash  - ONE News
A real estate agent who saved four people after a head-on two automobile crash north of Auckland on Friday has been hailed as a hero. Real estate agent Rob Kuypers was driving his son home from school when he arrived at the crash scene on East Coast Rd at

Foreclosure Auction Software for PA, NJ & DE real - PRLog (free press release)
PR Log (Press Release) – Mar 13, 2010 – For real estate investors pursuing foreclosures at Sheriff Sale auctions in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, Tax Deed auction sales in Pennsylvania and Delaware or Tax Lien Sale auctions in New Jersey

Real Estate : FOR RENT-APARTMENTS - Frederick News-Post
All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or

Real estate agent hailed a hero - New Zealand Herald
A real estate agent who saved four people after a head-on two car crash north of Auckland on Friday has been hailed as a hero. Real estate agent Rob Kuypers was driving his son home from school when he arrived at the crash scene on East Coast Rd at

Real Estate News - The Post and Courier
Houses like this one on the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Tour of Homes are indicative of Kiawah Island’s standing as among the most popular second home markets, according to Barron’s magazine. A recent article in Barron’s financial magazine named

California pension funds get burned again on real - Biloxi Sun Herald
California’s two big public pension funds took fresh hits to their troubled real estate portfolios this week, suggesting the fallout from the real estate bubble hasn’t absolutely run its course. First up was CalPERS, which Wednesday walked away from

Monterey Real Estate Firm To Pay Back $315K - KPIX-TV5
A Monterey County mortgage brokerage company has been ordered to pay more than $300,000 in penalties for using an unlicensed employee to draw in Hispanic clients and engaging in illegal business practices in Salinas, according to the county district

Banking on Grand Bahama Real Estate: Shoreline Bahamas - PRWeb
U.S. and Canadian homebuyers looking to purchase a second or third home for winter retreats or those who prefer a steady diet of sunshine and fresh sea air can begin enjoying a Lucaya Grand Bahama Island home right away. Shoreline Bahamas reports

Salvation Army is a residential real estate powerhouse - Los Angeles Times
By day, Henry Graciani oversees a 54-bed treatment center for alcoholics and drug addicts who come to him broke and hopeless. After work, he makes a swift drive to the $1.3-million Santa Monica home he shares with his wife and three kids

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Research and Markets: Research Report on Chinese Real Estate Industry - Forbes
BusinessWire - Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ffc615/research_report_on) has announced the addition of the “Research Report on Chinese Real Estate Industry, 2010-2011″ report to their offering. Since 2009, with the

EPA Recognizes USAA Real Estate Company With 2010 - Earthtimes
SAN ANTONIO, March 11– The U.S. Environmental Protection Bureau (EPA) has awarded USAA Real Estate Co. a 2010 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award in recognition of its continued leadership in protecting our environment through energy efficiency

Jury selection begins in real estate developer case - WLS
March 9, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) — Jury selection was under way Tuesday in the trial of a Chicago real estate developer, accused of bribing an alderman. The process had been delayed one day to grant a defense appeal. Calvin Boender is accused of

Mexican Tycoon Named World’s Richest Man - Ezega
Buffett, 79, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., was third with $47 billion, a rise of $10 billion led the ranking: Japanese real estate tycoon Yoshiaki Tsutsumi. Ethiopian born Mohammed Al Amoudi was ranked number 64 on this list, with an

AskZenRealEstate.com Introduces Help Me Robin Real - PRWeb
Ask a question about Southwest Florida real estate and get an answer right away from an expert local real estate entrepreneur. AskZenRealEstate.com introduces Help Me Robin – Real Estate Entrepreneur At Your Service to help home buyers in their

Priest pleads guilty to $2.7M real estate scheme - NWI.com
A northern Indiana man pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to a scheme defrauding real estate developers and churches of more than $2.7 million while presenting himself as a priest, court documents said. Byron “Father Barney” Canada pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in South Bend to 31

Report: Citigroup to sell real estate division - Monsters and Critics
New York - US financial conglomerate Citigroup Inc has agreed to sells its real estate division, City Property Investors, to the US-based private equity investor Apollo Management LP, according to reports Wednesday. Apollo stands to acquire 65 real estate investments in 26 countries with a net asset

When You Looking for a Real Estate Agent In Phuket - PRLog (free press release)
PR Log (Press Release) – Mar 12, 2010 – In most cases you are going need the services of a trained agent. And yes, choosing a high-quality real estate agent is crucial. In its place of listing Phuket pool villas warnings, do’s and don’ts, let me

Apollo To Buy Citi’s Real Estate Unit - Private Equity Hub
private equity firm Apollo Management LP has agreed to buy Citigroup’s ( C.N ) real estate investment division, Bloomberg said, citing a person with knowledge of the deal. The inclusion of Citi Property Investors Executive Vikram Pandit told a

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IRS: Higher standard deduction for real estate taxes - Sparta Independent
The IRS wants taxpayers who pay state or local real estate taxes but don’t qualify to itemize their tax deductions, to know that they may qualify for an increased standard deduction. This is the last year that the higher standard deduction for real

HomeGain Survey Identifies Real Estate Agents’ Top 10 - PRWeb
Based on responses from over 1,300 real estate agents and brokers nationwide who completed the HomeGain Realtor Marketing Survey, the results show that they think referrals are the most effective strategy to acquire new clients, with a cumulative

Failed real-estate venture turns investors into - AZCentral.com
Throughout the 1990s, Phoenix-based Right Place Properties had a solid reputation as a boutique developer and real-estate brokerage. It purchased low-rent apartment buildings - about one a year - and renovated them with funds from a small pool of

The Massachusetts Real Estate Law Blog Created by - YAHOO!
The Massachusetts Real Estate Law Blog recently ranked #97 in a ranking of all North American law blogs by Avvo.com . Attorney Richard D. Vetstein, Founding Partner of the Vetstein Law Group, P.C, set out to launch the first ever legal blog dedicated

Tough times continue for Hampton Roads real estate - Daily Press
NORFOLK — “The Good, the bad and the hideous,” “trouble” and “tidal wave” were some of the words used Wednesday to describe aspects of the 2009 real estate market. “We’ve got to wonder: Has the wave really crested?” William C. Throne, of Thalhimer

Real Estate Investment - PR.com
PanamaReals.com is a pioneer of the integrated, multi-service approach to real estate investments abroad. Our management team offers a combined 50 years real estate expertise in both the Central Property Zone Direct London, United Kingdom Property

Commercial Real Estate Foreclosures in Austin Texas - PRLog (free press release)
PR Log (Press Release) – Mar 10, 2010 – “Our phones are ringing again,” stated Leslie H. Cox, president of Central Texas Commercial Real Estate Advisors. For the past two years investors have patiently waited on the sidelines. Now with banks

Vincent & Whittemore has Just Re-Launched VinWhit.com - PRWeb
VinWhit.com is a fresh interactive on the internet resource focused on providing real estate tools, information, and property listings for Westchester County, New York. Created and launched by local Bedford NY Real Estate agency Vincent & Whittemore, the goal

Is Utah headed for a commercial real estate crisis? - ksl.com
SALT LAKE CITY — The Congressional Oversight Panel recently sounded the alarm for another mortgage crisis, this time among the country’s retail and office buildings. The panel chairman warns of “significant bankruptcies among developers and

Real Estate Agents & Brokers - PR.com
Buy or Sell a Franchise Business. We are a Business Brokerage, Mergers and Acquisitions firm, with affiliates throughout the United Says. Our sole purpose is to represent buyers and sellers Gitta Urbainczyk P.A. Lake Mary, Fl Gitta Urbainczyk P

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Real Estate Investing Guidelines To Note Down - PRLog (free press release)
PR Log (Press Release) – Mar 10, 2010 – The most worldwide myth in real estate investing is that you can fetch profits only at the time of rising trend in the real estate market. While it is true those investors make money when the market is in

Sensational Real Estate Professional Is Right At Home With Stanford - 24-7PressRelease.com
Stanford Who’s Who welcomes Nadia Butcher to the ranks of premier professionals due to her phenomenal work in the Real Estate Industry. PERTH, WA, AUSTRALIA, March 10, 2010 / Stanford Who’s Who / — Stanford Who’s Who welcomes Nadia Butcher to the

CT Real Estate Investors Association (CTREIA) Announces Quarterly - Earthtimes
Norwalk, CT, March 10, 2010 –(PR.com)– The Connecticut Real Estate Investors Association, or CTREIA, in association with the Fairfield County Real Estate Investors Association, or FCREIA, is announcing the FCREIA quarterly meeting on Thursday

Phuket Real Estate Markets With Consistent Price Appreciation - PRLog (free press release)
PR Log (Press Release) – Mar 09, 2010 – Buying home, condo or any other real estate property for sale in a market that’s protected from a bursting Phuket real estate bubble is each investor’s dream. Knowing where to look for these bubble-proof

Real Estate : FOR RENT-APARTMENTS - Frederick News-Post
All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or

Tanya Marchiol, CEO of TEAM Investments Hosts Weekly Real Estate Q&A - PR.com
Phoenix, AZ, March 10, 2010 –( PR.com )– Tanya Marchiol, CEO of Team Investments begins weekly twitter sessions to answer everything followers want to know about real estate and real estate investing. The goal of the sessions is to help homebuyers

Spanish Real Estate Firm Doubles Mexico Sales Force - HULIQ.com
Alfa Inmobiliaria, a real estate company based in Spain, today announced that it will double its sales force in Mexico opening 30 new stores throughout the country seeing a growth in the country. Now Alfa will have 60 stores in Mexico. It opened its

Krista Fracke Jacksonville Real Estate - PR.com
Krista Fracke Jacksonville Real Estate Co. is the leading boutique real estate firm in Northeast Florida. The firm was founded to provide a very high level of personal service for our clients. Unlike the national franchise brokers who try to signup

Citigroup Reportedly Agrees To Sell Real Estate Investment Unit To - RTT News
(RTTNews) - Global financial services provider Citigroup, Inc. (C: News ) reportedly concurred Tuesday to sell its real-estate investment business Citi Property Investors under Citi Holdings, to private equity firm Apollo Global Management LLC. The unit

San Francisco To Honor Ideal Real Estate Deals of 2009 - HULIQ.com
The publication aims to honor the boldest and toughest real estate deals. They range from green construction, which has become the new gold in the real estate development, to inexpensive housing and other land deals. On March 24, 2010 not only deals

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Filed under: Bad News, Economic Data, Headline News, Housing

The index for pending home sales is closely watched because it is an indication of final sales. It usually takes about two months for real estate deals to be finished.

The newest numbers are not good. Pending home sales fell by 7.6% in January. The National Association of Realtors index stood at 90.4. A reading of 100 is considered normal. Analysts had expected a rise of 1% in January.

Continue reading Pending Home Sales Drop 7.6% in January

Pending Home Sales Drop 7.6% in January originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to lose money on real estate - Financial Post
Scotia Group Inc. Ihave a buddy who figures he made about $100,000 in the housing market in the last two to three years. That’s not a bad take, but I question whether he really made that much money. No, I don’t believe he’s lying about what he paid

Top 5 Real Estate Funds - Zacks.com
Real estate has weathered rough seas recently, but investments in this sector will continue to play a key role in a long-term portfolio strategy. With comparatively lower initial investment requirements and risk levels, real estate funds are a

Real Estate property for sale in Rajasthan - PR Inside
2010-03-06 10:11:13 - Balaji Properies involves in real estate property for sale in Rajasthan. Balaji properties involves in Real Estate Property Dealing for Buying Property, Selling Property, Investing in India, Rental Properties for Sale, Joint

Findire is an online portal to Advertise your International real - PRLog (free press release)
the shortest time yielding concrete outcomes for your real estate property. The Findire is a logical organically driven web portal. By dealing with us you can achieve excellent results which add to the possibility of a sale or a rental enquiry.

Atlanta Real Estate Firm Ranks #1 in 2009 for Listings and Buyers - Newswiretoday.com
NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Atlanta, GA, United Says, 03/06/2010 - Prudential Georgia Realty, despite what some would call a bad real estate market, had a brisk 2009, with 6,800 sales and a gross residential sales volume of more than $1.5 billion

Real Estate : FOR RENT-APARTMENTS - Frederick News-Post
All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or

Real estate seminars focus on careers, tax credits - Democrat and Chronicle
Seminar on a Career in Real Estate: Real estate sales career in your sights? Contact Dick Lippa at Century 21 Capital Realty for the next seminar or private interview session. 7 p.m. March 8 . Canal Park office complex, 31 Erie Canal Drive, Suite E

A plan to save commercial real estate - CNN Money
NEW YORK (Fortune) — Economists have long been predicting commercial real estate could be the next day of reckoning for the financial markets, with a wave of defaults looming as billions of dollars in troubled loans come due in the coming months

Gloucester supervisors deny 25% real estate tax hike - Daily Press
GLOUCESTER - A proposal to raise the advertised real estate tax rate by a whopping 25 percent met a swift demise Friday afternoon at a specially called meeting of the Board of Supervisors. Supervisors Michelle Ressler and Gregory Woodard pitched the

New Real Estate Website Launches, www.FreeHomeListingOnLine.com - PR Leap
( PRLEAP.COM ) March 6, 2010 - www.FreeHomeListingOnLine.com has begun operations on a national basis, offering home sellers the chance to showcase their property in front of thousands of potential buyers. A basic listing with pic is free

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Move’s 4Q loss deepen amid real estate woes - Denver Post
CAMPBELL, Calif.—Move Inc.’s fourth-quarter loss widened as the on the internet real estate service’s revenue drooped in a still-sluggish market for home buying and renting. The company said Thursday that it lost $4.5 million, or 3 cents per share, during

WSJ’s New York section to launch in April; Murdoch swipes at `certain - Minneapolis Star Tribune
In remarks to the Real Estate Board of New York, Murdoch left few doubts that the new section is another jab at the Journal’s rival. “We believe that in its pursuit of journalism prizes and a national reputation, a certain other New York daily has

Chinese Real Estate Market Becomes the Largest Investment Hotspot in - PR Inside
2010-03-05 03:44:05 - Chinese real estate market starts to rebound since 2009, especially 2009Q2. The sales continue to rise; the scales and growth rates of the sales area and sales value hit the record high. www.shcri.com - Since 2009, with the

Commercial Real Estate Loan Prices Rise in Jan. - Banker & Tradesman Online
Loan prices rose in January due primarily to the downward shift of the treasury yield curve and a modest tightening of whole loan spreads,” said DebtX CEO Kingsley Greenland. “These improvements in the capital markets were partially offset by weak

Real estate services firm CB Richard Ellis names CFO - Washington Examiner
LOS ANGELES — Real estate services company CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. said Thursday that Gil Borok has been promoted to chief financial officer. Borok takes over from Bob Sulentic, who will continue as the company’s president. Borok joined CB

Market Defies Fear of Real Estate Bubble in China - Gainesville Sun
SHANGHAI — The spacious duplex comes with crocodile-skin bedposts, hand-carved bronze doors inlaid with Swarovski crystals — and a $45 million price tag. It is still on the market, but Charles Tong, the developer of Tomson Riviera, a luxury

Complaint over NC real estate dues dismissed - WRAL
RALEIGH, N.C. — The State Board of Elections has dismissed a complaint against the North Carolina Association of Realtors over requiring members to give extra dues to fight local votes over raising the land sales tax. Board members determined on

Lead Generating Real Estate Investor Websites Unveiled - Earthtimes
Plano, TX, March 05, 2010 –(PR.com)– Real Estate investing and website development firm, RealEstateInvestorsWebSites.net now delivers all websites complete with in-built squeeze pages (landing pages) for targeted marketing campaigns. The leads

BVR’s Economic Outlook Update Quarterly Report Now Includes Real Estate Data and Trends - Forbes
BusinessWire - Business Valuation Resources, LLC (BVR) is pleased to announce the addition of real estate market data to the Economic Outlook Update(TM) (EOU), the leading quarterly review of the state of the U.S. economy and forecast of the future–created in part with data from Consensus Economics

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