http://www.flippist.com Tue, 03 Jun 2008 21:30:57 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en One small step forward in doing away with the strange and inefficient quirks of both the MLS system and the strange disconnect at times between buyers/sellers/agents/brokers: The Justice Department gave a boost Tuesday to online real estate brokers - and potentially their clients - by forcing new industry policies that give ... http://www.flippist.com/settlement-reached-for-online-real-estate-agents/ Well, maybe, according to this: But with home prices falling and families losing their homes to foreclosure, some people who under other circumstances would be looking to buy their first home now see greater security in renting. One such person is Lisa Chesnut, who lives in Tucson, Arizona, and works as an ... http://www.flippist.com/first-time-home-buyers-a-dying-breed/ If you've been hoping that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is going to start paying your mortgage out of the kindness of his heart, think again: Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Thursday that many proposals being put forward to deal with the housing slump would do more harm than good. While he still ... http://www.flippist.com/paulson-rejects-government-bailout-plans/ Not really a surprise for anyone that's been paying even half-attention, but the third quarter numbers for foreclosures in the US don't exactly paint a pretty picture: The Mortgage Bankers Association in its quarterly snapshot of the mortgage market released Thursday said that the percentage of all mortgages nationwide that started ... http://www.flippist.com/home-foreclosures-hit-record-high/ It looks like the writing is on the wall, as far as the knee-jerk mortgage rate freeze plan becoming a reality. Some highlights include: Another person familiar with the matter said the rate-freeze plan would apply to borrowers with loans made at the start of 2005 through July 30 of this ... http://www.flippist.com/five-year-mortgage-rate-freeze-plan-finalized/