Yahoo! News: Business - Real Estate

Owner of closed mortgage company returns to NH (AP)
AP - A lawyer for the owner of a closed mortgage company being investigated by the state says his client is back in New Hampshire.

Ariz. lawmakers hit reset button on loan lawsuits (AP)
AP - Arizona legislators responded quickly last June when bankers complained that investor-builders were abusing a post-foreclosure protection intended for homeowners.

Fannie Mae to tighten lending standards: report (Reuters)


Reuters - Fannie Mae plans to raise minimum credit score requirements next month and limit the amount of overall debt that borrowers can carry relative to their incomes, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.




Jobless Claims Fall While Home Sales, Consumer Buys Rise (Investor's Business Daily)
Investor's Business Daily - The number of Americans filing claims for jobless benefits fell to a 14-month low last week, the Labor Department said Wednesday, a sign that layoffs are easing as the economy slowly heals.

Good news raises hopes recovery won't fizzle (AP)


AP - A flurry of good news this week — including falling jobless claims, stronger consumer spending and higher new-home sales — suggests the economic rebound, modest though it is, might just be here to stay.




Consumer, labor data buoy optimism on recovery (Reuters)


Reuters - U.S. consumer spending and home sales rose more than expected in October, while new claims for jobless benefits fell sharply last week, suggesting the economic recovery was gaining traction.




Housing data points to rocky rebound (AP)


AP - Sales of new homes rose more than 6 percent in October. But that was only because of strong results in the South.




US new home sales rebound in October (AFP)


AFP - US new home sales rebounded more than expected in October to their strongest pace in more than a year, government data showed Wednesday, suggesting stabilization in the ailing sector.




Rates on 30-year mortgages sink, match record low (AP)
AP - Average rates for 30-year fixed mortgages fell this week, matching a record low set last spring and more than a full percentage point below what they were a year ago, Freddie Mac said Wednesday.

Idaho joins fight against foreclosure fraud (AP)
AP - Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden is teaming with federal regulators and 26 other states to get tough on foreclosure rescue fraud.

U.S. new home sales rise sharply in October (Reuters)


Reuters - Sales of newly built U.S. single-family homes in October rose more than expected to their highest level in a year, data showed on Wednesday, pointing to a stabilizing housing market after a three-year slump.




(AP)
AP - AIG and former Chairman Greenberg agree to settle all legal disputes.

October U.S. new home sales seen rising 2 percent (Reuters)
Reuters - Sales of new U.S. single-family houses likely climbed in October, but forecasts varied widely on the impact of the first-time homebuyer tax credit, a Reuters survey found.

Colo. acts against 10 foreclosure-rescue companies (AP)
AP - Ten more loan-modification firms have agreed to comply with Colorado laws or be barred from doing business in the state.

Business Highlights (AP)
AP - Reports on GDP and consumers signal modest rebound

Mo. home buyers could be eligible for tax break (AP)
AP - Missouri residents who buy a house in 2010 could get a property tax break.

Officials highlight Nevada mortgage fraud problem (AP)
AP - U.S. Sen. Harry Reid joined federal and state officials at an event in Las Vegas highlighting law enforcement efforts to identify and prosecute mortgage fraud in Nevada.

Fannie Mae: No investors for 15 days (AP)
AP - Fannie Mae says it won't consider offers from investors to buy its foreclosed properties until they have been on the market for 15 days.

Maine single-family home sales rise in October (AP)
AP - Maine real estate agents say sales of single-family homes in the state are up for the fifth consecutive month.

Va. man pleads guilty in mortgage loan scheme (AP)
AP - A Virginia Beach man faces up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud in connection with a mortgage loan scheme.