REAL ESTATE

Wuhan, Chongqing and Chengdu aren't exactly names that roll off the tongue for foreign investors in China's real estate, but these cities may offer more bang for the buck than their more-famous coastal cousins or capital Beijing.

President Barack Obama is mulling new ways to delay foreclosure for jobless homeowners who are unable to keep up with monthly payments, an administration official said on Monday.

Real estate research site Trulia.com says 24.6 percent of current homes on the market in the United States as of July 1, have had at least one price cut, totaling $27.1 billion in reductions.

Lax lending standards alone did not bring about the housing bubble, according to a study by the New York Federal Reserve, challenging the widely held view of the origins of the collapse in home prices.

Most Americans still consider having enough money for downpayment and closing costs to be the biggest obstacles to buying a home

Some Americans are swapping homes for motels as the ranks of the homeless swell during the recession, crowding out shelters and forcing cities and states across the country to find new types of housing.

The Obama administration is asking the largest mortgage finance companies to quicken the pace of modifying home loans and so help more troubled borrowers avoid foreclosure.

Property investors are turning to the student accommodation sector as a would-be phoenix rising from the ashes of the UK real estate market, promising growth in returns and size for at least the next few years.

Direct investments in European commercial real estate fell 42 percent in the first half of 2009, compared with the final six months of 2008, with buyers held back by a lack of bank lending, a report said on Friday.

If you're thinking about buying your first real estate investment, there's good news. There are lots of good deals out there.

Whether you like them or not, online rating Web sites are a reality for today's real estate professionals.

A dramatic rally in bonds of U.S. real estate investment trusts may not be sustainable as the sector faces a protracted slump in property values, low occupancy rates, and weakened credit markets.

U.S. mortgage fraud reports jumped 36 percent last year as desperate homeowners and industry professionals tried to maintain their standard of living from the boom years, the FBI said on Tuesday.

The vacancy rate for U.S. apartments reached its highest level in more than 20 years in the second quarter and could soon exceed record highs if the recession persists, real estate research firm Reis Inc said.

Storing and sharing real estate documents on the Internet translates into higher productivity and better customer service.

Home owners are choosing showers over tubs, despite the long-standing notion that it is important to have a tub for resale value.

Getting a mortgage loan these days can be a slow and frustrating experience.

America's high-end neighborhoods could feel the pain as homes linger on the market and prices slide.

Dutch Bank ABN Amro is in talks to sublease all of its space at the 7 World Trade Center building in New York, the New York Post said on Tuesday, citing sources.

Deutsche Bank AG has agreed to sell Worldwide Plaza, a 1.8 million square-foot skyscraper in New York City, for $600 million to developer George Comfort & Sons and partner RCG Longview, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.

Taiwan's China Development Financial Holding has sold its stake in the Taipei 101 building for an T$860 million ($26 million) profit to a unit of Ting Hsin International group, paving the way for the food company to enter the island's property market.

The U.S. office market vacancy rate reached 15.9 percent in the second quarter, its highest in four years and rent fell by the largest amount in more than seven as demand from companies and other office renters remained weak, real estate research firm Reis said Inc.

Standard & Poor's on Monday boosted its expectations for losses on risky loans backing U.S. mortgage securities to as much as 40 percent, suggesting a darkened outlook for the troubled housing market.

The New York-New Jersey Port Authority on Monday said the World Trade Center developer, Larry Silverstein, had stopped negotiating over his demand for the agency to guarantee his loans for two office towers.

The survey is designed to provide REALTOR® members with an overview of the market performance, sales and rental transactions, current economic challenges and future expectations.

The American Institute of Architects recently released a study, AIA Home Design Trends Survey, showing there is a growing demand away from McMansions and towards homes that are smaller.

It was a good kick-off for the summer season. The pending home sales index figure that was released earlier this month marked a third straight month of rising pending sales. That is certainly welcome and encouraging news.

The home remodeling history has taken a hit in recent months but finally may be starting to show signs of picking up, according to the Web site www.remodelormove.com and its latest Remodeling Permit Activity Report.

Glimmers of hope could not arrive soon enough for America's largest real estate businesses.