document.write("<h1>RISMedia » Consumer News and Advice</h1><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RismediaConsumerNewsAndAdvice/~3/BGRuM4eLtiI/' target='new'>Exceeding Expectations, Pending Home Sales Rise 5.2%</a></h1><h2>9/2/2010 1:50:01 PM</h2><p><p><a href=\"http://rismedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/house_for_sale_agentcouple.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-49157\" title=\"house_for_sale_agent&#38;couple\" src=\"http://rismedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/house_for_sale_agentcouple.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"265\" height=\"176\" /></a>RISMEDIA, September 3, 2010—Following a sharp drop in the months immediately after the expiration of the home buyer tax credit, pending home sales have modestly risen, according to the National Association of Realtors.</p> <p>The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking&#8230;</p></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RismediaConsumerNewsAndAdvice/~3/Pmsad8V71RA/' target='new'>HUD Announces First Look Program to Help Communities Stabilize Neighborhoods Hard-Hit by Foreclosure</a></h1><h2>9/2/2010 1:43:21 PM</h2><p><p>RISMEDIA, September 3, 2010—U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced an unprecedented agreement with the nation’s top mortgage lenders to offer selected state and local governments, and nonprofit<span id=\"more-49150\"></span> organizations a “first look” or right of first&#8230;</p></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RismediaConsumerNewsAndAdvice/~3/otU5V288EJQ/' target='new'>Simple Tips to Update Your Home and Create a Relaxing Sanctuary</a></h1><h2>9/2/2010 1:40:57 PM</h2><p><p>RISMEDIA, September 3, 2010—(MCT)—Some rooms scream &#8220;Help!&#8221; Others say nothing, and that&#8217;s a problem, too. Take the typical bedroom. Michael Payne has seen thousands. &#8220;The bedroom tends to get forgotten—you spend all your money elsewhere in the house,&#8221;<span id=\"more-49148\"></span> said&#8230;</p></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RismediaConsumerNewsAndAdvice/~3/K8WBorVk4A4/' target='new'>FHA Gives Home Buyers One Month Window to Lock in Low Insurance Premium</a></h1><h2>9/1/2010 1:34:30 PM</h2><p><p>RISMEDIA, September 2, 2010—“The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is giving homeowners and buyers until October 4, 2010 to lock in a low monthly insurance premium,” said Gibran Nicholas, chairman of the CMPS Institute, an organization that trains and<span id=\"more-49111\"></span> certifies&#8230;</p></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RismediaConsumerNewsAndAdvice/~3/vPzaeTWE9qM/' target='new'>Real Estate Veteran Offers Cure for Home Seller’s Blues</a></h1><h2>8/31/2010 1:18:43 PM</h2><p><p>RISMEDIA, September 1, 2010—With existing U.S. home sales diving to 15-year lows and millions of homes stagnant on the market, home sellers are suffering increasing anxiety, uncertainty and financial stress. To address these symptoms, motivational author<span id=\"more-49082\"></span> Joan Gale Frank&#8230;</p></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RismediaConsumerNewsAndAdvice/~3/r_Mfkl3ML-8/' target='new'>Home Buyers Are Ready to Move from the Sidelines: Survey</a></h1><h2>8/29/2010 11:00:59 AM</h2><p><p>RISMEDIA, August 30, 2010—Are more Americans positioning themselves for home purchase? Although May’s data showed that home sales were down 26.8% as the home buyer tax credit concluded, a new survey conducted by Relocation.com suggests some families are opting for&#8230;</p></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RismediaConsumerNewsAndAdvice/~3/EEURwRWT3Ok/' target='new'>Weekly Mortgage Rate Report: Rates Fall to New Lows</a></h1><h2>8/18/2010 2:22:37 PM</h2><p><p>RISMEDIA, August 19, 2010—Mortgage rates fell to new lows this week, according to the LendingTree Weekly Mortgage Rate Pulse, a snapshot of the lowest and average mortgage rates available within the LendingTree network of lenders.<span id=\"more-48756\"></span></p> <p>On August 17, lenders&#8230;</p></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RismediaConsumerNewsAndAdvice/~3/913BgRbvO1Q/' target='new'>Housing Starts Rise 1.7 Percent in July</a></h1><h2>8/17/2010 2:04:33 PM</h2><p><p>RISMEDIA, August 18, 2010—Nationwide housing starts inched up 1.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 546,000 units in July from a downwardly revised figure in the previous month, according to U.S. Commerce Department figures released today.<span id=\"more-48730\"></span> The&#8230;</p></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RismediaConsumerNewsAndAdvice/~3/yKYU97j59Rk/' target='new'>The Real Estate Book Introduces New Search Tool for House Hunters on the Go, Launches App for iPhone, iTouch, iPad</a></h1><h2>8/17/2010 2:02:28 PM</h2><p><p>RISMEDIA, August 18, 2010—More Americans are relying on their mobile devices to access information, quickly and easily. The number of people who sought local information on their smart phones grew 51% last year, with the fastest growing method<span id=\"more-48726\"></span> of&#8230;</p></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RismediaConsumerNewsAndAdvice/~3/QwDVYmUAe4Q/' target='new'>What State Has Highest Closing Costs? Bankrate.com Releases 2010 Closing Costs Survey</a></h1><h2>8/16/2010 2:07:16 PM</h2><p><p>RISMEDIA, August 17, 2010—A new study released by Bankrate, Inc. reveals that the costs associated with buying a home may are on the rise. Bankrate&#8217;s 2010 Closing Costs Survey reveals that the average origination and title fees on a $200,000&#8230;</p></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RismediaConsumerNewsAndAdvice/~3/n960hoEAL44/' target='new'>Government to Spend $3 Billion to Help Homeowners</a></h1><h2>8/16/2010 2:04:05 PM</h2><p><p>RISMEDIA, August 17, 2010—The White House said recently it would spend an additional $3 billion to help distressed homeowners in the states with the highest jobless rates to pay their mortgages.<span id=\"more-48686\"></span></p> <p>The latest round of funding pushes the total&#8230;</p></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RismediaConsumerNewsAndAdvice/~3/iNbCUs8dt2I/' target='new'>More and Better Predatory Loan Servicing Fraud</a></h1><h2>8/16/2010 2:02:06 PM</h2><p><p>RISMEDIA, August 17, 2010—As the vast majority of applicants for loan modification have learned, HAMP, the Home Affordable Modification Program, is little more than a thinly disguised mechanism through which to conclude the foreclosure process<span id=\"more-48684\"></span> on behalf of financial&#8230;</p></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RismediaConsumerNewsAndAdvice/~3/FfqIe1wBnBk/' target='new'>Tax Credits Lead to Area Home Sales Bump</a></h1><h2>8/16/2010 1:58:56 PM</h2><p><p>RISMEDIA, August 17, 2010—(MCT)—Home sales during the second quarter of this year increased &#8212; in some cases significantly &#8212; in all but one of 12 west-central Wisconsin counties compared with the same period last year. But that doesn&#8217;t mean good&#8230;</p></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RismediaConsumerNewsAndAdvice/~3/8U51lAmfpaI/' target='new'>Nearly Half of the Homes on the Market in July 2010 Had Prices Cut, According to ZipRealty</a></h1><h2>8/15/2010 11:07:38 AM</h2><p><p>RISMEDIA, August 16, 2010—The number of price-reduced homes on the market increased 5.3% in July 2010 as compared to June, according to a monthly review of MLS-listed properties within 26 of the country&#8217;s largest housing markets conducted by the national<span&#8230;</p></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RismediaConsumerNewsAndAdvice/~3/uzP07ADlYS0/' target='new'>Beware of Foundation Problems When Getting Your Home Ready for the Market</a></h1><h2>8/13/2010 10:03:18 PM</h2><p><p>RISMEDIA, August 14, 2010—Selling a house isn&#8217;t easy these days. There are a huge number of homes on the market, and buyers are easily scared off if they encounter problems that may negatively impact resale value. Among the many issues&#8230;</p></p></div>");