Monthly Archives: March 2011

Game-Changer of the Week: Google +1

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Nora Brown

Google’s +1 (say plus-one) button “is shorthand for ‘this is pretty cool’ or ‘you should check this out.’ Click +1 to publicly give something your stamp of approval.” From Google.com: Recommendations when you want them.

The +1 effort, Google’s latest attempt at social networking, won’t replace Google search results. Instead, +1 allows users to publicly recommend websites to their Google/Gmail contacts.

Sound familiar? It’s inspired by… Continue reading

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“Skin in the Game” Rules and 11 Cities Where Home Prices Hit New Lows

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Linda Peal

“Skin in the Game” rules:

Firms who want to package loans and other assets into securities will now how have to retain 5% of the credit risk if today’s SEC draft proposal holds. According to today’s Wall Street Journal, the SEC added its draft proposal today to those of the Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation issued earlier this week. In a move that they hope will lead… Continue reading

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We Want to Hear from You!

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Jason Verlangieri, CUA

At FNC, knowing the industry—past, present, and future—is our business. But we also know that one of the best sources of insight comes from the people in the industry. So we thought it’d be a good idea to open up the floor for feedback, ideas, questions or even a good old fashioned one-on-one challenge.

We want to hear from you. Do you have thoughts or concerns about the state of… Continue reading

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Tech Thursday: The Phone Call is Dead?

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Nora Brown

The phone call is dead.

Yes, most of us carry phones with us at all times, but greater access to telephony has made us more wary of unexpected, interruptive phone calls. “The whole phenomenon of the random personal phone call is pretty much becoming a thing of the past,” this TechDirt blogger says (from the Keep-Up-With-the-Times Department).

Text messaging surpassed phone calling in usage… Continue reading

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Bank of America Donates Homes

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Nora Brown

“We’re going to see how we can be part of the solution,” says Keith Cockrell, marketing president for Bank of America. Today B of A announced that it will donate 10 homes to relocating Detroit police officers, open two service centers and demolish abandoned buildings in the city, reports The Detroit Free Press.

Read more

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Amazing Stats about the Housing Crash that Never Seems to End

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Nora Brown

Last week, FNC’s Residential Price Index revealed that January single-family home prices declined 1.1 percent — and more price weakening is expected going forward.


Photo credit: Business Insider via MGM

Over at Business Insider, Michael Snyder shares 27 Depressing Facts About the Housing Crash that Never Seems to End.

How long do you think the doom and gloom will last?… Continue reading

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Building Permits Down- The Next Step in Housing Recovery?

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Lance Thoet

Last week, I read a blog post from Dave Kansas at the Wall Street Journal that revealed building permits fell to the lowest level in more than 40 years of record-keeping.

Homebuilders Skid After Brutal Housing Starts Data
By Dave Kansas
March 16, 2011
blogs.wsj.com


Photo credit: blogs.wsj.com

Not making so many of ‘em last month.

That homebuilder rally didn’t last long.

Yesterday… Continue reading

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FNC RPI: More Home Price Weakening Expected

Posted on March 18, 2011 by Yanling Mayer

The FNC Residential Price Index (RPI) – the industry’s first hedonic price index built on a comprehensive database combining public records and real-time appraisals – indicates that home prices continue to weaken in 2011, reflecting weak demand and significant downward pressure from the rising share of distressed sales. Based on the latest data on non-distressed home sales (existing and new homes), the FNC National Residential Price Index shows that… Continue reading

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Tech Thursday: JumpScan

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Nora Brown

We looked at QR codes back in October. Where have you spotted QR codes since then? My credit card bill has one, my soda can has one, and I hear they’re even popping up on shampoo bottles.


With the artwork for their upcoming album, the Beastie Boys confused some of their fans. This is not, in fact, a QR code.

Over at Eventbrite, guest… Continue reading

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FNC’s Chief of Analytics on Fox Business News

Posted on March 11, 2011 by Nora Brown

FNC, Inc. released statistics this week pinpointing 2008 and 2009 as the years that saw the worst housing market distress, with more than 25% of foreclosed properties liquidated at more than a 40% discount.

Bob Dorsey, FNC’s Chief Data and Analytics Officer, discussed these findings on Fox Business News with Brian Sullivan yesterday:

Continue reading

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