Give the people what they want: RealPage to offer free apartment data on its website

For no charge, RealPage is offering its rent and occupancy data on millions of U.S. apartments for free, citing the importance of data to due diligence and competition in the multifamily market. Visitors can access the data through the “Explore” feature on RealPage’s website.

House Sets Sights on Flood Insurance Extension

Congress has until July 31 to extend the National Flood Insurance Program or risk a lapse in coverage for 5 million homeowners.

Help Your Clients Prep Before Disaster Strikes

Pass these tips on to homeowners so they can get equipped for a storm, flood, or hurricane.

Federal Court Says FHFA Structure Is Unconstitutional

Judges say the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which is run by a single director, is “unconstitutionally insulated from executive control.�

Many Owners Lack Sufficient Insurance to Cover Disasters

Limits on their home insurance policies are too low to cover the full cost of repairing or rebuilding.

Realtor.com® Updates Make Searches More Seamless

The site launched several enhancements this week to improve load times and enable side-by-side listing comparisons, among other items.

Home Shoppers Get ‘Extra Time to Find the Right Home’

Mortgage rates barely budge, giving borrowers some breathing room in their real estate search, Freddie Mac reports.

Did the Feds clean up Miami’s dirty real estate market?

A study conducted by economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the University of Miami indicate a 95% decrease in home purchases by shell companies and other corporate entities in Miami-Dade County, according to an article by Nicholas Nehamas and Rene Rodriguez for the Miami Herald. However, there is speculation that shell companies are now “substituting� new ways to buy property.

Rebecca Steele, the “face of the housing crisis,” finds new home at nonprofit credit counselor

Once dubbed “the face of the housing crisis,� Rebecca Steele has now been hired as the president and CEO of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. In her new role, Steele will build support and momentum for the NFCC national member network of nonprofit organizations, and in addition to this, she will leverage her 20 years of financial services experience to improve the organization and push forward its consumer-focused programs.

American Land Title Association CEO Michelle Korsmo stepping down

For the first time in nearly seven years, the American Land Title Association will soon have a new leader. The trade group, which represents more than 6,200 title insurance companies, title and settlement agents, independent abstracters, title searchers, and real estate attorneys, announced this week its longtime CEO, Michelle Korsmo, is stepping down to move to a vastly different industry.