| Apr 19, 2012 5:12PM "A change is afoot when it comes to short sales ," RealtyTrac said on Thursday, releasing new data which indicate, based on January's numbers, that pre-foreclosure sales (most of which are so-called short sales) in the first quarter were the highest since the first quarter of 2009. In theory, the company said, a short sale has long been viewed as an "elegant solution" to the nation's foreclosure problem. A short sale, in which the lender accepts less money than it is owed, provides a win-win-win... Apr 19, 2012 1:55PM After two years of bouncing around a bottom, remodeling activity is expected to pick up later this year, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released today by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University . Stronger pending home sales and continuing low interest rates are contributing to the rise. The LIRA projects annual spending will see healthy growth in 2012, ending the year up 5.9 percent. The Joint Center produces the...
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