On October 27, 2009, MLSListings conducted two separate upgrades for Pro.mlslistings.com and MLSListings CA Edition. Both upgrades will enhance the usability on the products, as well as incorporate some rule changes for both Teams and Short Sale Status’.

After much hard work, we have now launched our NEW MLSListings.com website. This website ties in our new corporate branding elements and provides a portal for our corporate presence as well as making it more useful and user friendly to both subscribers and consumers.  Key features found on the new site include mobile search, enhanced property search/listings displays, corporate information, additional consumer and agent resources, news and more. 

In our on-going attempt to provide our subscribers with the most value and access to the most number of listings, MLSListings, Inc., has partnered with MRMLS (Multi-Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc) in southern California to provide read-only access to each other's system.

Rules must not only be made, but enforced. As a cooperative, MLSListings provides a team that is on your side to proactively contact subscribers and correct any errors as they arise to assure the integrity of the data within the MLS.

Even with MLSListings’ Compliance department working full time to enforce agreed - upon standards of practice, there is still a percentage of listings that are not being cooperatively managed. In response to  growing demand from its membership for more assertive action, MLSListings is raising the bar of acceptable standards and assertively enforcing the agreed-upon rules.

DirectConnect recently sat down with the Compliance Manager, Robert Bustamante, to learn more about the role compliance plays in the MLS, common issues they encounter and the increasing enforcement that is taking place. This interview will be the first in a series of articles regarding MLSListings Compliance.

Buyers and sellers are becoming increasingly sophisticated. They expect more from their real estate professional than ever before and are looking for new marketing and productivity resources to help them.  MLSListings, Inc. (MLSL) PERKS Program is designed to give them entrée to the best marketplace products and services.  In the coming weeks, MLSL will introduce and rollout the first of these products—an automated listing syndication from Point2 Technologies.

Point2 Technologies' web-based automated listing syndication solution, part of the industry leading Point2 Agent syndication and website software platform—will now be available to MLSL subscribers for FREE.

The California Association of REALTORS Expo that took place October 6-8 was a key conference for the California Real Estate industry. With over 6100 attendees and 150 exhibitors, it is MLSListings’ biggest customer-facing event and this year there was an excellent turnout at our booth. With the constant traffic, and great interactivity between visitors, MLSL partners and MLSL staff, there was never a dull moment.

A board of directors is a group of people elected by the owners of a business entity who have decision-making authority. Therefore you want to have a board that is not only educated in your field, but has the company's interests in mind. MLSListings' (MLSL) Board of Directors reflects the diversity of the broker community served - drawing from organizations of differing sizes, marketing models and geographies – including Chairman Bill Aboumrad.

After serving as Chairman of the board in 2009, Bill Aboumrad's term is coming to a close as November elections are upon us. DirectConnect recently sat down with Bill Aboumrad to reflect on his experience on the board and what he feels the future looks like for an MLS.

Housing Sales Take A Breather,  Still Up Over Previous Year  

U.S. home prices have risen two months in a row, says the Federal Housing Finance Agency, overseer of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to 0.3% in July 2009 over June, and an adjusted 0.1% in June over April.

 For the 12 months ending in July, U.S. prices fell 4.2%, a vast improvement over the 15.1% year-over-year loss calculated by the National Association of REALTORS® in June.

Echoing the trend is the Case-Shiller Index, which found that home prices in its 20-city index rose by 1.6% in July, compared to June, the third monthly increase in a row.  The Index of 20 cities found that prices from July 2008 to July 2009 were down 13.3% year over year.

 Optimism over housing elevated with a report from the Commerce Department that August new home starts (a record of construction beginnings) rose 1.5% to an annual rate of 598,000. Building permits rose 2.7% to 579,000. Both figures marked the highest numbers since November 2008.  

The Federal Reserve's 12-region survey released September 9, 2009, found that economic activity in all but one region was "firm," "stable" or "showing signs of stabilization." Only the St. Louis region reported "moderating" declines in the regional economy.

The Fed economists were "cautiously positive" about the economic outlook, with third quarter growth expected between 3 and 4%, even while consumer spending remained soft.

That's because, for the rest of us, it's about jobs, not supporting the economy by overusing credit. A continued housing recovery will depend on more than stimulus packages, it will depend on jobs, and they may be slow in arriving. 

The housing market is inching toward recovery with six months of pending home sales up after months of declines, says the National Association of REALTORS®. Yet home prices are continuing to drop, pressured by a recession-led increase in distressed homes and foreclosures.

It's a mixed message. As a home buyer or seller, you may feel a little confused. Is it time to buy or sell, and does the market favor you or not? 

Verizon's done the math.

Eighty percent of people make their home communication services decisions prior to moving in their new digs. In addition, 85% will choose the first service provider that contacts them.

The company's research shows that 65% of home buyers consider broadband services to be important in their new home. Even better, fiber-optic broadband services can add as much as .8% to the value of a home, says spokesperson Toni Lynn Semeah.

Verizon has created a fiber-optic broadband delivery system for phone, Internet, and TV services called FiOS.

FiOS delivers laser-generated pulses of light, riding over hair-thin strands of glass into your home.

The company says it is the only major U.S. telecom company building an advanced, all-digital fiber-optic network on a mass scale – all the way into each individual customer's home.  To make sure your home is eligible for Verizon fiber-optics, check your home's address at www.verizon.com/qualifybyaddress.  

A discount point, or "point" is a lender charge used in conjunction with an interest rate.  It's sometimes called a "discount" point because it's used to discount the interest rate on a prospective mortgage loan.  But how much are points and are they required?

A point is equal to one percent of the loan amount.  If your loan amount is $250,000 then one point would equal $2,500.  Discount points are typically tax deductible for those that itemize primarily because they're a form of prepaid interest.  You're giving the lender $2,500 up front in exchange for the lower interest rate.

Points are always an option, they're not mandatory on every loan.  You should evaluate the option of paying points carefully because the math may not work out in your favor.