Technology

Existing home sales rose 7.8 percent to 4.82 million in August the highest level since May 2010 the National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday. The median price of an existing single in August was $187,400, down $400 from July but up $16,200 or 9.5 percent from August 2011. Economists had expected the sale pace to be 4.55 million. The percentage gain in sales was the strongest since last August when sales improved 8.9 percent month-over-month, the strongest month-month gain of the year.

Twenty-four percent of loan officers think their firm leaders lead with "unclear" and "illogical" visions, according to a recent survey. Hammerhouse, LLC, a recruiting and strategic growth firm for the financial services industry, recently released a survey it conducted with loan officers. The findings touched on leadership, culture, business, and technology for loan officers from around the residential mortgage lending industry. Thirty-two percent of mortgage industry professionals believe their firm's technology needs an upgrade.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is receiving industry support for its revisions to mortgage-related guidelines on condominium properties. Having been adamant about the need for changes to the previous standards, the Community Associations Institute (CAI) recently spoke out in support of the FHA's decisions, which the group says will create greater stability in the condo market.

Lending specialist A10 Capital has announced the appointment of a new head of business development for the company's Tri-State market. Adding industry veteran Bruce Dashevsky, A10 is gaining a new leader for development efforts throughout Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York.

The CEO of Hope Enterprise Corporation/Hope Credit Union (HOPE),Bill Bynum, has been appointed to a leadership position with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Bynum was named the vice chairman of the organization's new initiative, the Consumer Advisory Board.

In London, a home that's considered to be the largest single-family residence in the city has hit the market for a mind-blowing $484 million. According to Curbed, if the home achieves anything close to its list price, it will become the most expensive property ever sold in London.

TD Bank is capturing the consumer perspective on the American Dream of homeownership, recently releasing the results of its Home Buyer Poll. Among TD Bank's most significant findings - statistics showing that women are nearly 10 percent more likely to aspire to purchase property than men. According to TD Bank's survey, 64 percent of women believe that homeownership is "essential in defining the American Dream."

Before the Five Star Conference went into full swing last week, one firm, Valuation Vision, announced the participation of one of its members at one of the industry event├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós noteworthy academic courses. The Oceanside, California-based valuation products company, a subsidiary of The Kirchmeyer Group, revealed that Bill Mohler, director of product development, would join other distinguished panelists in the class titled ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├àÔÇ£Opposing Values: BPO vs. Appraisals vs. Desktops vs. AVMs.├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├é┬Ø

First time claims for unemployment jumped 15,000 to 382,000 for the week ended September 8, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Several states reported increases in initial claims, as a result of Tropical Storm Isaac, which increased the total by about 9,000. Several states "reported increases in initial claims, "as a result of Tropical Storm Isaac," which increased the total by about 9,000. Economists had predicted a smaller increase, to 370,000.

Online lending continues to boom, and at least one mortgage-shopping website is reporting that the housing market is heating up, based on site statistics. Citing strong findings from August, MortgageMarvel.com revealed that the number of applications for purchases and refinances submitted during the month quadrupled on a year-over-year basis.