Reuters - As many as 50,000 struggling homeowners in five U.S. states with high unemployment may receive help from a special $600 million federal fund intended to head off foreclosures.

AP - Applications for home loans edged up last week as mortgage rates continued to hover near the lowest level in decades.

AFP - German luxury automaker Daimler said Wednesday that a record performance in China boosted its sales in July, posting its ninth straight double-digit gain despite a weak home market.

AP - AID TO UNEMPLOYED: The Obama administration plans to send $600 million to help unemployed homeowners avoid foreclosure through state-designed programs.

AP - The Obama administration plans to send $600 million to help unemployed homeowners avoid foreclosure in five states.

RISMEDIA, August 4, 2010—Each and every month you invest in occupancy, utilities, technology and other needed items to run your business—those ongoing expenses that you must have, but don’t create revenue. Truth is, the quickest way to a profitable office is to have a team of motivated and well-trained real estate agents.

RISMEDIA, August 4, 2010—With the constant evolution of technology, there’s a real need to keep your online presence current and relevant. From content to cutting-edge buttons and widgets, the improvements are endless. However, I believe that if you start with a few, important strategies for improving your website, they will bring you maximum results.

(Corrects 1st paragraph to show PulteGroup is second-largest
U.S. homebuilder)

(Rewrites, adds estimates, charges, benefits, background,
previous BOSTON)

(Updates with more details about the funds, comments from Treasury’s Allison)

NEW YORK — PulteGroup Inc. said Wednesday it swung to a second-quarter profit of $76 million, or 20 cents a share, compared with a loss of $189 million, or 74 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Quarterly revenue rose to $1.3 billion, from $678.6 million last year, driven largely by the company’s merger with Centex Corp. completed last August. Analysts on average had expected the home builder to post a loss of a penny a share, according to a Thomson Reuters poll.

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

AP - Mortgage rates dropped to the lowest level on record for the fifth time in six weeks, making homebuying and refinancing the most attractive in decades for those who can get loans.

AFP - US bank Citigroup agreed Thursday to pay a 75-million-dollar fine to settle charges it misled investors about exposure to subprime mortgage-related assets, the Securities and Exchange Commission said.

AP - Banking titan Citigroup Inc. is paying $75 million to settle civil charges that it misled investors about its potential losses from subprime mortgages as the housing bust hit in 2007.

Reuters - Citigroup Inc will pay $75 million to settle charges that it failed to disclose to investors $40 billion in subprime exposure in 2007, the Securities and Exchange Commission said on Thursday.

RISMEDIA, July 29, 2010—After getting the keys to their new homes, many first-time home buyers are excited about finally having the opportunity to personalize and furnish their new house. From coffee tables to lamps to lawnmowers, many previous renters leap into homeownership quickly realizing they need to do a lot of shopping to truly make their house a home.

RISMEDIA, July 29, 2010—Reflective of the real estate buyers’ market conditions in many regions in the U.S., satisfaction with real estate companies among home buyers has improved from 2009, while satisfaction among home sellers has declined, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Home Buyer/Seller Study.

RISMEDIA, July 29, 2010—The ability to manage change, a structure that supports execution, employee involvement in decision making, alignment between leader actions and company values and priorities and company-wide coordination and cooperation are the five bridges that enable a company to execute well. But how do you go about building these bridges? First, you need to get comfortable with the fact that it’s a never-ending process. Then, you put certain time-tested tools and techniques in place and implement them relentlessly.

* Ireland has some 300,000 unsold or unfinished houses

* President says Russia lags world in energy efficiency

* Q2 EPS 66 cts vs estimated 58 cts; Revenue down 14 pct

* Foreclosure actions up in 3 of 4 large metro areas in H1
* Hardest-hit markets improve but well above U.S. averages
* Job creation needed to stem foreclosures, boost prices

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- A key U.S. House of Representatives lawmaker questioned whether the regulatory structure governing private mortgage insurers should be changed so the industry shoulders more risk from failing loans.

AP - Mortgage rates were unchanged this week at the lowest point in decades, but it hasn’t been enough to jump-start the housing market.

AP - RATES STAY LOW: Mortgage rates were unchanged this week from a week earlier. Government-sponsored mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said the average rate for 30-year fixed loans this week was 4.57 percent.

AP - A Republican lawmaker says documents show the former Countrywide Financial Corp. may have targeted Senate employees for sweetheart mortgage deals.

AP - Here is a list of foreclosure rates, by state, from January through June. The ratio shows, for example, that one out of every 17 households in Nevada received a foreclosure notice during this period.

Reuters - Banks repossessed a record number of U.S. homes in the second quarter, but slowed new foreclosure notices to manage distressed properties on the market, real estate data company RealtyTrac said on Thursday.

RISMEDIA, July 15, 2010—(MCT)—Some homeowners chase down high-tech solar panels and efficient appliances to make their homes environmentally friendly. Others eschew the latest technology in favor of something far more basic: caves.