Incentive Part of Ongoing Effort to Stabilize Neighborhoods

WASHINGTON, DC — Fannie Mae (FNM/NYSE) announced today that people purchasing a Fannie Mae-owned HomePath® property will receive up to 3.5 percent of the final sales price to be used toward closing cost assistance or their choice of appliances. The offer is available to any owner-occupant who closes on the purchase of a property listed on HomePath.com before May 1, 2010.

"Attracting qualified buyers to the market and reducing the inventory of vacant homes is critical to stabilizing neighborhoods and helping the market recover. Many families are taking advantage of the federal homebuyer tax credit to buy a new home so this is a great time for Fannie Mae to offer some additional help," said Terry Edwards, Executive Vice President of Credit Portfolio Management. "Homebuyers have the option to choose between financial assistance toward closing costs or new appliances for their home."

Properties eligible for this incentive are listed on HomePath.com and most listings include detailed property descriptions, photographs, community and school information and more. In addition, many Fannie Mae-owned properties are eligible for special HomePath Mortgage and HomePath Renovation Mortgage financing which offers homebuyers an opportunity to purchase with as little as 3 percent down

Whether you want to become a podcaster or just listen to a few, here are some possible uses for real estate:

Marketing. A quick search for “real estate” in podcast.net, iTunes, or any other podcast directory is all it takes to prove that practitioners and homeowners are beginning to take advantage of this new medium. Hundreds of podcasts are available covering homebuying and selling tips, market conditions in specific local areas, viewpoints of real estate and the economy, real estate investment trusts, real estate investing, and more. At least two technology providers offer services that turn property listings into podcasts. For real estate professionals, podcasting can be a low-cost method of sharing expertise and reaching customers, but it also can be time-consuming and requires imagination to create a program that will keep listeners coming back for more.

Business. In addition to creating and using them as marketing tools, there also are plenty of podcasts that cater to the personal and professional interests of practitioners. Podcasts on local news and issues, the economy, new sales techniques, technology, cultural diversity, and countless other topics can be downloaded and listened to whenever it's convenient.

Company info. Real estate firms and local associations also can use podcasting. Some firms have already begun using podcasts as a way to automatically bring updates on benefits and company information to sales associates who spend most of their time working away from the office. Associations also can offer podcasts on local industry news, recordings of education sessions and other presentations.

Advertising. Podcast advertising and vodcasting are two trends the real estate industry should keep an eye on. Sponsoring or advertising on a podcast may prove to be a great way to reach niche audiences, but keep in mind that the business models for podcast ads are still very much in their infancy. Costs, potential audience, and the podcast content and update frequency should all be carefully considered when buying ad spots in this new medium.