As the rise in single-family rents slows and operating costs increase, Radar Logic stressed the need for institutional investors to focus on properties sold at steep discounts in order to yield a profit from rentals. While institutional investors tend to pay less for single-family homes compared to individual homebuyers since they buy in bulk, the discounts offered for properties vary widely, depending on the market, Radar Logic explained. In order to pinpoint markets where investors are finding the biggest discounts, Radar Logic tracked prices paid by large-scale investors in some 300 metro areas.

The American Dream is still alive, and a recent survey from Gallup provided the data to support this conclusion. According to the survey, more than half of Americans (56 percent) own and plan to continue owning, while 25 percent say they don't own but plan to in the next 10 years, which means 81 percent of Americans either own or have the intention to. The research company, however, noted that the current share of overall homeownership found is actually the lowest since the question was first posed in 2001.

Crain's Cleveland Business recognized George Mehok, Safeguard Properties' Chief Information Officer, with the CIO of the Year award. Mehok received the award in the large private company category.

Despite a drop in new listings, home sales in Colorado continued to trend upward, the Colorado Association of Realtors (CAR) reported. Home sales, which include single-family residents, condos, and town homes, jumped 16 percent to 18,343 in the first quarter of this year compared to the same quarter a year ago.

While the March jobs report delivered disappointing numbers, the strength in construction employment offers encouragement, Freddie Mac explained in its economic and housing outlook report for April. Construction jobs have been ""accelerating"" in recent months, with net construction job growth representing 15 percent of all job gains over the last six months, the report stated. ""Construction employment is showing signs of life, which should help to improve the overall macroeconomic picture,"" said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac VP and chief economist.

Demand for distressed properties from investors is contributing to the recovery, not creating an artificial one, according to Pro Teck's Home Value Forecast for April. One of the catalysts driving the housing market rebound has been large investment funds, which are buying distressed single-family homes to be used as rentals. ""These funds have also been renovating homes, which has helped to improve the overall conditions of the surrounding neighborhoods and provided a positive injection of capital,"" said Tom O'Grady, CEO of Pro Teck.

Aspen Grove Solutions, a provider of property solutions software, appointed Denia Graham to serve as VP of client solutions.

As more details of the foreclosure settlement emerge, additional concerns and questions continue to be raised. During a hearing before a Senate committee, Debby Goldberg of the National Fair Housing Alliance addressed a handful of those concerns. One issue dealt with how the 13 servicers part of the settlement would receive credit for the $5.7 billion in mortgage assistance they agreed to provide. Goldberg says that unlike the national mortgage settlement (NMS), the Independent Foreclosure Review settlement ""bases the amount of credit the servicer receives on the unpaid balance of the loan, rather than the amount of assistance provided to the borrower.""

RealtyTrac expanded its analytics team with the hiring of Jake Adger as chief economist. Adger's role will require him to lead a new department responsible with conducting original economic housing research and developing new products and services.

Although about 50,000 checks from the recent foreclosure settlement have been cashed or deposited as of Monday, according to the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), not all recipients were able to cash their checks due to insufficient funds. In a statement issued Wednesday, the Fed announced ""early problems with some checks have been corrected"" and ""funds are available to cash all checks."" The Fed stated early recipients of the checks called the Fed's consumer helpline on Tuesday after being told their checks could not be cashed.