According to data from Movoto.com, a real estate site based in California, more than half of American families can afford to buy a new home based on income levels and listing prices. But while the site's user search statistics show high interest in affordable price ranges, the company says buyers find it difficult to purchase short sales and foreclosures and banks are still reluctant to lend.

Clear Capital, a provider of data and solutions for real estate asset valuation and risk assessment, has appointed Jennifer Feickert VP of community relations and Peter Heintz director of capital markets development. Feickert will focus on developing relationships with the company's network of real estate appraiser, broker, and agent partners and implementing initiatives toward servicing client needs. Heintz will represent Clear Capital in New York as the company's liaison to Wall Street and the capital markets.

Title agencies utilizing the Stewart Title Electronic Policy System (STEPS) have produced more than 2 million policies, according to an announcement from Houston-based Stewart Title Guaranty Company. STEPS allows title agencies to create title policy jackets online. It eliminates having to finish policy logs manually and automatically assigns policy numbers, time-stamps the policy, and keeps track of each jacket.

According to RE/MAX, its commercial division has the second most certified commercial investment member (CCIM) candidates and designees in the industry. A CCIM is a recognized expert in the commercial and investment real estate industry that is professionally trained to help commercial real estate owners and investors seal deals in today's challenging marketplace.

The number of California homes going into foreclosure dropped during the fourth quarter of 2010 to its lowest level in more than three years. According to San Diego-based DataQuick, 69,799 Notices of Default (NoDs) were recorded in the state during the three-month period, down 16.2 percent from the prior quarter and down 17.5 percent from a year earlier. California's priciest ZIP codes saw mortgage defaults rise slightly quarter-to-quarter, but defaults still remain much higher in lower-cost areas.

According to a new report released this week by the Nevada Association of Realtors, nearly one in four Nevada homeowners who have lost their homes to foreclosure admit to ""walking away"" as part of a strategic default. The report also revealed that most of the state's homeowners facing foreclosure were not aware of federal and nonprofit programs designed to help them. Sixty-one percent said they'd never heard of the federal government's HAFA short sale program.

Adam Scoville, RE/MAX senior counsel, has been appointed to the board of directors of the International Trademark Association (INTA), a worldwide association that supports and advances trademarks and intellectual property as elements of fair and effective global commerce. Scoville, who joined RE/MAX in 2005, has been active with INTA for over seven years and serves as vice chairman of INTA's Internet committee.

Texas-based Halo Companies, Inc. has acquired Equitas Asset Management, LLC and Equitas Housing Fund, LLC (the Fund). The $20 million Fund is a real estate venture that invests in single-family residential real estate across the United States. It primarily invests in undervalued or distressed properties at or below replacement cost through bank-owned real estate and non-performing mortgages.

On Wednesday, Treasury announced its newest appointments for the leadership team of the Office of the General Counsel within the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) implementation team. The CFPB will have statutory oversight of mortgage lending and the power to set new rules for home loans and other consumer-facing credit products. Len Kennedy will serve as general counsel, and Meredith Fuchs will serve as principal deputy general counsel. Roberto Gonzalez and Michael Gordon will serve as deputy general counsels.

CoreLogic has introduced a new commercial property evaluation service that utilizes more than 7,500 real estate brokers and contract appraisers to provide commercial valuations for lenders, investors, and special servicers. CoreLogic says its system allows users to quickly determine the current market rent for properties more cost effectively than formal commercial real estate appraisals. The new service can deliver a valuation in 10 business days on average, and users can order and track valuations online 24/7.