A number of large and small home builders have signed on the implement the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s newest Energy Star guidelines for homes, according to the Phoenix Business Journal. The program kicks off in 2012 and is a step up above the current, which have gradually been improved since being implemented in 1995.

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Remodeling activity was up 40 percent from a year ago, reaching a record level in October, according to the latest BuildFax Remodeling Index.

October's 147.6 reading represents the 24th straight month of year-over-year growth and a 4 percent increase in activity from September. It was also the highest mark since BuildFax started tracking remodeling activity in 2004.

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Potential homebuyers that use a mortgage backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac would pay thousands more over the course of their loan in order to fund the payroll tax cut extension, under a bill passed by the Senate this weekend.

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RealtyTrac released its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for 2011 today, which shows foreclosure filings –– default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions ––were reported on 224,394 U.S. properties in November, a 3 percent decrease from the previous month and a 14 percent decrease from November 2010, MarketWatch reported. The report also shows one in every 579 U.S.

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Congress and the Obama administration are considering having mortgage-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac foot the bill for the proposed extension of the payroll tax cut, the Wall Street Journal reported on its blog.

Having Fannie and Freddie provide revenue would boost the fees that the companies collect from lenders. But builders, realtors and lenders say this would translate into a tax that would be passed on to mortgage borrowers and homeowners.

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Some housing markets are beginning to bounce back, according to data gleaned from Zillow.com and reported by CNN Money. Although home prices are down 4.4% nationwide this year, some markets are seeing very positive increases in home prices.

The markets with the best home price increases:

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The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported on their blog that flawed appraisals might be preventing home sales.

A recent nationwide survey conducted by NAHB indicated that one out of three builders are reporting losing signed sales contracts during the preceding six months because appraisals on their homes are less than the contract sales price.

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The home builder Pulte is launching a new iPad application geared toward home buyers, according to a press release. The new tool captures individual consumer preferences and shows home configurations in real time.

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In the third quarter of 2011, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported that the Multifamily Production Index (MPI) improved for the fifth consecutive quarter.

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On Tuesday, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) announced the full membership of its Housing Commission, according to a press release. Over the course of the next year, the Housing Commission will put together a package of realistic policy recommendations that will address the future housing needs of the nation.

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John Burns Real Estate Consulting indicated that student loan debt will be another stumbling block for the housing market. Faced with mounting student loan debt, poor job prospects and stagnant wages, an increasing amount of 25-to-34-year-olds have moved back in with their parents.

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The latest data from Fiserv Case Shiller shows that national home prices are expected to grow at an annualized rate of 3.2 percent between 2011 and the second quarter of 2016, Business Insider reported.

Business Insider chose the 15 markets with the greatest potential for gains over the next five years.

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Calculated Risk reported that the October CoreLogic Home Price Index (HPI) showed that home prices in the U.S. decreased 1.3 percent on a month-0ver-month basis for the third consecutive month. The HPI is a three-month weighted average of August, September and October (with October weighted the most).

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With the housing market continuing to struggle and fewer consumers being able to purchase a new home or apartment, LendingTree.com released data highlighting the average down payments on residential real estate purchases for all 50 states and Washington, D.C. New Jersey tops the list with the highest average down payment of 13.71%. The state with the lowest average down payment is North Dakota, where buyers put down an average of 11.34%.

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NVR, one of the nation's largest homebuilding and mortgage banking companies, is entering the Tampa Bay area’s home market by introducing their Ryan Homes brand, according to a press release.

Ryan Homes' first three area communities, in St. Petersburg, Seminole and Palm Harbor, feature villa homes and townhomes from the $150s.

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Financial services company Raymond James has upgraded some of the nation’s largest home builders –– Lennar, Toll Brothers and D.R. Horton –– to outperform from market perform, which essentially tells investors to buy shares of the company, the Wall Street Journal reported on its blog.

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In November, jobs grew in metro areas where home prices dropped at least 30 percent during the bust, but construction employment slipped slightly, the Wall Street Journal reported on its blog.

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The Chrysalis Awards and Professional Remodeler will begin several cooperative efforts to showcase the design and construction skills of the industry.

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Home prices and mortgage rates are so low that it is cheaper to own a home –– more so now than at any point in the last 15 years –– than it is to rent in many cities, the Wall Street Journal reported on its blog.

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The Atlantic Cities reported that the Census Bureau showed that only 11.6 percent of Americans moved to a new residence between spring 2010 and spring 2011; the next lowest number was 11.9 percent in 2008.

With home prices depressed and credit tight, Americans are less able to sell their existing homes at a profit or secure financing for a new home. It is believed that being “stuck” is preventing some Americans from moving for a new job, keeping employment levels down as well.

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The number of homes for sale dropped for the fifth consecutive month in October, reaching the lowest level in more than four years, according to the Wall Street Journal’s blog.

The 2.12 million homes listed for sale in October showed a 3.5 percent decrease from September and a 21 percent decrease from one year ago, according to data compiled by Realtor.com.

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San Jose, Calif., Toledo, Ohio, and Athens, Ga., are among the 41 U.S. housing markets to make the NAHB/First America Improving Markets Index (IMI) in December. The IMI tracks markets that have shown improvement for at least six months in housing permits, employment, and housing prices.

Twenty markets were added to the index in December, while nine markets, including Alexandria, La., Fairbanks, Alaska, and Hinesville, Ga., dropped off the list.

The 41 improving markets for December include:

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Homebuying index show prices are down 7.8% in DataQuick’s Top 98 markets

U.S. home prices run 7.8 percent below a year ago in major markets, according to a homebuying index from DataQuick and reported by the Orange County Register.

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New numbers show that housing market conditions are starting to trend upward, according to Radar Logic.

According to the September 2011 RPX Monthly Housing Market Report released today, the RPX Composite Price declined 4.4 percent during the 12 months ending September 29, 2011. The RPX Composite price, which tracks housing values in 25 metropolitan areas across the United States, has been exhibiting year-over-year declines in excess of four percent since February.

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Meritage Homes is set to expand its southeastern presence by moving into Tampa, according to a press release. It is beginning to secure land positions for its new Tampa division and plans to begin building energy-efficient homes in Tampa during the first quarter of 2012.

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