We asked you, “How would you rate the real estate industry’s living up to standard practices and procedures designed to protect against lawsuits?” Here’s how you responded.

Reports from around the country

We asked you, "Do you believe that real estate and other licensees should be penalized with revocation of professional, driver's, and sport licenses as punishment for delinquent child-support cases?" Here's how you voted.

Yellow Light Special: RESPA reform may take some time, says HUD

The real estate franchise giant HFS Inc.'s announcement that it is looking to buy more residential brokerage companies is not a threat to smaller companies. Also: Sales of previously owned homes dipped slightly, housing affordability conditions slipped, and a new medical study finds electric power lines less harmful than assumed.

HUD announced inner-city first-time homebuyers will be eligible for a second round of FHA up-front reductions on mortgage insurance premiums. Also, a new financing option becomes available, Prudential launches commercial mortgage conduit, and Quicken to offer mortgages.

Lighthearted stories from the the real estate field.

We have to work harder to meet the needs of nontraditional families, including single parents, blended families--families in which parents share custody of children from previous marriages--and nontraditional couples.

Announcing the winners of the 1997 Distinguished Service Award of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, a partnership between State Farm and Neighborhood Housing Services of America, and a win in the challenge to an ordinance that banned the use of yard signs.

Sun Belt referral program at Windermere Real Estate, Coldwell luxury sales up, and former President Ford at RE/MAX conference.

Real estate practitioners around the country may soon be face-to-face with more police officers than ever before. Don't sweat it, though. The men and women in blue may be helping salespeople see more green.