Real Estate News – August 10, 2012

About a third of all Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans refinanced in June went through the recently revamped Home Affordable Refinancing Program (HARP). That’s up from a 20 percent share in April (via REALTORMag): http://ow.ly/cRZLc

FHFA Questions Plan to Seize Underwater Mortgages (via REALTORMag): http://ow.ly/cS03n

The municipal government in Macomb County, Michigan, sold off its entire “inventory” of tax-foreclosed properties — 650 total — to a single buyer for $4.8 million (via REALTORMag): http://ow.ly/cS08h

What Does Chick-fil-A Have to Do With Commercial Real Estate Activity? (via commercialobserver.com): http://ow.ly/cS0fN

Appraisers are your gatekeepers to gift tax deadline (via Reuters.com): http://ow.ly/cS0nP

A pair of squatters are refusing to leave a Littleton, Colo., home in which they’ve taken up residence, despite a judge’s order to leave. Following an eight-month legal battle, a judge has ordered the squatting couple to vacate the home within two days, but now two weeks later, the couple is still there (via REALTORMag): http://ow.ly/cS0Cg

Trayvon Martin’s mother is asking for money from the homeowner’s association of the gated community where her son was shot and killed by George Zimmerman (via wflx.com): http://ow.ly/cS0Y1