INDUSTRY NEWS The latest industry news offers an encouraging outlook for home buyers and sellers: • The National Association of Realtors said existing home  sales rose 1.7 percent in August to the highest level since  February 2007. • Sales of new homes rose 7.9 percent in August, and  were 12.6 percent higher than in August 2012. • Single-family home starts were up 7 percent in August  and hit their highest level in six months, said the Commerce Department. • CoreLogic reports that nationwide home prices were  up 12.4 percent year-over-year in August. • According to Bankrate’s Financial Security Index,  55 percent of Americans say they expect home values  to rise over the next 12 months.

WHAT'S NEW On Sept. 30, Weichert launched a radio advertising campaign  that will coincide with the fall listing market and reach more  than 6.3 million consumers throughout the entire  company-owned footprint. The Weichert radio ads will run  on more than 30 AM and FM stations in the New York,  Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., metro areas, and will be  read by announcers during traffic, weather and sports reports between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.  This provides maximum exposure during the times when people listen to  the radio most.

BY THE NUMBERS Weichert Enters 37th State Weichert Real Estate Affiliates announced its first franchise  company in Washington State with the signing of Olympia- based Reynolds Real Estate. Managed by Broker/Owner  Randy Reynolds and his son, Ryan Reynolds,  a company vice president, the company will now operate as WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Reynolds Real Estate.  In addition to bringing the Weichert way of doing business  to the Northwest, the affiliation of this highly regarded company  brings the total number of states in which Weichert has  franchise offices to 37, according to Marty Rueter,   president of Weichert Real Estate Affiliates.