Freddie Mac offers agent bonuses on REO sales

Freddie Mac is offering a $1,000 bonus to agents who represent buyers of "HomeSteps" properties from its inventory of real estate owned (REO) homes in 20 states, and $500 to listing agents.

The HomeSteps winter sales promotion, which kicked off today, applies to offers received between Nov. 15, 2012, and Feb. 28, 2013, and closing on or before April 15, 2013, for properties in Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Investor purchases, auction sales, sealed-bid sales or bulk sales are not eligible for the program. At the end of September, Freddie Mac had 50,919 REO homes in the HomeSteps program, about two-thirds of which were located in those 20 states.