Barack Obama on Tuesday became the 44th president of the United States.

Following a swearing-in ceremony witnessed by hundreds of thousands of onlookers in Washington, D.C., and millions more who watched on television, the new president acknowledged there there will be challenges ahead, but that he will seek to confront those issues without partisanship or divisiveness that has recently pervaded national politics.

“Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered,” Obama said.

The full text of Obama’s speech is available here.

Simultaneous with Obama’s swearing in ceremony, the White House rolled out a new Web site at the previous address, www.whitehouse.gov, which includes details on all aspects of the president’s agenda, including his plans for the economy. The site also has a blog and a section devoted to the White House itself.

The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® plans to work with Congress and the Obama administration to pass an economic stimulus plan that is expected to include many components championed by NAR to improve housing.

NAR’s Housing Stimulus Plan includes both legislative and regulatory fixes. Its focus includes keeping mortgage interest rates low, boosting home buyer confidence, and reducing the current foreclosure rate. It also asks that regulators be encouraged to help financial institutions resolve problems in the short-sale process, make it easier for servicers to modify existing loans, remove unreasonable underwriting guidelines and insist that credit reporting agencies correct errors promptly.

Source: NAR, CNN.com

What a special day… we also heard a special prayer from Dr. Joseph Lowery– I couldn’t help but smile while driving on Joseph Lowery Blvd in West End today .. The West End has so much history!