Berkshire’s Peltier Says Bank Settlement Will Fuel Home Sales

Ron Peltier, the executive building Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s real-estate brokerage by acquisitions, said he expects a rebound in U.S. home sales as banks liquidate seized properties after settling foreclosure-misconduct claims.

Transactions will probably rise to about 5 million this year from 4.3 million in 2011, Peltier, chief executive officer of Berkshire’s HomeServices of America Inc., said yesterday in an interview. Existing-home sales will get a boost from lenders like JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Bank of America Corp., which in February resolved claims of abusive foreclosure practices brought by states and the federal government, he said.