Mar 12
Foreclosures Jumped in January The number of repeat foreclosures inched higher in January compared to a year ago – the first time in more than two years this has occurred, according to a new report by Black Knight Financial Services. Repeat foreclosures occur after a home owner begins the foreclosure process, but is then …
Mar 11
Who Has the Highest Property Taxes? Home owners who have owned five to 15 years had the highest effective property tax rates while those who have owned more than 20 years had the lowest, according to the U.S. Property Tax Rates Report for 2014, conducted by RealtyTrac. The report provides average property taxes and …
Mar 10
Housing Markets That Are Heating Up Just in time for spring selling season to start, sellers are finally starting to put their homes on the market, upping the selections for buyers, according to the latest analysis from realtor.com®. Higher inventories and buyer demand are expected to boost closings this month, according to realtor.com®. “The biggest …
Mar 09
Mortgage Rates Drop, Near 2013 Lows For the first time in four weeks, average fixed mortgage rates moved lower, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage market survey. Rates remain near May 2013 lows. The lower rates are attributed to a revision down of real GDP growth and the decline in consumer prices, said …
Mar 06
The Most Affordable Town in Your State With housing prices inching up in many areas across the country, buyers may be wondering where they can catch a break. Well, it turns out that every state in the union has a spot. Business Insider recently examined Census data to find the most affordable small towns …
Mar 04
Builders Shy Away From Starter Homes There may be demand for starter homes, but many home builders aren’t interested in building them. Entry-level new homes are becoming scarce, and are unlikely to see any rises in the future, according to a BUILDER Online article. Indeed, the median new-home price entering 2015 was well over $280,000 …
Mar 03
Owners Upbeat About Their Home Values Home sales may be off to a sluggish start this year, but home owners are still upbeat when it comes to the value of their homes. They’re willing to spend to preserve that value too. Home-improving giants Lowe’s Co. and Home Depot Inc. reported “blowout fourth quarter profits,” which …
Mar 02
Spring Housing Market Low inventories of homes for-sale threatens to dampen the spring selling season this year. Nearly 9 percent fewer homes were for sale in January of this year than a year ago, according to realtor.com® housing data. The tight inventories may mean buyers will face sticker shock with home prices. “January’s inventory data …
Feb 27
Loan Delinquencies Back to Pre-Crisis Levels More home owners are keeping up with their mortgage payments. The delinquency rate for mortgage loans on residential properties fell to a rate of 5.68 percent of all loans outstanding at the end of the fourth quarter of 2014, according to the newly released Mortgage Bankers Association’s National Delinquency …
Feb 26
Home buying to Rebound Soon After several recent drops, mortgage applications reversed course last week, with those for home purchases jumping 5 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s latest report. The rise, which reflects data from the week ending Feb. 20, also came despite higher mortgage interest rates, …
Feb 25
10 Metros Attracting Gen Xers Generation X, those born between 1965 and 1976, has had the sharpest drop in home ownership since the recession, according to U.S. Census data. Home ownership among the age group has plunged 9 percent since 1994, with researchers pointing to unemployment mostly to blame. But while there’s much talk about …
Feb 24
Builders Target Single, Female Baby Boomers Single, female Baby Boomers are emerging as a powerful demographic and homebuilders are taking notice. “They have diverse needs, and it is incumbent on us to develop communities that offer an overall experience that reflects all that they want out of life,” says Ryan Marshall, executive vice president of …
