Aug 22
Sinkholes Become Bigger Threat to Home Owners The number of sinkholes is growing, putting more homes at risk. The problem is most evident in Florida, where some experts say it even has the potential to threaten the housing recovery. Sinkhole activity first began being recorded in 1960, and one-third of the sinkhole activity recorded since …
Aug 21
Study: Price Home Higher, Get a Better Offer The higher a home is priced at the outset, the more likely it is that it will get a higher offer from a buyer, according to a new study by researchers Grace Bucchianeri and Julia Minson. The study appeared in the May issue of the Journal of …
Aug 21
Foreclosure Crisis Just Now Hitting Some States Many U.S. housing markets are recovering from the worst of the foreclosure crisis, but others are getting slammed. Maryland, Oregon, and New Jersey had relatively stable housing markets even during the housing slump. But new foreclosure filings in those states climbed by double- and triple-digit percentages in July, …
Aug 20
Can Housing Save a Sluggish Economy? “Good news in the housing sector bodes well for future economic growth,” according to Freddie Mac’s August 2013 U.S. economic and Housing Market Outlook report. Four years into the recovery, and lackluster economic growth persists. Housing continues to be one bright spot, providing a positive boost to the GDP …
Aug 20
Natural Disaster Risk Tied to Mortgage Default Little is known about the level to which mortgage portfolios are exposed to natural hazard risk from tornados, wildfires, flooding, earthquakes, sink holes, and other events. CoreLogic economists recently studied the theory that natural hazard risks actually raise the odds of mortgage default. They developed an illustrative model …
Aug 19
All-Cash Sales Dominate Market More than half of all homes sold last year and in 2013, so far, have been purchased mortgage-free, according to economists at Goldman Sachs Group. Prior to the housing crash, about 20 percent of all homes sold were purchased without financing. All-cash sales have more than doubled over the last seven …
Aug 19
Overheated or Smart Buy? Farm Values Surge Some analysts are concerned that farmland prices are headed for a serious drop in value. Then again, as other analysts note, that’s a concern that has been shared for years that has yet to show any signs of coming to fruition. After the 2008 financial collapse, farmland was …
Jul 19
Housing Helping Economic Growth. The recovering housing market is partially responsible for spurring economic growth, according to a recent Federal Reserve report. Eleven of the 12 districts included in the Fed survey say they are experiencing “modest to moderate” economic growth, while the 12th district, Dallas, reports “strong” growth. “Residential real estate and construction activity …
Jul 19
New Home Starts Take an Unexpected Dive. Builders started construction on fewer new homes than expected in June, and permits for future construction also fell, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. Housing starts fell nearly 10 percent last month to the lowest level since August 2012. Housing permits—a gauge for future home construction—dropped 7.5 percent, posting …
Jul 18
Home Refinancing Demand Slips to 2-Year Low as Rates Rise. Mortgage rates are on the rise, prompting fewer home owners to refinance their mortgages, but the increase doesn’t appear to be deterring home buyers yet. The lower Home Refinancing demand caused overall mortgage applications to drop 2.6 percent last week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday. …
Jul 18
Home Builders Haven’t Felt This Upbeat Since 2006 Home Builders continue to feel more optimistic about the direction of the recovery for newly built single-family homes. Home Builders confidence rose six points in July to 57, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. Any number above 50 indicates more builders view conditions …
Jul 17
Century 21 ranks in the top three in Customer Satisfaction Prudential Real Estate ranked the highest in customer satisfaction in three out of four home buyer and seller segments, according to the latest J.D. Power Home Buyer/Seller Satisfaction study of the nation’s largest real estate companies. Rankings for home-buying satisfaction are based on four factors: …
