Oct 16
A New Housing Boom by 2015? The housing market has been showing several signs of recovery, including home prices and home sales on the rise, new construction up, foreclosures falling, and mortgage rates near record lows. Some economists are getting very bullish about a Housing Boom recovery and even predicting that the market will return …
Oct 12
Foreclosures Drop to 5 Year Lows. Foreclosures continue to do the opposite of what most analysts had predicted: They keep falling rather than rising. Foreclosure filings in September fell 7 percent from August and are down 16 percent from last September, RealtyTrac reported Thursday. Foreclosure filings include default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions. The …
Oct 11
Wells Fargo Accused of ‘Reckless’ Lending. The government has filed a lawsuit in federal court against Wells Fargo, alleging the nation’s largest mortgage lender has engaged in a decade of regular “reckless origination and underwriting” of government-backed loans. The government’s lawsuit against Wells Fargo is the latest in its broad sweep against banks that cites …
Oct 11
Upbeat About Housing. Americans continue to get more optimistic and Upbeat About Housing, according to Fannie Mae’s September National Housing Survey of 1,000 Americans. In fact, Americans’ views on the direction of housing prices has remained positive for 11 consecutive months in the survey, and the number of people expecting home prices to fall now rests …
Oct 09
Most Sellers Estimate Home Value Well Above Recommended Listing Price. Many home owners think their Home Value is worth a lot more than it really is, according to HomeGain’s third quarter 2012 National Home Values Survey Results of 300 real estate agents. Seventy-seven percent of sellers say their home is worth more than their real estate …
Oct 09
Asking Prices Soar Nationwide. Asking prices posted their largest year-over-year increase since the housing slump began, a monthly report from Trulia shows. Home prices listed on the Trulia web site were up 2.5 percent nationally. When foreclosures are left out, asking prices were up 3.5 percent from year-ago levels. Asking prices on listed homes rose …
Oct 05
Study Finds Gaps in Online Real Estate Sites Listing Information. Some home shoppers may not be getting a full or accurate picture when they view listing information on some popular Online Real Estate Sites, suggests a study conducted by the WAV Group on behalf of Redfin. The study evaluated the accuracy of information contained in …
Oct 05
Mortgage applications for refinancing Soar to 3-Year Highs. Mortgage applications for refinancing and home purchases posted strong gains this week following news of record low interest rates, the Mortgage Bankers Association reports in its weekly mortgage market survey. The gains were led by a surge in applications for refinancings. Mortgage applications for refinancing rose to their highest …
Oct 02
Home Builders give Hopeful Buyers Financial Therapy. Home builders are conducting financial boot camps to help buyers qualify for home mortgages. Home builders such as D.R. Horton Inc., Lennar, and PulteGroup Inc. are offering financial programs about repairing credit scores, creating budgets, and applying for loans to hopeful home buyers who are struggling to qualify for …
Oct 02
Home Ownership Rate Stands at 65.5% Americans still favor home ownership. The U.S. home ownership rate continues to remain around 65.5 percent, the U.S. Census Bureau reported late last week. The home ownership rate is nearly the same as it was in the second quarter of 2011 at 65.9 percent. The Census Bureau also reported …
Sep 28
New Home Prices Soar to 5-Year High The median price of a new home rose a record-breaking 11.2 percent in August, reaching $256,000. That marks the highest level since March 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Wednesday. The prices of a new home in August soared 17 percent compared to last year at this time. …
Sep 28
Loan Applications Rise as Rates Reach Record Lows. More home owners and purchasers took advantage of locking in last week’s record low rates. Mortgage Loan Applications — which include both for refinancing and purchase — rose 2.8 percent for the week ending Sept. 21, the Mortgage Bankers Association reports. Mortgage Loan Applications for home purchases, an indicator …
