Clik here to view.
Real Estate Debt, Delinquencies Decline
Real estate-related debts are on the decline, as are overall delinquencies, according to a quarterly report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Debt maintained through mortgages and home equity...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cash Buyers Are 'Mopping Up Inventory'
Thirty-four percent of home sales in January were paid for with cash, according to Campbell Surveys and Inside Mortgage Finance. And housing experts say the growing number of cash buyers on the market...
View ArticleClik here to view.
4 Tips for Working with Foreign Buyers
Practitioners who focus on the foreign buyer population, along with local sellers, can enjoy a thriving business — especially in markets like California, Texas, and Florida. In the former two states,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
22.8 Percent of U.S. Homes Are Underwater
The number of homes with negative equity, also known as underwater homes, went up for the 2011 fourth quarter to 11.1 million, or 22.8 percent, CoreLogic revealed in a release today. Third quarter...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mortgage Rates Drop Closer to All-Time Lows
After rising last week following positive housing indicators, mortgage rates fell back near all-time lows once again this week, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market survey. "Fixed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is Your Seller Serious About Selling?
When sellers aren’t realistic about the price in listing their home, they may not be all that serious about getting their home sold in the first place. “Before aggressively investing time in sellers...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Foreclosure-Related Sales in 2011 = 907,138
Pre-foreclosure short sales and sales of foreclosed REOs totaled 907,138 for the 2011 calendar year, RealtyTrac reported Thursday. These foreclosure-related transactions made up 23 percent of all...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Do Principal Reductions Subsidize Consumer Debt at Investors' Expense?
Principal reductions have been approached with some reluctance and much debate throughout the industry, but as part of the recent $25 billion settlement with the state attorneys general, the nation’s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
FHA to Reduce Premiums for Certain Loans
Through a streamline refinance program, borrowers with FHA-endorsed loans may find it easier to lock in lower interest rates while paying less in fees. Beginning June 11, 2012, FHA will lower upfront...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Housing Affordability Soars to Record High
Low mortgage rates and falling home values have brought housing within reach to more families than ever before, according to the latest National Association of REALTORS® housing affordability index....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Home Prices to Fall Another 9.1% Before Reaching Sustainability
Home prices across much of the country are still overvalued, but the gap is narrowing, according to Fitch Ratings’ latest quarterly market update. The agency has revised its Sustainable Home Price...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Americans More Optimistic About Housing, Economy
Americans’ concerns over housing and the economy are subsiding, according to Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey from February. An improving job market is a big part of what’s behind Americans...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rates Are Trending Downward Still; 15-Year Hits Record Low
Record high-levels of homebuyer affordability continue as rates drop and stay near their 60-year lows, according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey. The 15-year fixed hit an all-time...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What Do Americans Want Most Once Finances Improve?
Fifty-one percent of Americans in a recent poll say that if their financial situation were to improve, they’d buy a home. Coming in second on the list of wishes, they’d make repairs or improvements to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Home Prices Ended Year on New Low
There is no turn-around in the home prices arena according to the S&P Case-Shiller December report. All three composite indexes ended the year at new lows since the housing crisis began in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Analysts See Modest Improvement in Economy
Every six weeks or so the Federal Reserve pools anecdotal evidence from each of its districts in a document called the Beige Book. The view from the 12 Federal Reserve regions shows moderate to modest...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sell More Real Estate to Your Clients
Self-directed real estate IRAs have been in existence for over thirty-five years. These are the same IRA s everyone is familiar with but with a small and important twist: These plans have an...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Median Rent Prices on the Rise as Home Values Drop
While homes prices continue to be on the decline, rent prices are actually on the rise and showed a 3 percent increase from January 2011 to January 2012, as opposed to home values, which dropped 4.6...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Groups Step Up to Stop ‘Forced’ Homeowners Insurance
Home insurance policies are generally a requirement in order for borrowers to get a home loan, and for those home owners who let their policies lapse or don’t buy it on their own, mortgage companies...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Foreclosure Activity for Judicial vs. Non-Judicial States Flip-Flopped
Depending on whether the data was based on a judicial or non-judicial state, foreclosure activity told different stories in RealtyTrac’s Foreclosure Market Report released today for February 2012....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Nationwide List Prices Rise Nearly 7%
Median list prices nationwide increased 6.82 percent in February compared to February 2011, according to the latest data from Realtor.com, tracking 146 markets. “The nation’s housing market as a whole...
View ArticleClik here to view.
30-Year Rates Stay Below 4%, Affordability High
Mortgage rates are staying low by historical standards, despite inching slightly higher this week following a positive job report and increasing bond yields, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage...
View ArticleClik here to view.
REO Discounts to Grow Even Bigger?
Foreclosures are expected to pick-up as soon as banks begin to clear their backlog of troubled loans. RealtyTrac is projecting a 25 percent increase in foreclosures in 2012. If an increase does occur,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Single-Family Rental Growth Won't Infringe on Multifamily
As the government begins to tiptoe into the REO-to-rental arena after many months’ deliberation and input from thousands of industry participants, Fannie Mae released a data note on the single-family...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Housing Market Reaches Turning Point, Economists Say
Economists say the housing market is starting to heal, but too many people aren't aware of it because they're judging a housing recovery on the wrong sign: What’s happening with home prices. Paul...
View ArticleClik here to view.
First and Second Lien Holders to Share Losses Through Settlement
Details of the $25 billion settlement involving state and federal officials and the five largest servicers will change how liens are prioritized, and in turn, opponents say, will benefit banks but...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Large Banks Chip Away at Commercial Real Estate Debt
Large banks have made big strides in the last three years in selling and modifying their bad loans stemming from sour commercial real estate deals and now are even starting to pick up lending once...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Buying is Cheaper Than Renting in Nearly All Major Cities
Home buying is the smarter choice than renting, according to Trulia’s Winter 2012 Rent vs. Buy Index. Buying a home is more affordable than renting in 98 of the nation’s 100 largest metro areas,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mortgage Rates Up, With 30-Year Fixed Above 4 Percent
Moving along side higher yields on bonds, mortgage rates continued to climb upwards, with the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage above the 4 percent benchmark for the first time since October 27, 2011,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Foreclosure Timelines on the Rise; More Losses to RMBS
Foreclosure timelines are on the rise, and the increase is resulting in greater losses to residential mortgage backed securities (RMBS), according to Moody’s Investor Service’s Servicer Dashboard for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How Involved Should Sellers be in a Sale?
With competition high, sellers may be intervening more when it comes to selling their home, and it can cause personalities to clash. Because it might take a little longer to find a buyer nowadays,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Low Interest Rates Help Americans Save Money
Ultra-low interest rates have helped the average American to save more than $3,000 a year, according to a USA Today analysis. Interest payments on mortgages have contributed to some of the largest...
View ArticleClik here to view.
3 Ways Foreclosures May Impact Your Customers
A new wave of foreclosures is expected to be coming as banks work through huge backlogs of distressed properties on their books. So what does this mean for buyers and sellers this year? An article at...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Top Mistakes to Avoid With Your Web Site
Your Web site may be a critical part of your outreach effort to customers, so are you putting your best site forward? Forbes.com recently highlighted some of the biggest mistakes small businesses make...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Home Prices Have Been Rising for Three Months: Report
Standard & Poor’s reported Tuesday that it’s closely watched Case-Shiller index declined in January for the fifth straight month, with both the 10-city and 20-city composite readings slipping 0.8...
View ArticleClik here to view.
FHA Loan Apps Rise as Borrowers Try to Beat Fee Hikes
Mortgage applications for Federal Housing Administration loans soared 11 percent from the previous week as borrowers try to rush their applications in to beat the higher FHA costs that will start...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Freddie Mac Reports 30-Year Fixed-Rate Teetered Back Below 4%
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage positioned itself back below 4 percent this week as economic indicators point to a weaker housing market and economy, according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market...
View ArticleClik here to view.
More Americans Pay Car Loans Before Mortgages
Americans are prioritizing their debt payments by opting to pay their car loans before mortgages and credit cards, according to an analysis by credit reporting bureau TransUnion. TransUnion analyzed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Next Foreclosure Wave Coming: Reason for Alarm?
Economists have been warning that a flood of foreclosures will soon be hitting the real estate market, likely this summer. Increases in foreclosures traditionally pull down nearby home prices. So...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Investor Purchases Increased, Advises Limiting REO Bulk Sales
For 2011, investment purchases increased significantly, according to data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), and with more individual investors absorbing REO properties, the organization...
View ArticleClik here to view.
More REOs on Market While Price Drops Moderate
One of the most consistent patterns during the housing crisis is that as bank-owned properties on the market rise, home values fall in the most affected markets. Analysts at Clear Capital have...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Housing Crunch Coming for Older Americans
By 2050, the population of Americans 65 and older will more than double and is expected to grow at a faster rate than any other age group, according to U.S. Census data. By that time, one in five...
View ArticleClik here to view.
BofA Announces Shortened Short Sale Process
Bank of America announced it is refining its short sale process to streamline its approval process and reduce the wait in accepting offers and making it to closing. The changes are expected to trim...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Investor Activity is Heating Up
The National Association of Realtors® annual Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey confirms that investor buying activity has picked up significantly in the past year. Investment home sales...
View ArticleClik here to view.
4th Quarter 2011 Mortgage Picture Improves Gradually
The quarterly report of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency reports regularly on first-lien residential mortgages representing about 60% of the mortgage market. In the 4th quarter 2011 shows...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Attractive Agents Sell Homes for More Money?
Appearance may matter when it comes to selling homes, at least according to researchers in a newly-published study in an industry journal, Applied Financial Economics. Physically attractive real...
View ArticleClik here to view.
$100 Billion in REO Rentals a Possibility
CoreLogic’s April MarketPulse report says that the single family rental market is extremely strong right now, so strong that CoreLogic expects the REO-to-rental program to boost the market to $100...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mortgage Rates Inch Up for the Week
After reaching or hovering near all-time lows last week, fixed-rate mortgages edged up slightly during the week, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market survey. The 5-year adjustable-rate...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Make Video Marketing Work for Your Business
To answer questions about how to ensure marketing videos are successful and whether adding such videos to Web sites can improve search engine rankings, CIO.com interviewed several video experts....
View ArticleClik here to view.
March Pending Home Sales Rise, Market Recovering
Pending home sales increased in March and are well above a year ago, another signal the housing market is recovering, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. The Pending Home Sales Index,...
View Article