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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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....
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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....
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