American Banker reports the Senate Banking Committee, two years after implementing Dodd-Frank, will likely review the impact of the regulations on the marketplace to determine what may need to be altered. The agenda has not been set yet for the coming year because Committee Chairman Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) wants to …
Will the Senate Alter Dodd-Frank and CFPB Regulations? Read More
Though not reflecting closings, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) tells MHProNews the Pending Homes Sales Index (PHSI) rose 5.2 percent Oct. over Sept. 2012 to 104.8, and 13.2 percent over Oct. 2011. Pending home sales have risen for 18 consecutive months, and are are at their highest level since …
According to the S&P/Case-Shiller Index, home prices registered the largest gain in over two years, moving up 3.6 percent in the third quarter over Q3 2011. CNNMoney reports the increase was the biggest since the second quarter of 2010 when the homeowner’s tax credit of up to $8,000 ended. A …
The government’s Home Affordable Refinancing Program (HARP) saw a 75% growth over all of last year in the first nine months of 2012, amounting to 700,000 loans, according to nationalmortgagenews. Edward DeMarco, acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) suggested the numbers might hit one million by year’s …
Do not buy a home, a municipal bond, or invest capital in a state where private sector workers are outnumbered by people who receive government funds, whether as a government employee (local, state or federal) or recipient of Social Security or welfare, says William Baldwin in Forbes. Dividing the states …
With legislators looking for revenue sources to avert the fiscal cliff, the housing industry once again feels pressure that the mortgage interest tax deduction may be on the block, according to CNNMoney. Their lobbying expenditure has increased from $27 million last year to $30 million this year, according to the …
IndyStar reports sales of homes in the greater Indianapolis area hit 2,307 in October, a 33 percent increase over the 1,735 homes sold in Oct. 2011. While sales jumped 24 percent in Indianapolis’ Marion County, neighboring Boone County saw a 49 percent spike, while Hamilton County, the wealthy suburb to …
NationalMortgageNews reports residential delinquencies unexpectedly fell almost five percent in Oct. after spiking eight percent in Sept., according to Lender Processing Services (LPS). While the national delinquency rate at the end of Oct. hit 7.03 percent, delinquencies have fallen over seven percent since Oct. 2011. LPS says when late payments …
In a New York Times op-ed piece, billionaire investor Warren Buffett says its ridiculous to think higher capital gains taxes will prevent the super wealthy from investing their money. He notes in the 1950s when the capital gains rate rose from 25 to 27.5 percent no one complained of not …
According to the California Association of Realtors (CAR), the pending home sales index in Calif. rose 4.3 percent, to 120.2 last month, compared to 115.2 in Sept. 2012, while pending home sales are up 3.6 percent over the 116.1 index of last year, the first time in seven months both …
HousingWire tells MHProNews mortgage applications fell 2.2 percent for the week ending Nov. 16, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Meanwhile, the refinance index dropped three percent from the previous week as refinancing activity comprised 81 percent of all loan applications, the same number as the previous week. The …
Forbes reports that if the Democrats truly want to restore the economy to the prosperity enjoyed during the Clinton years and avoid the “fiscal cliff,” the administration needs to enact policies that mimic those years, which include repealing ObamaCare and reducing federal regulation. In addition, federal spending was much smaller …
OriginationNews tells MHProNews the average 30-year mortgage rate dropped to a new record low, 3.31% in Freddie Mac’s weekly survey. During the week ending Nov. 21 the 15-year mortgage rate also set a record, dropping to 2.63% from 2.65% the previous week. Shorter-term rates moved little or none, as the …
CNNMoney reports U.S. Census Bureau figures indicate home building rose to its highest level in four years in Oct., with builders beginning construction at the annual adjusted rate of 894,000 last month, 3.6 percent better than the previous month. While single-family home starts changed little from Sept., multi-family building has …
GuruFocus reports Sam Zell of Equity Group Investments, presenting at Chicago’s Invest for Kids conference, says the Eurozone is heading for a recession because the currency is imploding. One of the world’s most successful real estate investors, he says the will to embrace austerity measures in the U.S. in order …
HousingWire reports sales of existing homes increased 2.1 percent October over Sept. to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.79 million as compared to 4.69 million the previous month. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) says on the year, sales of existing homes are up almost 11 percent over the …
In another sign of an improving housing market, the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) reports builder confidence in the market for new, single-family homes gained five points to 46. Marking the seventh consecutive monthly gain, and this is the highest reading since May 2006. Says …
According to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI), 74.1 percent of all homes sold nationwide in Q3 2012 were affordable to families who earned the U.S. median income of $65,000, up from 73.8 of homes sold in the second quarter that were affordable to median …
NationalMortgageNews tells MHProNews the delinquency rate for government-backed loans inched down third quarter 2012 over the second quarter, from 11.89 percent to 11.14 percent as of Sept. 30. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reports the rate a year ago was 12.09 percent. Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans late 90 days …
Dr. Mark Dotzour, chief economist at Texas A & M’s Real Estate Center, proclaims tax credits to buy homes or cars represents a fake economic recovery. When people buy because they want to marks a real recovery, which he says is starting to happen now because there is so much …
