According to HousingWire, the U.S. Census Bureau’s report on “Characteristics of New Housing for 2011” indicates the housing market may be slowly stabilizing. Twenty percent of all new single-family homes were financed by an FHA-insured loan, five percent less than in 2010, and four percent less than 2009. Conventional loans […]
Census Bureau Releases Data on 2011 New Homes Read More
Following up on a story we posted May 25, 2012, the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) newsletter says the National Flood Insurance Program has been extended for two months until July 31, 2012. Congress passed the extension and President Obama signed it so homeowners and businesses in flood prone areas can
Flood Insurance Extended Read More
Speaking to the American Real Estate & Urban Economics Association, special adviser to the Treasury secretary Michael Stegman, noting the restructuring of GSEs to allow private investors to share the risks of Fannie and Freddie MBS (mortgage-backed securities), says: “We believe that this initiative could help support our broader efforts
GSE’s and Private Sector to Share Risks Read More
HousingWire reports CoreLogic says April home prices rose a mere 1.1% over last April, but it is the second year-over-year increase in 2012. Overall home prices have risen 2.2% April over March of this year; excluding distressed sales April grew 2.6% over March, and 1.9% above last April. Anand Nallathambi,
Home Prices Nudge Up Read More
Earl and Ruth Fredrickson own E&R Mini Storage in Kenyon, Minnesota and live in a two story house on the property. ExtraStorage says they sold the perfectly good house for a dollar and the new owner is moving it to another lot. The Fredrickson’s have bought a one-story modular house
CNNMoney reports two economist have studied 600,000 housing transactions near 159 new Walmart stores and determined home prices rose 2-3 percent in the two and a half years following the opening of a new Walmart within half a mile. Economists Jaren Pope at Brigham Young University and Devin Pope at
Want Higher Home Prices? Bring in Walmart Read More
Bloomberg reports the National Association of Realtors (NAR) says the index of pending sales of previously-owned homes fell 5.5% in April, the highest rate in a year, on the heels of a 3.8 % gain in March 2012. Record low mortgage rates have failed to sustain the pace of demand
Pending Home Resales Fall Read More
OriginationNews tells MHProNews.com according to the Federal Reserve, single-family loans lending by the 25 largest banks has spiked this quarter, increasing $11.2 billion, at an annualized rate of 56 percent, to a non-seasonally-adjusted total of $4 trillion for the week ending May 9. Home mortgage lending was just below 40
Single-family Lending Soars Read More
The National Modular Housing Council reports shipments of new modular homes rose 18.7% compared to the first quarter 2011, hitting 2,922. Shipments by state relative to the first quarter last year indicate 16 states received more than last year, three received fewer homes, and 12 states experienced no significant change.
Modular Shipments Rise Q1 Read More
The lights in the housing market in Phoenix suddenly became very bright, according to a report from Keefe, Bruyette, and Woods (KBW) that HousingWire picked up. Following discussions with home builders, banks, and developers, KBW says new home building permits are expected to rise 50 percent in 2012 , as
Home Building Market in Phoenix Rises Read More
BostonGlobe reports for the first time in seven months, prices for single-family homes in Massachusetts rose modestly, 1.1%, as the median price hit $275,000 in April, according to Boston real estate company Warren Group. The number of single-family homes sold in April rose almost 22 percent over April 2011, marking
Mass. Real Estate Market Improves Slightly Read More
NationalMortgageNews says there were 2.4 million homes for sale at the end of the first quarter, 20 percent fewer than a year ago, which has helped stabilize prices for now. However, the 2.2 million homes in the process of foreclosure, and another 1.7 million homes where the owners are three
OriginationNews says the Census Bureau reports new home sales rose 3.3 percent in April following a 7.3 percent drop in March. MHProNews.com has learned sales of new single-family homes rose to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 343,000 in April from a 332,000 mark in March, besting Wall Street analysts
New Homes Sales Rose in April Read More
In 1970, 30 years after Sears ceased offering prefabricated housing, Shelter-Kit of Tilton, New Hampshire began offering small homes and cabins that could be assembled by aspiring homeowners with no construction experience. MarketWatch tells MHProNews.com customers can choose from a wide variety of options in designing their home, including drawings
Kit Homes Takes Up where Sears Stopped Read More
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) says reports from across the country show existing home sales edged up 3.4 percent April over March, 2012 for every region of the country. While the increase is a positive sign, the seasonally-adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 4.62 million home sales, just below January’s
Sale of Previously Occupied Homes Rise Read More
The 13 county Indianapolis metropolitan area marked an 18 percent rise in existing home sales in April from one year ago. As the IndyStar tells MHProNews.com, the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors (MIBOR) says 2,215 homes were sold in April, an increase over the 1,877 sold in April 2011. The
Home Sales Rise in the Heartland Read More
Writing in OriginationNews, Paul Muolo says changes made to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) have sparked an increase in mortgages beyond what the industry anticipated. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s overhauling their automated underwriting (AU) systems has also added to competition. Noting this may be the most successful mortgage
New HARP Spurs Lending Read More
WenatcheeWorld in Wenatchee, Washington says home sales according to Pacific Appraisal Associates spiked 44 percent in April over the same month last year, hitting $44 million compared to last April’s $35.1 million. In the greater Wenatchee area the number of homes sold year-to-date rose 25% over 2011. Sales of manufacture
Manufactured Housing Dollars Double Read More
InForum says organizers of the Bakken Housing Summit in Williston, North Dakota are calling for 5,000 homes in western ND in the next 24 months to meet the demand for housing in this oil rich region. Real estate developer Michael Milner of Salt Lake City says, “Without federal interference, this
Housing Summit Meets in ND Read More
SeniorHousingNews tells MHProNews.com following the Great Depression about 25% of all households were multi-generational. That number fell to 12% during the 1980’s and climbed to 17% as people deal with the Great Recession. If that trend continues, the nation’s home builders may be developing more side-by-side houses, with one side
Home Building Trends for 2012 Read More
