By Mike Colpitts In a major effort to tilt the scales of Congress in their favor, the National Association of Homebuilders commissioned a study to show Americans are still wildly in favor of homeownership, despite the inherent risks it poses. Results of the survey, which polled 2,000 voters found that three out of four still… Continue reading Americans Still Favor Homeownership
Category: Housing Market
Tornado, Flood Damage Tops $260 Billion
By Mike Colpitts Catastrophic flooding along the Mississippi River and the outbreak of tornadoes in the Midwest and South are destroying thousands of homes and businesses. The series of disasters are estimated to top $260 billion in property damage, according to initial estimates gathered from federal and state authorities. A tornado believed to be just… Continue reading Tornado, Flood Damage Tops $260 Billion
Stocks Plunge on Housing News
By Mike Colpitts Following disappointing news about the housing market, the Dow Jones Industrial average plunged 279.65 points Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange on the first day of June, demonstrating investors’ worries over the stock market and the greater U.S. economy entering the customary busy summer housing season. The drop in the highly… Continue reading Stocks Plunge on Housing News
Open Letter on Foreclosure Mills
By Betty Delisle My name is Betty Delisle and I live in New Hampshire. I am self employed and work every day to provide for my family. I bought my first home in October of 2005 and was so excited because I finally had a chance to get off the government programs that I had… Continue reading Open Letter on Foreclosure Mills
Freddie Mac Unloads Foreclosures Paying Closing Costs
By Mike Colpitts Troubled mortgage giant Freddie Mac is making a new effort to unload its bloated inventory of foreclosed homes paying home buyers closing costs. The government backed lender, which has been bailed out by tax payers at a cost of more than $148-billion with its sister lender Fannie Mae is making the offer… Continue reading Freddie Mac Unloads Foreclosures Paying Closing Costs
Home Affordability Vital To Ownership
By Kevin Chiu Gone are the days of being over-extended as a result of easy “Liar Loans” with borrowers qualifying for mortgages in today’s housing market at restrictive borrowing standards. Lenders are qualifying mortgage applicants with much lower home affordability ratios and higher credit scores. Millions of homeowners find themselves over extended and unable to… Continue reading Home Affordability Vital To Ownership
Home Remodeling Shows Rebound
By Mike Colpitts Home remodeling is moving into a rebound as spring flowers begin to bloom. The National Association of Home Builders Remodeling index reached 46.5 in the first quarter, marking its highest level since 2006, and the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies is predicting remodeling to rebound in 2011. Retail sales at… Continue reading Home Remodeling Shows Rebound
Home Sales Forecast to Grow
By Kevin Chiu Home sales, the bread and butter of the U.S. real estate market are forecast to grow by 125,000 to 200,000 additional residential units by the end of 2011 over last year. The increase, projected by Housing Predictor is due to near record low mortgage rates and the lowest home prices in many… Continue reading Home Sales Forecast to Grow
Interest Rates Hit New Low in 2011
By Mike Colpitts Mortgage interest rates hit a new low for the year declining to 4.61% on a 30-year fixed rate loan, a slight 0.02 margin lower from a week earlier, while the rate on a 15-year fixed rate mortgage also dropped to a new low in 2011. The heavily watched Freddie Mac averages have… Continue reading Interest Rates Hit New Low in 2011
Foreclosures Fall Seven Straight Months, But Still at Crisis Level
By Kevin Chiu Hampered by internal bank and mortgage servicing company delays, foreclosure notices fell to a 40 month low in April, declining 9% from the prior month and 34% from a year ago. The slowdown represented the seventh straight month of delays in the foreclosure crisis as a result of the moratorium put in… Continue reading Foreclosures Fall Seven Straight Months, But Still at Crisis Level