By Mike Colpitts Demonstrating the U.S. largest five banks are following rules agreed to in their $25 billion settlement with 49 state attorney generals, foreclosures saw a drop for two straight months in March as lenders increased efforts with home mortgage holders, according to RealtyTrac. The drop in foreclosure activity showed there were 198,853 filings… Continue reading Foreclosures Drop Two Straight Months
Category: Housing Market
Mortgages Slow Despite Rate Drop
By Mike Colpitts Growing doubts about the U.S. economy and weakness in the job sector slowed mortgage application activity last week, despite a drop in key mortgage rates being offered by lenders, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The market composite index, a combination of both refinances and home purchase applications dropped 3.8%. But the… Continue reading Mortgages Slow Despite Rate Drop
Mortgage Rates Pop Higher
By Mike Colpitts Nearly at their record lows, mortgage rates popped higher this week, up two basis points to 3.90% on a fixed 30-year mortgage, according to Freddie Mac. Rates have been hovering near their record low levels for almost two months. The shorter term 15-year fixed rate loan also popped two basis points higher… Continue reading Mortgage Rates Pop Higher
California Real Estate Bust Offers U.S. Hope
By Mike Colpitts The boom bust cycle of California real estate holds historic lessons that every where else in the U.S. can learn from as the nation sustains the housing crisis driven by the sharpest foreclosure epidemic on record. California has seen home values drop an average of 43.7% since the housing crisis started in… Continue reading California Real Estate Bust Offers U.S. Hope
Homeowner Foreclosure Scams Spike
By Mike Colpitts Homeowner foreclosure rescue scams surged nearly 60% in the first three months of the year following the introduction of new federal foreclosure prevention programs, according to a national non- profit group working to help homeowners at risk of losing their homes. The Homeownership Preservation Foundation says fraudsters are busier than ever in… Continue reading Homeowner Foreclosure Scams Spike
Foreclosures Drop Two Straight Months
By Mike Colpitts Demonstrating the U.S. largest five banks are following rules agreed to in their $25 billion settlement with 49 state attorney generals, foreclosures saw a drop for two straight months in March as lenders increased efforts with home mortgage holders, according to RealtyTrac. The drop in foreclosure activity showed there were 198,853 filings… Continue reading Foreclosures Drop Two Straight Months
Mortgage Rates Fall Three Straight Weeks
By Mike Colpitts Shaken by troubled financial markets and weaker than expected employment growth, mortgage rates fell for the third straight week, with the 15-year fixed rate mortgage hitting a new all-time record low, according to Freddie Mac. The 30-year fixed rate mortgage averaged slightly above its record low, reaching 3.88% with an average 0.7… Continue reading Mortgage Rates Fall Three Straight Weeks
Home Values Rising in Hard Hit Markets
By Mike Colpitts A tighter inventory of homes listed on the market for sale are sending home values rising in some of the most unlikely U.S. housing markets, according to real estate research firm CoreLogic. Three states which cities have experienced some of the steepest deflation in home values in the nation are witnessing appreciation.… Continue reading Home Values Rising in Hard Hit Markets
Mortgage Rates Fall Three Straight Weeks
By Mike Colpitts Shaken by troubled financial markets and weaker than expected employment growth, mortgage rates fell for the third straight week, with the 15-year fixed rate mortgage hitting a new all-time record low, according to Freddie Mac. The 30-year fixed rate mortgage averaged slightly above its record low, reaching 3.88% with an average 0.7… Continue reading Mortgage Rates Fall Three Straight Weeks
Mortgage Slowdown Resumes Despite Low Rates
By Kevin Chiu Led by a slowdown in mortgage refinancing activity, mortgage applications slowed for the sixth time in seven weeks this past week to keep the housing market at a snails pace, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The disappointing news came after an increase in mortgage applications the prior week. The slowdown was… Continue reading Mortgage Slowdown Resumes Despite Low Rates