Bolstered by a jump in refinances and record low mortgage rates as a result of the Obama administration’s new refinancing program for homeowners, mortgage applications rose 39% in 2011, despite a fall-off in applications during the last two weeks. Applications for new home mortgages combined with refinances dropped 3.7% for the last two weeks of… Continue reading Mortgages Jump Despite Year End Fall Off
Category: Housing Market
How to Avoid Being Ripped Off by Mortgage Companies
By Kevin Chiu A new mortgage website is offering homeowners and first time home buyers the opportunity to ask questions and “get truthful, unbiased and easy to understand” answers to avoid being ripped off by mortgage companies. The concept is the brain-child of Yale Roth, a former school teacher who has been making loans for… Continue reading How to Avoid Being Ripped Off by Mortgage Companies
Mortgage Rates Set New Record Low
By Mike Colpitts Mortgage rates set a new record low hitting an average of 3.91% on a fixed 30-year loan, according to Freddie Mac. Rates on the shorter term 15-year fixed mortgage remained at the same record level as last week. Rates on the benchmark 30-year mortgage have been at or below 4.00% for eight… Continue reading Mortgage Rates Set New Record Low
Shadow Inventory Slides to 2009 Levels
By Mike Colpitts The inventory of homes not yet foreclosed but regarded as unsellable as they are held back from the market known as the shadow inventory has dropped to January 2009 levels, according to real estate data firm CoreLogic. California, Florida and Illinois, where foreclosures are at some of the highest levels in the… Continue reading Shadow Inventory Slides to 2009 Levels
Housing the Margin Effect
By Lance Roberts Economist With each and every report comes “hope” that maybe, potentially, somehow the moribund housing market has finally reached its inevitable bottom and is now on the verge of the next great advance. Nothing could be further from the truth. I say this with a bit of pain because I am a… Continue reading Housing the Margin Effect
Mortgages Drop As Homeowners Await New Refinancing Program
By Kevin Chiu Mortgage applications dropped for the third straight week as homeowners waited for the new Obama administration refinancing program to go into effect, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Applications slowed by nearly 12% from one week earlier. The drop-off in activity was also led by a slowdown caused by the Thanksgiving Holiday,… Continue reading Mortgages Drop As Homeowners Await New Refinancing Program
Lowest Mortgage Rates of Year Arrive
By Kevin Chiu The lowest mortgage rates of the year arrived in time for New Year’s, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association survey. However, despite the drop, mortgage refinances and mortgages for home purchases slipped for the week. The drop in applications was attributed to the traditional holiday slowdown caused by Christmas and New Years,… Continue reading Lowest Mortgage Rates of Year Arrive
Homeowner Insurance Guide
By Erika Stewart Home insurance is important to insure that property is protected in the event of emergencies like natural disasters, fires, and even over liability issues like a friend or visitor falling and hurting themselves. Having homeowner insurance protects not only the home but its occupants and their possessions. However, not all home insurance… Continue reading Homeowner Insurance Guide
Mortgage Rates Drop Below 4%
By Mike Colpitts Mortgage rates dropped below 4% on the 30-year fixed rate loan, driven primarily by jitters in world financial markets. The slim drop in rates accounted for a single basis point from last week, falling to just 3.99%, according to Freddie Mac. The fixed 15-year mortgage averaged 3.27%, which is just slightly above… Continue reading Mortgage Rates Drop Below 4%
Foreclosures Show Positive Fall
By Kevin Chiu Foreclosure filings dropped 14% in November experiencing a positive fall as default notices, scheduled bank auctions and bank repossessions hit their lowest level in a year, according to RealtyTrac. However, some of the hardest hit states, including California, Arizona and Massachusetts posted year-over-year increases in November. Foreclosure auctions, the final step in… Continue reading Foreclosures Show Positive Fall