By Mike Colpitts Cash home sales, which hit record highs as bargain hunting investors plunked down greenbacks to reach feverish levels have declined as the inventory of lower priced foreclosures evaporates in many U.S. regions. The drop in cash sales follows a steady decline in bank owned properties, despite government slowdowns determining how many homes… Continue reading Cash Home Sales Slowly Decline
Category: Sales
Mortgage Rates Bounce Higher
By Mike Colpitts Mortgage interest rates bounced higher for the third week in a row as the 30-year fixed rate loan jumped to average 3.62%, according to Freddie Mac. The bounce in rates came as a result of higher yields paid to investors for U.S. Treasuries, which may signal a major shift in financial markets.… Continue reading Mortgage Rates Bounce Higher
Foreclosures Sell 32% Under Rest of Market
By Mike Colpitts Foreclosures or bank owned homes sold at an average discount of 32% below similar homes in the same neighborhood during the second quarter of the year, according to RealtyTrac. The price was two percent lower than a year ago. Foreclosure sales accounted for 23% of all U.S. residential sales during the second… Continue reading Foreclosures Sell 32% Under Rest of Market
Pushed by Treasuries, Mortgage Rates Jump
By Mike Colpitts Pushed by higher yields paid for U.S. Treasuries, mortgage rates jumped for the fourth straight week as mixed economic news sent investors scurrying to the bond market for more secure investments. The rate on the fixed 30-year mortgage rose four basis points to average 3.66% from 3.62% a week ago. The Freddie… Continue reading Pushed by Treasuries, Mortgage Rates Jump
Formal Foreclosures Fall 21 Straight Months
By Mike Colpitts Formal foreclosures fell for the 21st straight month in July as repossessions on U.S. residential properties ran into additional snags. Lenders completed 53,654 foreclosures during the month, a 1% fall from June and a 21% drop from a year ago, according to RealtyTrac. Bank owned REO activity also fell on an annualized… Continue reading Formal Foreclosures Fall 21 Straight Months
Top 10 Real Estate College Towns
Investors and parents shopping for rentals for college students might realize a sharp increase in rents when students go off to college this fall. Rents on homes and apartments rose an average of 4% in the U.S. in the last year, and higher rents are expected. Realtor.com released its second annual round-up of the top… Continue reading Top 10 Real Estate College Towns
Home Sale Inventory Slashed to 6 Months
By Mike Colpitts The dog days of summer usually bring a frenzy of home sales activity, but a reduced inventory of homes to sell in many regions of the U.S. is slowing sales, despite record low mortgage rates. The inventory has been slashed to just a 6.6 month supply, which would usually be a positive… Continue reading Home Sale Inventory Slashed to 6 Months
Midwest Home Sales Outperform
By Mike Colpitts The Midwest section of the U.S. is outperforming the rest of the nation when it comes to home sales as the country’s heartland recovers from the real estate downturn at a healthier pace than any other region. The slow progress most areas of the country are making in the dog days of… Continue reading Midwest Home Sales Outperform
Home Sales & Prices Jump
By Mike Colpitts Sales of existing homes and national median prices jumped in July to reach a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.47 million housing units after declining in June, according to the National Association of Realtors. Record low mortgage rates, which bottomed out in July and lower housing prices coupled with pent up demand… Continue reading Home Sales & Prices Jump
Condo Closes at Record $24.6 Million
A combination of condo units at the St. Regis Bal Harbour condominium development in Miami Beach, Florida has sold to set a record $24.6-million sales prices. It’s the largest transaction to close at the luxury development, which opened just this last January and the second largest deal in Miami history. Considered as one-unit, the deal… Continue reading Condo Closes at Record $24.6 Million