Feds Pick Firms for Wholesale Home Sell Off

By Mike Colpitts The U.S. government has selected the firms it’s going to sell the first bulk inventory of its foreclosure homes to at wholesale prices. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) quietly announced that the winning bidders of its real estate owned (REO) pilot program had been chosen the day before the Independence Day… Continue reading Feds Pick Firms for Wholesale Home Sell Off

Home Sales Extend 11 Month Growth Rate

By Mike Colpitts Despite a decline in existing home sales in May, the actual number of residential sales increased for 11 straight months compared to a year earlier. The dynamic adds fuel to the U.S. housing market recovery as consumers hoping to make home purchases during the summer take advantage of near record low mortgage… Continue reading Home Sales Extend 11 Month Growth Rate

Bear Stearns Finally Settles with Shareholders

By Mike Colpitts Failed Wall Street investment bank Bear Stearns has settled its massive class action lawsuit with stock shareholders for pennies on the dollar four years after the bank failed in a major disgrace at the height of the financial crisis on Wall Street. The settlement has received preliminary approval in U.S. District Court,… Continue reading Bear Stearns Finally Settles with Shareholders

Home Prices Rise 2 Consecutive Months

By Ryan Jackson U.S. home prices showed two consecutive months of increases in March and April for the first time since the summer of 2010 when the market benefitted from the federal tax credit for home buyers, according to CoreLogic. The firm’s Home Price Index rose 1.1 % year over year in April for the… Continue reading Home Prices Rise 2 Consecutive Months

New Home Sales Jump

By Mike Colpitts Single family new homes sales rose 7.6% in May to a seasonally adjusted rate of 369,000 units, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The data reflects the first jump in actual new home sales in three months after disappointing spring home sales soured home builders. The Northeast and South posted a solid… Continue reading New Home Sales Jump

Research Firms Agree Home Prices Are Rising

By Mike Colpitts In a major positive sign for the U.S. housing market, the two largest real estate research firms tracking the market agree that average home prices have increased for the first time since the real estate collapse more than five years ago. California based CoreLogic and Florida based Lender Processing Services say home… Continue reading Research Firms Agree Home Prices Are Rising

Home Builders Confidence Reaches 5 Year High

By Ryan Jackson Home builder confidence rose to the highest point in nearly five years in June as builder sentiment grew with an increase in walk-in traffic. The National Association of Home Builders Index reached 32, hitting its highest level since the housing downturn started in May of 2007. The components measuring sales expectations in… Continue reading Home Builders Confidence Reaches 5 Year High

Miami Heat Forward Puts Home Up for Auction

By Ryan Jackson Showing that timing is everything, Miami Heat forward Mike Miller, who is battling with his team in the east coast conference series against the Boston Celtics to get into the NBA finals, is putting his Miami mansion up for auction. Miller, whose team lost to the Celtics last night, which makes The… Continue reading Miami Heat Forward Puts Home Up for Auction

Short Sales Overtaking Foreclosures

By Mike Colpitts Bank assisted short sales or homes that sell at less than what is owed on a mortgage are overtaking foreclosed homes lenders put on the market. The development doesn’t come as a surprise to those involved in the real estate industry. Rather, they expected the transition as part of the U.S. housing… Continue reading Short Sales Overtaking Foreclosures

Mortgage Delinquencies Jump

By Mike Colpitts Homeowners in trouble on their mortgages jumped as more homes joined the long line of defaults in May showing another sign the U.S. economy is weakening, according to real estate analytics company Lender Processing Services. The slim 1.1% monthly jump in defaults is a troubling sign for the  U.S.  housing market, still… Continue reading Mortgage Delinquencies Jump