Category: Sales

Home Sales Slide, But Above Year Ago Levels

By Mike Colpitts Homes sales slipped in September following a gain the previous month, but remained ahead of a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors. The slide in sales represented only a small 3% decrease. Existing home sales, which include the sale of single family homes, townhouses and condominiums, reached an adjusted… Continue reading Home Sales Slide, But Above Year Ago Levels

Foreclosures Fall 12 Straight Months

By Kevin Chiu Foreclosures fell for 12 straight months in September marking possibly the end of the robo-signing slowdown, according to RealtyTrac. Filings were down 6% from August and 38% from a year ago, which may signal a speed-up in the formal repossession process affecting millions of homeowners at risk of losing their homes to… Continue reading Foreclosures Fall 12 Straight Months

Mortgage Rates Drop to All Time Record Lows

By Mike Colpitts For the second week in a row mortgage rates dropped to all-time record lows as the U.S. government attempts to energize the housing market and Treasury bonds fall to record lows. The fixed rate on a 30-year mortgage averaged 3.94%, falling below 4% for the first time in U.S. history, according to… Continue reading Mortgage Rates Drop to All Time Record Lows

Seven Ways to Green Homes on the Cheap

By Jeanne Roberts It’s nice to own real estate, even nicer to own a home. But nicest of all is knowing that your home, which shelters all your loved ones has a small impact on the earth and the other creatures that also live here. You’ve heard about one’s carbon footprint, those dark blots on… Continue reading Seven Ways to Green Homes on the Cheap

Mortgage Rates Jump Quiets Market

By Kevin Chiu A jump in mortgage rates quieted home mortgage applications as consumers came to grips with a slower housing market this week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Refinancing and applications for new home financing were down. Refinance applications dropped a whopping 16.6% from a week earlier, and consumers applied for fewer new… Continue reading Mortgage Rates Jump Quiets Market

Government Loans Rise on Low Mortgage Rates

By Mike Colpitts Refinances slowed but applications for government-backed mortgages jumped this past week after gaining the largest number of new mortgages in months, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The survey accounts for 75% of all U.S. mortgage applications applied for during the week. Mortgage applications fell a combined 4.3% from a week ago… Continue reading Government Loans Rise on Low Mortgage Rates

Home Prices Decline Year Over Year

By Kevin Chiu Home prices declined an average of 4.4% on a year-over-year basis in the U.S. through August, despite a slight increase in home values over summer months as a result of higher home sales, and record low mortgage rates, according to real estate research firm CoreLogic. The decline in home values echoes Housing… Continue reading Home Prices Decline Year Over Year

Jumbo Mortgage Cut Makes Little Impact

By Kevin Chiu Reduced loan limits on jumbo mortgages cut Saturday had little immediate affect on home purchases or mortgage financing, and little real impact is expected by many lenders. Jumbo mortgages are being offered by lenders, despite the loss in government purchases. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) cut mortgage limits on loans it purchases… Continue reading Jumbo Mortgage Cut Makes Little Impact

Foreclosures Forecast to Hit 15 Million Homeowners

By Kevin Chiu The foreclosure crisis has produced an overpowering series of affects across the U.S., destroying businesses, taking away livelihoods, tossing millions of homeowners out of their homes and pressuring home prices in the over-whelming majority of neighborhoods lower. The crisis, first forecast by Housing Predictor almost five years ago as the first real… Continue reading Foreclosures Forecast to Hit 15 Million Homeowners