By Kevin Chiu Pushed by weakening economic data, mortgage interest rates, already near historic lows, jumped slightly for the week to 4.50% on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, according to Freddie Mac. The jump of only 0.01 came after rates dropped for eight straight weeks. But rates declined slightly on other loans for the week.… Continue reading Mortgage Interest Rates Suddenly Jump
Category: Sales
Mortgage Rates Drop with Applications
By Ryan Rodriguez Mortgage applications dropped for the second week in a row even as interest rates fell, demonstrating economic turbulence persists in the housing market and the greater U.S. economy, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. However, the drop in application activity was by only a slim margin. The mortgage market composite index dropped 0.4%… Continue reading Mortgage Rates Drop with Applications
New Home Builder Giving Away Vacations
By Mike Colpitts In a move to drive up new home sales, the nation’s largest publicly traded luxury homebuilder is giving away vacations to attract buyers. Toll Brothers will pay up to $4,000 in airfare and vacation accommodations to visit one of its four new home communities in Florida. The “Fly and Buy” program was… Continue reading New Home Builder Giving Away Vacations
Sarah Palin’s Daughter Turns Landlord
Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s daughter Bristol is becoming a landlord in Phoenix. The ex-Dancing with The Stars contestant, whose out of wedlock pregnancy alarmed the Republican religious right wing during Palins run to win the vice presidency, has moved out of her Phoenix area home, and has put it on the market as… Continue reading Sarah Palin’s Daughter Turns Landlord
Record Low Mortgage Rates 8 Straight Weeks
By Mike Colpitts For eight straight weeks, mortgage rates have hit new record lows as uncertainty over the Eurozone combined with concerns over the U.S. economy unsettles financial markets. The Freddie Mac average for a 30-year fixed rate loan reached 3.67% last week. However, government officials in Spain asked for $100 billion to bail-out the… Continue reading Record Low Mortgage Rates 8 Straight Weeks
Mortgage Interest Rates Drop Six Straight Weeks
By Mike Colpitts Driven by slower economic activity and sluggish home sales, mortgage interest rates dropped for six straight weeks as the fixed rate 30-year loan fell a slim one-hundredth of one-percent to an average rate of 4.60%, according to Freddie Mac. The rate on the 15-year mortgage also saw a drop. Slower economic activity,… Continue reading Mortgage Interest Rates Drop Six Straight Weeks
Rigid Land Use Spiked Home Prices
By Mike Colpitts Rigid land use restrictions contributed to the housing bubble burst and still play a major role driving home values lower, according to a new study conducted by a Washington, D.C. think tank. “The majority of losses in the housing crash were overwhelmingly concentrated in metropolitan areas with restrictive land development regulations,” said… Continue reading Rigid Land Use Spiked Home Prices
Home Affordability Vital To Ownership
By Kevin Chiu Gone are the days of being over-extended as a result of easy “Liar Loans” with borrowers qualifying for mortgages in today’s housing market at restrictive borrowing standards. Lenders are qualifying mortgage applicants with much lower home affordability ratios and higher credit scores. Millions of homeowners find themselves over extended and unable to… Continue reading Home Affordability Vital To Ownership
Home Remodeling Shows Rebound
By Mike Colpitts Home remodeling is moving into a rebound as spring flowers begin to bloom. The National Association of Home Builders Remodeling index reached 46.5 in the first quarter, marking its highest level since 2006, and the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies is predicting remodeling to rebound in 2011. Retail sales at… Continue reading Home Remodeling Shows Rebound
Home Sales Forecast to Grow
By Kevin Chiu Home sales, the bread and butter of the U.S. real estate market are forecast to grow by 125,000 to 200,000 additional residential units by the end of 2011 over last year. The increase, projected by Housing Predictor is due to near record low mortgage rates and the lowest home prices in many… Continue reading Home Sales Forecast to Grow