Category: Sales

Interest Rates Hit New Low in 2011

By Mike Colpitts Mortgage interest rates hit a new low for the year declining to 4.61% on a 30-year fixed rate loan, a slight 0.02 margin lower from a week earlier, while the rate on a 15-year fixed rate mortgage also dropped to a new low in 2011. The heavily watched Freddie Mac averages have… Continue reading Interest Rates Hit New Low in 2011

Home Sales Decline Slightly in April

By Kevin Chiu Home sales declined slightly in April, despite favorable home buying conditions, falling just 0.8% to a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.05 million units annually, but are still nearly 13% off the pace of last year when the home buyer tax credit was in effect, according to the National Association of Realtors. Existing… Continue reading Home Sales Decline Slightly in April

Extra Short Sale Losses to Exceed $375 Million

By Mike Colpitts Short sales in which lenders cooperate with homeowners to sell at a price lower than what is owed on a properties mortgage is costing the lending industry an estimated $375 million in additional losses in 2011, according to a study by a leading real estate research firm. The rate of fraudulent short-sale… Continue reading Extra Short Sale Losses to Exceed $375 Million

U.S. Home Sales Rise as Prices Fall

By Mike Colpitts Home sales rose during the first quarter of the year in 49 states as home prices fell in most areas of the U.S. from a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors. The median price of a home fell in 118 of 153 metropolitan statistical areas the organization tracks. Existing… Continue reading U.S. Home Sales Rise as Prices Fall

Refinancing Soars On Lower Mortgage Rates

By Kevin Chiu A five week drop in mortgage interest rates grabbed the attention of homeowners who are refinancing at the highest level since last December as refinances soared 13.2% for the week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Mortgage applications for refinancing and new home loans combined rose 7.8% as the spring home buying… Continue reading Refinancing Soars On Lower Mortgage Rates

Interest Rates Fall Four Straight Weeks

By Mike Colpitts Mortgage interest rates fell for the fourth straight week to the lowest level of the year as an over supply of homes on the market pressure lenders’ to keep rates low to draw more buyers back into the market. The rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage had a fall of 0.08… Continue reading Interest Rates Fall Four Straight Weeks

New Home Sales May Have Hit Bottom

By Kevin Chiu The housing market has some good news to celebrate after the Commerce Department reported a new home sales increase of 11.1% in March, which may represent a bottom for the new home sales market. The rise in sales reached an adjusted rate of 300,000 homes, but still remains below the 700,000 annual… Continue reading New Home Sales May Have Hit Bottom

States Outlaw Extra Home Sale Charges

By Kevin Chiu Washington State became the twenty-fifth state in the country to outlaw extra home sale charges to the new owners of homes for 99 years. The action means that half of all U.S. states have now outlawed private transfer fees by adopting new state laws prohibiting their collection. But a federal effort to… Continue reading States Outlaw Extra Home Sale Charges

Almost Half Are Distress Sales

By Mike Colpitts Nearly half of all U.S. home sales are now either foreclosures or bank-assisted short sales, according to the Campbell Inside Mortgage Finance survey taken monthly. Distress sales composed 48.6% of sales in March. The survey polls more than 3,000 real estate agents and brokers monthly. The latest poll also found that buyer… Continue reading Almost Half Are Distress Sales