By Mike Colpitts Household energy costs are jumping almost 3% a year in the U.S. to average $2,024 annually, according to the U.S. Energy Department. The amount it costs to heat and cool a home has been rising steadily since at least 2005, a new study by the department’s information administration shows. Energy expenses are… Continue reading Household Energy Costs Jump 3% Yearly
Category: Statistics
Summer Home Sales Decline
By Ryan Jackson Despite record low mortgage rates and the lowest home prices in years, existing home sales disappointingly fell for the second straight month in June as consumers remain skittish about the U.S. economy to a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.37 million units. The usually busy summer selling season has gotten off to a… Continue reading Summer Home Sales Decline
Banks Play Catch Up On Foreclosures
By Mike Colpitts Banks are playing catch up formally repossessing homes in judicial foreclosure states as they unwind a back-log of foreclosures from the robo-signing scandal. The foreclosure inventory remains at near all-time highs with 4.12% of all U.S. homes with mortgages in the foreclosure pipeline, according to Lender Processing Services. However, new problem loan… Continue reading Banks Play Catch Up On Foreclosures
Mortgage Borrowing Rates Drop to Unprecedented Record Low
By Mike Colpitts Lower Treasury bond yields and uncertainty over the world economy drove mortgage rates to another record all-time low this week as the 30-year fixed rate mortgage hit an average of 3.62%. The historic drop in rates was also experienced in the shorter term 15-year fixed loan. The drop in rates is unprecedented… Continue reading Mortgage Borrowing Rates Drop to Unprecedented Record Low
All Cash Sales Slowly Slip
By Mike Colpitts All cash sales of homes, which accounted for one in three transactions just a year ago are slowly slipping as home shoppers searching for bargain priced properties run low on cash. The slip in cash sales sent closed transactions in May to account for just 28% of home sales, according to the… Continue reading All Cash Sales Slowly Slip
Mortgage Rates Hold Steady at Record Lows
By Mike Colpitts Mortgage rates held steady to maintain record low levels, with the 30-year fixed rate mortgage staying at an average of 3.66% for the second week in a row, according to Freddie Mac. The shorter term 15-year fixed loan slipped a single basis point to 2.94%. Many consumers refinancing homes are opting for… Continue reading Mortgage Rates Hold Steady at Record Lows
Mortgage Rates Jump After Hitting Record Lows
By Ryan Jackson For the first time in more than two months, mortgage rates jumped higher as lenders reversed course, setting the average rate for a fixed 30-year mortgage at 3.71%, according to Freddie Mac. The shift could signal a change in rates to come. The rate on the 15-year fixed also saw a jump… Continue reading Mortgage Rates Jump After Hitting Record Lows
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
Half of US Homes Underwater
A newly released survey shows that more than half of all U.S. homes with a mortgage are underwater or owe more on their homes than the current value of their property. The study is the strongest indicator yet that efforts made by the Obama administration are doing little to aid U.S. homeowners in the worst… Continue reading Half of US Homes Underwater