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
Category: Statistics
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
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
Half of Homeowners Spend $75,000 on Housing Expenses Annually
By Mike Colpitts Nearly half of U.S. homeowners with a mortgage spent $75,000 or more on housing expenses in 2010, according to data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. The staggering amount represents 49.2% of homeowners with a mortgage in 2010, the most current government figures available. The just uncovered statistic shows just home many… Continue reading Half of Homeowners Spend $75,000 on Housing Expenses Annually
Mortgage Rates Fall to Record Lows Five Weeks Straight
By Mike Colpitts U.S. Treasury bonds hitting their lowest levels in all-time history sent mortgage rates to record all-time lows again this week. The 30-year fixed rate mortgage dropped to an average of 3.75% in the Freddie Mac survey. It was the fifth straight week that mortgage rates hit new record all-time lows. The rate… Continue reading Mortgage Rates Fall to Record Lows Five Weeks Straight
Refinances Soar Three Straight Weeks
By Mike Colpitts Fueled by record low mortgage rates, refinances soared for the third straight week as consumers applied for new home mortgages to take advantage of lower mortgage payments, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The jump in refinancing, which rose 5.6% for the week ending May 18, is being sparked by the lowest… Continue reading Refinances Soar Three Straight Weeks
Research Firm Says Real Estate Stabilizing
By Mike Colpitts Almost six years after the U.S. housing market began its collapse, one of the nation’s largest real estate research firms says the housing market is making strides towards stabilizing and may be close to a bottom of the market. CoreLogic analysts say the U.S. housing market “is transitioning to more stability in… Continue reading Research Firm Says Real Estate Stabilizing
One-Third of US Homeowners Underwater
By Mike Colpitts Nearly one out of three homeowners with a mortgage are underwater or owe more on their homes than they are presently worth, according to new research by Zillow economists. The figure represents almost 16 million U.S. mortgage holders struggling to pay home loans. However, foreclosure is not imminent for most underwater homeowners,… Continue reading One-Third of US Homeowners Underwater