Higher mortgage rates negatively impacted pending home sales, according to new data from the National Association of Realtors. The Pending Home Sales Index, the leading measure of contract signings in the residential housing market, declined 1.3 percent from June

Today, Fannie Mae announced the results of their Servicer Total Achievement and Rewards (STAR) Program for the first half of the year. STAR was created to establish servicing standards and recognize Fannie Mae servicers on their overall performance, customer

New home sales fell by a hefty amount in July; what does such a decline suggest about the housing recovery? July was a lukewarm month for new single-family home sales, with the Census Bureau reporting declines in sales numbers.

Residential construction put up some great numbers in July, but are those gains consistent with our local real estate market? July was a very strong month for residential new construction. Not only were building permits up 2.7 percent from

Nationwide housing affordability slipped several notches as recovering markets witnessed significant firming of home prices in the second quarter, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI). In all, 69.3 percent of new and

According to the National Association of Realtors’ second quarter report, median home prices continued improving, with annual price gains showing their strongest reading in more than seven years. Compared to the second quarter of last year, 87 percent of

Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau in conjunction with the Department of Housing and Urban Development indicated that privately-owned housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 896,000 in July, 6 percent above the upwardly revised

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported the Housing Market Index (HMI) increased 3 points in August to 59. Any number above 50 indicates that more builders view sales conditions as good than poor. The NAHB posted the

We keep hearing that mortgage lending standards are unfairly tight, but does the data support that meme? One of the more prevailing memes in the housing recovery has been the relative tightness of lending standards on residential mortgages, and

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Not only were existing-home sales up by monthly and yearly measures in July, but housing inventory continued to stabilize as well. July was a rock solid month for existing-home sales, according to the latest data from the National Association

Residential construction posted great numbers in July, with housing starts, building permits and housing completions all in positive territory. July was a sterling month for residential construction, with all measured tracked by the Census Bureau posting positive numbers for

The rapid rise in home prices has been one of 2013’s major economic stories, but there’s mounting evidence that those increases will slow down – and soon. If there’s been a poster child for the housing recovery, it’s been

Builder confidence continued its upward trend in August, rising to its highest mark since 2005. August has proven another sterling month for homebuilders, with the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, the leading measure of builder

Percentage of mortgage delinquencies hits a five-year low The percentage of mortgage delinquencies is at a five-year low for the second quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) National Delinquency Survey. Mortgage delinquencies on one-to-four-unit residential properties decreased

One of the more common housing memes, as of late, has been the end of suburbia: that because of the housing boom, and all the rampant suburban speculation that drove it, prospective homebuyers are opting for smaller units in