The National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) released its latest Confidence Index yesterday, showing a distinct rise in year-over-year confidence in December among the more than 3,000 agents surveyed. A measure of the strength of the current housing market and expectations about

One of the big takeaways from President Obama’s 2012 State of the Union Address was a new government-led refinancing plan that would allow homeowners with current, non-GSE mortgages to refinance at today’s historically-low interest rates. Funding the refinancings with a new

The automated valuation model (AVM) is a fast, convenient way for mortgage lenders to value a property, one that utilizes mathematical models and databases of information. Though quick and easy, Gina Pogol of HSH documents several of AVM’s shortcomings

The Federal Housing Finance Administration and its Acting Director, Edward DeMarco, have been receiving some considerable heat from analysts and members of Congress for their refusal to consider principal write downs for homeowners with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

The Appraisal Institute (AI) ruffled many feathers last week by taking a “Don’t Shoot the Messenger” stance in regards to recent controversies in home valuations, but recent reports suggest that the institute may be amending its stance on how its

Housing was largely absent from President Obama’s 2012 State of the Union Address, but he did mention a potentially game-changing proposal – a mass refinancing plan for homeowners that are current on their mortgages that, according to the President, could save

After reaching a 19-month high in November, the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Pending Home Sales Index declined by 3.5 percent in December, though it did retain the year-over-year gains that defined much of housing data in 2011. A

Quite a bit has been written about the reactionary lending policies that private mortgage originators began following after the market collapse in 2008, and the common narrative has been that such credit restrictions negatively impact housing. We cover lending

Membership in the National Association of Realtors (NAR) declined for the third straight month in December, closing out a 2011 that marks the fifth straight year of annual declines for the influential association. According to the latest data from

The President’s State of the Union speech is set for tonight, and among the many economic, political and social issues he is sure to address, many are speculating if one of the more lingering debates in housing will finally

Housing inventories finished 2011 down by 22.3 percent, with 1.89 million homes on the market at the end of December, the lowest inventory in the last four years. Though low inventories would appear to be a good sign for

It’s no mystery that home prices are low. CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index fell from October to November, and prices have fallen by an average of 32.8 percent from their 2006 peak. What has not followed suit, though, are

It appears Realtors were a very good bunch this year, as Santa delivered some promising existing-home sales data in December. Sales for existing-homes rose by 5 percent from November to December, reaching an adjusted annual rate of 4.61 million.

Freddie Mac released 2012’s first U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook this week, and amidst analysis of the job market and consumer confidence, the GSE’s Chief Economist, Frank Nothaft, painted a nuanced portrait of housing, one that, despite some tough

Ever since the Federal Reserve outlined a potential bulk REO sales program, and especially after it was announced early last week that the government was in negotiations with private property management firms for such transactions, speculation has abounded on

The latest Residential Price Index (RPI) from research firm FNC was released yesterday for the month of November, and as expected, it reported that home prices are still in a sensitive spot with foreclosures and seriously delinquent mortgages still relatively common