News / Features

New Home Sales Rise 28 Percent in Midwest, Garrison Benson, CEO/president of Garrison Partners, Comments

The housing recovery continued rolling along this morning, with the Commerce Department reporting that new home sales rose 28 percent in the Midwest in April. Nationally, sales rose 3.3 percent from March to April, and 9.9 percent from April

Existing-Home Prices Up 7.4 Percent in the Midwest

Existing-home sales in the Midwest increased 1.0 percent from March to April, according to the latest data from NAR, with a yearly increase of 14.4 percent. Nationally, sales were similarly strong, rising 3.4 percent from March and 10.0 percent

Are Agents Recovering? Top 6 Trends That Say 'Yes'

RE/MAX  surveyed 1,022 of its residential experts in its quarterly RE/MAX Market Insights, and it found numerous signs of a market recovery in real estate, from pricing data to sales activity. Here’s what we thought were six important takeaways from

Are Nonjudicial Foreclosure States Leading the Recovery?

Judicial and nonjudicial states have radically different approaches to foreclosure proceedings, and they may produce different recoveries in the appropriate states. Currently, few analysts argue that a housing recovery is not happening; debate still persists, though, on the particulars –

Shifting Demand Defines 2012 Housing Recovery

As the housing market progressively recovers in 2012, more and more analysts are noting the shift in consumer demand from single-family to multifamily units. The latest (and most detailed) example is “The Shifting Nature of U.S. Housing Demand,” a

Obama Ramps Up Refinancing Rhetoric

By Peter Ricci In tune with campaign season, President Obama is stepping up his populist rhetoric to drum up support for his home refinancing plan. Originally announced in January during his State of the Union address, the plan would

NAHB: Homebuilder Confidence Hits Five-Year High

Homebuilder confidence in the market for new single-family homes reached its highest level since 2007, according to the Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. At 29, the level is five points higher than last month’s downwardly revised

Realtor Income, Business Increased in 2011

By Peter Ricci After a few difficult years, the income and business of Realtors grew in 2011, according to the 2012 National Association of Realtors Member Profile. A survey of 58,823 NAR members that yielded 6,245 usable responses, the

Mortgage Interest Rates Reach Historic Lows

Freddie Mac yesterday released the latest results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey, and it found what by now has become common – that average fixed mortgage rates hit record lows last week. The 30-year FRM averaged just 3.79

Fannie Mae Research Points to Improved Housing Market

Fannie Mae bolstered its predictions for the U.S. housing market in its report from the latest Economic & Strategic Research Group. Housing, the report stated, showed considerable promise in the first quarter of 2012, growing at a rate that “substantially”

Foreclosure Activity Lowest in Five Years

Foreclosure filings, which encompass default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions, were the lowest in April in five years, according to the latest data from RealtyTrac. The 188,780 filings for April were a 5 percent decline from March and a

Housing Inventory Stats Down 21 Percent From 2011

Inventory levels in the U.S. housing market are down 21 percent from last May, according to the newest statistics from Pro Teck Valuation Services. A real estate valuation firm based in Waltham, Mass., Pro Teck said many of the

Housing Starts Data Post Huge Yearly Increases

Housing starts for privately-owned homes rose by nearly 30 percent year-over-year in April, perhaps the strongest sign yet of a recovery in residential construction. According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing

Housing Finance Up for Debate at NAR Symposium

Housing finance was the main feature of a multi-panel discussion at the Realtors Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in Washington yesterday. Officially titled “Housing Policy in 2013: Challenges, Opportunities and Solutions,” the symposium featured a who’s who in

Is the FHA Fueling a New Housing Bubble?

The Federal Housing Administration has taken a big role in the tight-lending environment of the post-boom housing market, but has it been costly? That’s the argument of the Fiscal Times, which, in a piece analyzing the financing methods of

Past Loans Still Impacting FHA Delinquency Rate

Another round of foreclosures and delinquencies has once again put the FHA’s finances under scrutiny, as the agency’s boom-era loans continue to haunt its books. According to the latest data from Lender Processing Services, lenders began foreclosure proceedings on

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