News / Features
All week, we’ve been reporting on the different dimensions of the housing recovery. From housing’s relationship with the greater economic progression of 2012, to positive projections from Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, to the continually high interest from Americans
New legislation proposed in the House of Representatives would extend the Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007, a federal provision that allows taxpayers to exclude from their income the debt reductions that resulted from mortgage restructuring or foreclosure settlements.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac last week finally integrated HARP 2.0 into their automation systems, and though refinancings are expected to increase dramatically, they could come with some strings attached that previous refinancings did not
It’s long been one of the ultimate truisms in real estate that a robust economy, and all the positive employment and investment numbers that accompany it, is the finest contributor to a growing housing market, and agents, investors and
Freddie Mac Chief Economist Frank Nothaft is predicting a reawakening, of sorts, for the housing market in his March 2012 Economic Outlook in a fashion that could read like a sequel to “Sleeping Beauty.” Analyzing economic growth, construction data and
Toll Brothers has joined the league of revitalized builders, including Lennar and Hovnanian, if comments from the luxury builder’s CEO are any indication. In an interview with CNBC, CEO Douglas Yearley said his company has been experiencing some of
Foreclosures launched by Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)-registered banks and servicers fell by 16 percent in the fourth quarter and by 17.9 percent year-over-year, according to the latest data from the agency, capping off an entire
Standard & Poor’s released the latest Case-Shiller Indices yesterday, and as has been the trend the last few months, the research firm reported declines in price, specifically a 3.9 percent year-over-year drop in the 20-City Composite, which measures home
Despite economic strife and continued difficulties in the housing market, Americans continue to see homeownership as preferable to renting, according to Fannie Mae’s latest National Housing Survey. A study involving 3,000 Americans that focuses on the state of homeownership aspirations in
The principal reduction, and whether the GSEs will embrace it as a central policy for aiding distressed borrowers, is undoubtedly among the most contentious issues facing housing right now, as Acting FHFA Director Ed DeMarco has resisted repeated calls
The National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Pending Home Sales Index increased from 88.4 in February 2011 to 96.5 in February of this year, an uptick that suggests some of the strongest existing-home sales in years. A leading indicator for
By Peter Ricci Economic analysis is among the more unforgiving fields of study in the wide world of
A recent study shows that new homebuyers are finding small living spaces in urban areas more attractive than in previous years. According to an article by Housing Wire the Urban Land Institute of North Texas’ executive vice president of policy
For the second month in a row, new home sales were down monthly but up yearly, increasing 11.4 percent from February 2011 but decreasing 1.6 percent from January 2012’s revised rate of 318,000, according to data just released today
The Architecture Billings Index (ABI), a leading economic indicator of future construction activity, reported positive numbers yet again in February, marking the fourth straight month that the index has been in such territory, according to the most recent press release from the American Institute of
Research firm CoreLogic released its latest residential shadow inventory study yesterday, reporting that the ever-nebulous sector of housing in January 2012 stood at 1.6 million units, or a six months’
