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Average Mortgage Rate Dips Lower, So Does Demand
According to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates fell again last week, though total mortgage application volume also was down. The Market Composite Index, which measures both refinance and purchase activity, dipped 2.6...
Builder Sentiment Hits Highest Level Since May 2010
The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index measures builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes. In December, the index improved for the third straight month and reached its highest point since May 2010. David...
Economic Growth, Housing Activity To Rise In 2012
According to Freddie Mac's December 2011 U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook, 2012 should bring stronger economic growth, a better job market, and an increase in housing activity. Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's chief economist, says the economy grew at a faster...
68 Percent Of Americans Say Now Is The Time To Buy
Fannie Mae's National Housing Survey polls Americans each month to assess their attitudes and expectations toward owning a home, renting, mortgage rates, the economy, household finances, and overall consumer confidence. In November, 68 percent of respondents said now...
Foreclosures, Default Notices Fall From Last Year
RealtyTrac's U.S. Foreclosure Market Report For November shows foreclosure filings, which include default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions, were down 3.0 percent from October and 14 percent from November 2010. The report found one in every 579...
Refinance Activity Surges As Rates Hit 2011 Low
According to The Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Applications Survey, the average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages fell to 4.12 percent last week from 4.18 percent the week before. The drop brought rates to their lowest level this year....
Report Finds Signs Of Stabilization In Home Values
Clear Capital's Home Data Index Market Report shows little change in national home prices across quarterly, six month, and yearly time periods. The report, which includes data through November, found a 0.3 increase in quarter-over-quarter values but, most importantly,...
Consumer Sentiment Reaches Highest Level In Six Months
The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index rose to 67.7 from 64.1 in November. It was the fourth consecutive monthly gain and put the index at its highest level since June when it reached 71.1. The improvement is further evidence of an...
November Scorecard Collects Key Housing Data
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of the Treasury's November Housing Scorecard collects key data on the housing market and the government's foreclosure-prevention programs through October. According to the report, new home...
Number Of Improving Markets Rises For Fourth Straight Month
Using employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, home-price appreciation info from Freddie Mac, and Census Bureau estimates on single-family permit growth, the National Association of Home Builders' Improving Markets Index generates a list of housing markets...