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Economists Express Improved Expectations For Housing
Out of 28 economists polled by Reuters, half said that home prices had already hit bottom or would by the end of this year. The polled economists also projected a smaller decline in prices this year than in earlier polls and, according to the median forecast, a bigger...
Census Bureau Compiles New Home Stats For 2010
The U.S. Census Bureau's Annual Characteristics of New Housing compiles housing data ranging from median and average square footage to construction method, number of bathrooms, and type of heating system. Last year's statistics show new single-family homes, though...
Nearly 70 Percent Of Americans Say Now Is The Time To Buy
Fannie Mae's August National Housing Survey polled 1,001 Americans to assess their attitudes toward owning and renting, mortgage rates, the economy, and their personal finances. The survey found 69 percent of respondents said now was a good time to buy a home, up...
Home Prices Post Strong Summer Gains
Clear Capital's latest report detailing second-quarter home prices shows a 4.0 percent increase in values over the summer months. Price gains were strongest in the Midwest region, where they jumped 7.3 percent. The Northeast saw an increase of 4.9 percent, while the...
30-Year Mortgage Rates Approach New Lows
According to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Applications Survey, the average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages fell to 4.23 percent from 4.32 percent the previous week. Michael Fratantoni, MBA's vice president of research and...
Number Of Single Households Reaches All Time High
Nearly 27 percent of the nation's households are made up of people who live alone, according to an Associated Press analysis of 2010 census data. Among that 27 percent, more women than men live alone, in part due to the fact that older women tend to outlive their...
August Scorecard Rates Administration’s Housing Efforts
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S Department of the Treasury's August Housing Scorecard paints a mixed picture of the housing market and the administration's recovery and mortgage modification efforts. The report says the housing market...
Housing Shows Modest Improvement Amid Uncertain Economy
Despite uncertainty in the economy and job market, housing data has shown modest improvement, according to Fannie Mae's most recent monthly economic forecast. According to the report, new home sales and housing starts were up during the second quarter and home prices...
Mortgage Rates Fall To 4.32 Percent
According to The Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Applications Survey, the average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages fell to 4.32 percent after rising to 4.39 percent the week before. At 4.32 percent, mortgage rates are now back to their...
Price Index Shows Home Values On The Rise
In the second quarter of 2011, national home prices rose 3.6 percent. According to the Standard & Poor's /Case-Shiller home price index, prices were up in June from May in 19 of the 20 cities tracked. David M. Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P...