by Jim Crowder | Mar 23, 2012 | HOUSING MARKET
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Department of Commerce’s New Residential Sales Report for February shows sales of new homes fell 1.6 percent from January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 313,000. But though sales slipped from...
by Jim Crowder | Mar 22, 2012 | HOUSING MARKET
Sales of previously owned homes fell 0.9 percent in February but remain 8.8 percent above a year ago. According to data from the National Association of Realtors, existing-home sales, which include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops, were at a...
by Jim Crowder | Mar 21, 2012 | HOUSING MARKET
Mortgage rates increased last week but remain historically low, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Applications Survey. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose to 4.19 percent last week from 4.06 percent the...
by Jim Crowder | Mar 20, 2012 | HOUSING MARKET
The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s new residential construction statistics for February show housing starts down 1.1 percent from January but still nearly 35 percent above the year before. Despite the slight dip in new...
by Jim Crowder | Mar 19, 2012 | HOUSING MARKET
Builder confidence in the market for new single-family homes is twice as strong as it was six months ago and at its highest level since 2007. The latest National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index, which measures builders’ expectations and...
by Jim Crowder | Mar 16, 2012 | HOUSING MARKET
The National Association of Home Builders Improving Markets Index climbed to 99 in March, up from 98 in February. The index, which measures improvement in housing permits, employment, and prices, now includes 33 states with at least one housing market on the list and...
