by Jim Crowder | Feb 9, 2012 | HOUSING MARKET
The number of foreclosures completed in 2011 fell 24 percent to 830,000 from 1.1 million in 2010. Data released by CoreLogic shows that, not only were foreclosures down year-over-year, but they also dropped 8.4 percent in December. Mark Fleming, CoreLogic’s...
by Jim Crowder | Feb 8, 2012 | HOUSING MARKET
According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Applications Survey, demand for mortgage loans surged last week. The Market Composite Index, which measures total loan application volume, was up 7.5 percent over the previous week due to a 9.4 percent spike...
by Jim Crowder | Feb 7, 2012 | HOUSING MARKET
The National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index rose by 29 metropolitan areas in February bringing the total number of entries to 98. There are now 36 states represented by at least one metro market. The index identifies cities that...
by Jim Crowder | Feb 6, 2012 | HOUSING MARKET
Freddie Mac recently released their fourth-quarter refinance analysis and it shows that 85 percent of homeowners who refinanced their mortgages during the fourth quarter of 2011 maintained or reduced their principal balance by paying-in additional money at the closing...
by Jim Crowder | Feb 3, 2012 | HOUSING MARKET
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 243,000 in January, bringing the unemployment rate down to 8.3 percent from 8.5 percent the month before. The improvement continues a trend which has seen the unemployment...
by Jim Crowder | Feb 2, 2012 | HOUSING MARKET
A U.S. Census Bureau report on fourth-quarter vacancy and homeownership rates shows vacancies among non-rental housing at levels last seen in 2006. The national vacancy rate for single-family homes dropped to 2.3 percent during the fourth-quarter of 2011, down from...
