According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates fell last week from one week earlier. It was the fourth decline in five weeks. Rates fell across most loan categories, including 30-year fixed-rate loans with conforming balances, loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration, 5/1 ARMs and 15-year fixed-rate loans. Joel Kan, MBA’s vice president and deputy chief economist, says rates are now at a 10-week low. “Mortgage rates decreased for the fourth time in five … [Read more...]

Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research Group releases a monthly outlook covering what the group believes is ahead for the economy and housing market. According to their most recent forecast, they see some improvement ahead for home buyers. In fact, the ESR group says they believe home sales will bottom out early next year before starting to climb again. The reason behind the rebound? Lower mortgage rates. “Housing has been and continues to be under serious affordability pressure, resulting in … [Read more...]

The S&P Case-Shiller Indices are considered among the leading measures of U.S. home prices. The indices cover all nine census divisions and have been keeping records for more than 30 years. According to their most recent release, S&P remains optimistic about home values. Results show prices have continued to rise since bottoming out in January. In fact, Craig J. Lazzara, managing director at S&P, says home prices have outpaced the typical annual increase. “On a year-to-date basis, the National Composite … [Read more...]

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates fell to a two-month low last week. Rates were down from the week before for 30-year fixed-rate loans with both conforming and jumbo balances, loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration, and 15-year fixed-rate loans. Joel Kan, MBA's vice president and deputy chief economist, says economic data influenced the decline. “U.S. bond yields continued to move lower as incoming data signaled a softer economy and more … [Read more...]

Sales of previously owned homes fell 4.1 percent in October from one month earlier, according to new numbers from the National Association of Realtors. The decline came amid rising mortgage rates, low for-sale inventory, and seasonal trends which typically slow sales after the hot summer market begins to cool. But while home sales were slower in October, Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, says conditions may improve in the months ahead. “Fortunately, mortgage rates have fallen for the third straight week, … [Read more...]

We all know location matters when buying a home. Everything from prices to the amount of competition you face will be different from one zip code to the next. Proof of this can be found in a study of the country’s most affluent areas. The analysis looked at the 100 most exclusive zip codes across the country and found the market for high-end homes is still running hot, even as the housing market overall seems to be cooling. For example, in 23 of the most expensive markets, more than half of properties sold were … [Read more...]

The National Association of Home Builders keeps a monthly measure of how builders view the market for newly built homes. Its Housing Market Index is based on a survey which scores builders’ answers on a scale where any number above 50 indicates more builders view conditions as good than poor. In November, the index fell six points to 34, as rising mortgage rates dampened builder confidence. But Robert Dietz, NAHB’s chief economist, says there are signs that conditions may soon improve. “While builder sentiment was … [Read more...]

The standards lenders use to determine whether or not a borrower is eligible for a mortgage aren’t fixed. That means getting approved for a mortgage can be more difficult at times and easier at others. It also means prospective home buyers can better prepare themselves if they have an idea whether standards are loosening or tightening. The Mortgage Bankers Association tracks mortgage credit availability each month with its Mortgage Credit Availability Index. Any increase in the index means credit has become more … [Read more...]

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Application Survey, average mortgage rates were mostly flat last week from one week earlier. Rates for 30-year fixed-rate loans with conforming loan balances and loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration were both unchanged week-over-week, while jumbo loans and 5/1 ARMs saw slight increases. Joel Kan, MBA’s vice president and deputy chief economist, says rates have fallen over the past few weeks. “Although Treasury rates dipped midweek, mortgage rates … [Read more...]

At some point, everybody fantasizes about moving far away from home, whether to another city in the same state, a whole different state, or even to another country. It’s normal to sometimes wonder what life would be like if you packed everything up and tried something totally new. The reality, though, is we tend to stay fairly close to home when we make a move. In fact, an analysis of recent buyers found the median distance between the home they purchased and the one they moved from was 20 miles. That’s a decent … [Read more...]