Archive for February, 2010
The Home Price Index Shows Some Regions Up, Some Regions Down
Publishing on a 2-month lag, the Federal Home Finance Agency said home prices fell by 1.6 percent nationally in December. And that’s an average, of course. Some regions performed well in December as compared to November, others didn’t.
Read More..>>As The Supply Of New Homes Grows, So Does The Opportunity For A “Good Deal”
New Home Sales fell 11 percent from the month prior and posted the fewest units sold in a month since 1963 — the year the government first started tracking New Home Sales data. It may be good for home buyers.
Read More..>>December 2009 Case-Shiller Data Shows Battered Markets In Bona Fide Recovery
Using data compiled in December, Standard & Poors released its Case-Shiller Index Tuesday. The report shows home prices down just 2.5% on an annual basis, a figure much lower than the 8.7% annual drop reported after Q3.
Read More..>>How You Can Get The Most Accurate, Real-Time Mortgage Rate Quotes Available
Although the newspapers reported mortgage rates down last week, they weren’t. Conforming mortgage rates were higher by at least 1/8 percent, or roughly $11 per $100,000 borrowed per month. In some cases, rates were up by even more.
Read More..>>What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : February 22, 2010
Mortgage markets had a terrible, holiday-shortened week last week as Wall Street responded to worse-than-expected inflation data and action from the Federal Reserve. Mortgage bonds sold off with force, causing mortgage rates to rise for the second week in a row.
Read More..>>Housing Starts Soar To 6-Month High In January… Or Do They?
Sometimes, headlines for housing can be misleading and this week gave us a terrific example. On Wednesday, the Commerce Department released its Housing Starts data for January 2010. The data showed starts at a 6-month high. The real story is something different.
Read More..>>Mortgage Rates Spike On The Federal Reserve’s January 2010 Meeting Minutes
The Fed Minutes is a follow-up document, delivered 3 weeks after an official FOMC meeting. It’s a companion piece to the post-meeting press release, detailing the debates and discussions that shaped our central bankers’ policy decisions. The Minutes is a terrific look into the Fed’s collective mind and, yesterday, Wall Street didn’t like what it saw.
Read More..>>The Best And Worst Cities For Commuters (2010 Edition)
According to the Census Bureau, 2.8 million people commute to work 90 minutes or more each day, in each direction. Now, your daily commute may not be as long, but time spent in cars, trains and buses is time away from work and from family.
Read More..>>What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : February 16, 2010
Mortgage markets worsened last week on general profit-taking in the U.S. bond market, combined with talk of a coordinated rescue effort for Greece and its debt burden. Mortgage-backed bonds sold off, causing conventional and FHA mortgage rates to rise.
Read More..>>How Rising Consumer Sentiment Is Linked To Higher Home Prices
Consumer Sentiment has been on the rise since last February and it’s something to which home buyers should pay attention. The affordability of your next home may hinge on consumer confidence.
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