Standard & Poor’s continued what has been an entire month of credit-friendly news with its reports on first-time default rates, which declined on consumer credit for the second straight month while nonpayments on second lien mortgages hit a new

Throughout most of 2011, the finances at the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) received considerable media attention, with analysts and politicians alike predicting the end of the agency. An recent infusion of funds was thought to have alleviated those concerns, but new

The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development released hugely promising data on February building permits earlier today, reporting a 5.1 percent increase from January and 34.3 percent increase from last year at an annual rate

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) maintained its highest level since June 2007 in March, with the national measure holding steady at 28 and gaining two points in the South to settle at

The Bipartisan Policy Center made a splash earlier this month with a wide-ranging study of the Echo Boomer generation that highlighted many of the demographic, economic and sociological factors that would contribute to the generation’s economic impact, and it

A new survey by FreeScore.com has uncovered a most interesting anomaly in the housing landscape – although 22.1 percent of homeowners are underwater on their mortgages, according to CoreLogic, more than 70 percent are unaware of government programs created specifically to

The National Association of Home Builders in March added 30 more metropolitan areas to its Improving Markets Index (IMI), a unique survey of the nation’s best-performing urban areas. Representative of 33 states, the IMI has grown steadily since its launch in

Mortgage servicers, namely the nation’s five largest banks, will have to adapt their business models to new timelines starting this week for short sales, as some of the regulatory aspects of the state attorneys general mortgage settlement are implemented

February foreclosures in Houston posted mild increases from a year ago, as banks resume filings in the wake of the $26 billion mortgage settlement, according to the latest data from RealtyTrac. From January, February’s 3,351 foreclosure filings were a

Listed inventory on Realtor.com fell by 22 percent in February compared with a year ago, but according to the site, that drop was accompanied by a 6.8 percent increase in asking price, which signified a greater interest from prospective

Policy makers at the Federal Reserve raised their expectations for the economy in 2012, with stronger-than-anticipated results in employment and consumer behavior motivating the positive change in perspective. The Fed said it expects moderate economic growth and gradually declining

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke attempted to calm the nerves of community bankers earlier today with a pre-recorded message directed at the pending effects of the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory bill. Appearing before the Independent Community Bankers of America convention in

Spring is often seen as a time for growth and rebirth, and those metaphorical aspects, based on new estimates and projections from some of the nation’s largest homebuilders, have rarely been more appropriate. According to Barclay Capital analysts, 2012

A new index from Zillow has found an inverted relationship between median rental prices and home values last year, with rents rising 3 percent from January 2011 to January 2012 and home values falling 4.6 percent. Released for the

Freddie Mac ate its latest serving of humble pie late last week when it reported yet another year of losses and made an additional request for funds from the U.S. Treasury, but it also dampened the news with some

Construction employment may have been down slightly in February, but it is part of a larger trend in the jobs market that points to a slow, but sustainable growth for the U.S. economy through 2012 and beyond. For February, construction jobs