National News

Unorthodox Strategies Emerge for Dealing with Foreclosures

States with the slowest foreclosure processes might see their federal funding suspended until conditions improve, according to HousingWire’s Jon Prior. During a House committee hearing Wednesday over bonuses paid to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac executives, Edward DeMarco, Federal

October Scares More Homes off the Market

Year-over-year housing inventory was down 21 percent in October, according to a RE/MAX housing report cited by HousingWire. The decline is the 16th straight month of falling inventories. In addition, agents reported a 7.7 month supply of homes to

Homebuilders Adapting to the ‘Family’ Business

Apparently, academics and media outlets aren’t the only ones following Pew research polls. After releasing a study in October on multigenerational housing – which reported that in the last 30 years, 23 million Americans have transitioned to multigen housing,

Obama Administration Makes Housing More Affordable for Seniors and the Disabled

Thanks to $749 million worth of grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), thousands of very-low-income seniors and disabled persons will have access to affordable and supportive

Housing Starts in Oct. 16.5 Percent over 2010

Housing starts increased in October by 16.5 percent, year-over-year, to a seasonally adjusted rate of 628,000, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban

Could Fannie Mae Be Profitable Again?

Fannie Mae released its third quarter balance sheets a couple weeks ago, and the $5.1 billion loss – accompanied by a plea for $7.8 billion in additional government financing – chaffed more than a few observers, leading to further

NAR Documents Changes in Homebuyers and Sellers

The National Association of Realtors has released its 2011 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, a survey of 5,708 home buyers and sellers that studies the demographics and features of both the individuals involved and the properties they were

NAHB Index Builds Upon Recent Gains

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), which gauges home builder confidence for single-family home construction, rose for the second straight month, increasing by three points in November to a total of 20. With October’s

FICO Unveils New Credit Score to Counter ‘Strategic Defaults’

An Oct. 31 study by Moody’s recently pinpointed homeowners with jumbo loans as a greater default risk than any other type of borrowers, including even risky subprime mortgages. Basing its claims on an analysis of of the nation’s mortgage-backed bond portfolios,

FHA Contradicts Critics with Annual Financial Report

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) released its annual financial report to Congress earlier today, and surprisingly, it boldly contradicts recent claims from academics and news outlets regarding the government agency’s solvency. According to a recent Wall Street Journal piece that

2012 Predictions from NAR’s Annual Conference Bring Good News to Homeowners and Buyers

Economists at the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) annual conference, currently underway in Anaheim, California, expect to see gradual improvements in the housing market throughout 2012. Existing-home sales this year have risen 4 to 5 percent, and new home

Operation Twist Buys $5.5 Billion More in MBS

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as a part of what is commonly being referred to as “Operation Twist,” purchased $5.5 billion in mortgage-backed securities for the week of November

Could the Foreclosure Honeymoon Be Over?

The robo-signing scandals of 2010 sent shockwaves through the lending industry, as national banks, burdened with the considerable weight of thousands upon thousands of foreclosures, short sales and other distressed properties, attempted to reconcile their balance sheets as quickly

30-year FRM Returns to Sub-4 Percent Territory

After a brief sabbatical, the 30-year FRM is back in familiar territory, falling below 4 percent for the second time in as many months. Motivated by the Federal Reserve’s “Operation Twist,” which involves the Fed buying billions of dollars

Could the FHA be MIA in Coming Years?

A new report from a finance professor predicting the coming insolvency of the Federal Housing Administration has some government officials and analysts spooked, according to a new report from The Wall Street

New Govt. Rules Further Multifamily’s Ascendence

In a move that seems to confirm the ever-increasing importance of multifamily housing in the current housing market, the federal government is removing several state regulations that will make it easier for developers to build federally-subsidized multifamily homes, according

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