National News

New York Fed: Consumer Credit Improving

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York today released its latest report on consumer credit, stating that credit continues to improve in the wake of the 2008 economic

NAHB Attempts Positive Spin with New Index

In an effort to combat the frequently negative reports on the U.S. housing market, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is crafting a new index that emphasizes growing and positive aspects of the

Morgan Stanley’s Thoughts on How to Fix the Housing Industry

America’s real estate market could be on an “unsustainable path,” faced with an oversupply of homes inaccessible to either renters or buyers. That’s what three Morgan Stanley analysts argue in a recent paper that outlines steps that can be

Standard and Poor Downgrades Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s Credit Score

Standard and Poor’s Rating Services (S&P) recently downgraded Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s credit rating from AAA to AA+ because it’s linked to the long-term debt of the U.S. S&P previously downgraded the U.S.’s credit rating to AA+ as

REO Values Rise, Freddie Mac Expenses Cut

Freddie Mac reported $27 million in expenses for maintaining and reselling REOs in the second quarter, as opposed to the $257 million reported for the previous

Despite Downgrade, FHFA Assures Consistency

Despite the nation’s credit downgrade, the Federal Housing Finance Agency assured investors that securities issued by the Treasury and other government-sponsored enterprises (GSE) are still

Federal Housing Finance Agency Requests Bailout

After losing $8.7 billion in the first quarter, Fannie Mae has reported a loss of $5.2 billion in the second quarter. Fannie Mae still owes the Treasury $104.8 billion, but now the Federal Housing Finance Agency is requesting another

FHA Sells Record Number of REO But Lowers Ceiling on Loan Limits

Earlier this year, Federal Housing Association (FHA) seemed to be in a steep hole when it came to the REO inventory. However, a recent report shows that FHA has sold a record number of REO in June, breaking the

Mortgage Application Volume Up 7.1 Percent

The Market Composite Index shows that the measure of mortgage loan application volume has increased 7.1 percent this week, while similar numbers have moved up and down. According to Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly applications survey for the week ending

Green-Certified Homes Are Sold For More Green

More homebuyers are understanding the importance of green building features and studies show that green-certified homes are worth more than non-certified homes in the housing market. One analysis from the Earth Advantage Institute found that on average green-certified buildings

Deal Reached Regarding Debt Ceiling; NAR, NAHB Comment

After weeks of debate over the debt ceiling, Sunday night the compromise deal was agreed upon and the emergency legislation passed in the Senate this morning, 74 to

Higher Mortgage Payments May Harm Recovery

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act have paved the way for an increase in the required down payment for mortgages, however, many analysts and industry professionals are criticizing this

Millennials Deemed a Plausible Solution to Recovery

According to New Geography, approximately 64 percent of Millennials–those born between 1982-2003–are focused on the importance of owning a home, with 20 percent saying it is one of the most important priorities in life, followed by being a good

RE/MAX, Prudential and Century 21 Top Home Buyer/Seller Satisfaction Study

According to Agent Genius, seller satisfaction rose 4.9 percent with brokerages since 2010, but buyer satisfaction dropped slightly, as tracked by J.D. Power and Associates’ fourth annual Home Buyer/Seller

RealtyTrac Discovers Lower Foreclosure Activity in 84 Percent of Metro Areas

RealtyTrac’s Midyear 2011 Metropolitan Foreclosure Market Report studied 211 metropolitan areas, finding that foreclosure activity through June dropped on a year-over-year basis in 84 percent, or 178, of the areas. In addition, the report found that the top ten

PHSI Continues Steady Climb in Midwest and South, but Closings Still Dropping

This June, NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index rose 2.4 percent to 90.9 – an increase over last month as well as a 19.8 percent increase over June 2010, according to Calculated Risk. However, Fannie Mae is skeptical as to

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