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Housing Market Stalling; Remains Short of ‘Stable’

Freddie Mac's Multi-Indicator Market Index (MiMi), a gauge of housing stability, slid up just 0.03 points in its latest reading to -3.06, indicating the market is still on the weak side of the spectrum. Compared to last year, the MiMi has improved by 0.66 points. However, trends are less favorable now than they were at that time, said Frank Nothaft, chief economist at Freddie Mac.

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Pending Home Sales Rise 0.4% in April

The National Association of Realtors' (NAR) recorded a 0.4 percent gain in Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) for April, bringing it up to 97.8. A measure of contract signings, the index serves as a forward-looking indicator for future sales activity. "Higher inventory levels are giving buyers more choices, and a slight decline in mortgage interest rates this spring is raising prospective buyers' confidence," said Lawrence Yun, chief economist at NAR.

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GDP Takes Negative Turn in Second Q1 Estimate

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released Thursday its second look at gross domestic product (GDP) for Q1, estimating an annualized 1.0 percent decline as private inventory investment dropped further than originally reported. BEA's first estimate, released late April, put growth at an estimated annual rate of 0.1 percent compared to Q4's final rate of 2.6 percent.

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HARP Activity Continues to Slip in Q1

Refinance volumes dropped in the first quarter to a post-recession low, according to stats released by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Meanwhile, the share of refinances done through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) continued to pull back, slipping to about 21 percent of total activity.

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Home Prices Rise in Q1 Despite Slow Sales

Despite disappointing home sales in the first quarter of the year as winter storms took their toll, home prices increased 1.3 percent over the first three months of the year on a seasonally-adjusted basis for the purchase-only market, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). FHFA's principal economist, Andrew Leventis, cited "modest inventories of homes available for sale" as a major factor in the first-quarter increase.

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High-End Home Sales Booming as Lower Tiers Fizzle

While home sales have largely struggled so far this year, there's one market segment that's actually holding up well, according to Redfin: the very highest price tier. "For the top 1 percent, the housing market is still booming," said Redfin analyst Troy Martin in a blog post. "But for the rest of the market, the recovery is running out of gas."

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Consumer Confidence Improves with Payroll Gains

After dipping in April, the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index saw modest improvement in May as optimism for the job market grew. The index rebounded to 83.0 in the latest reading, up from a downwardly revised 81.7 in April, the group reported Tuesday.

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March Price Gains Beat Forecasts Despite Slowdown

The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, released Tuesday, recorded a seasonally adjusted 1.2 percent monthly rise in prices across 20 of the country's top markets. Compared to a year ago, March prices were up 12.4 percent, a step back from the 12.9 percent annual increase recorded in February. "The year-over-year changes suggest that prices are rising more slowly," said David M. Blitzer, chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices.

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Seven Major Metros Reporting New House Price Peaks

According to the latest from Black Knight Financial Services seven of the 40 largest metro areas hit new peaks in March, suggesting that perhaps a sluggish first quarter is on its way to rebounding in time for summer. Overall, the company recorded a 1.0 percent monthly increase in prices nationwide, bringing the index within 12.8 percent of its 2006 peak.

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Florida Housing Market Is ‘Balanced,’ Improving

Home prices have risen in Florida for 29 consecutive months as of April, according to Florida Realtors. At the same time, new listings and inventory are on the rise. "We continue to see the development of a sustainable market here in Florida," said John Tuccillo, chief economist for Florida Realtors, adding, "The numbers all suggest a balanced market."

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