Home >> News (page 1202)

News

Cash Sales Continue Steady Decline in Home Market

Since the beginning of 2013, cash purchases have comprised a steadily eroding share of the market en route to pre-crash averages. Prior to 2008, cash sales on average made up a quarter of the sale market nationally. Cash sales reached their peak during the worst of the recession, topping out at 46.5 percent in January 2011.

Read More »

Mortgage Applications Rose with Credit Availability in March

application

As for credit availability, Fratantoni said that “a number of factors contributed to a loosening of credit in March.” One factor is Freddie Mac's introduction of its 97 percent LTV program, which allows for as little as 3 percent down payment on a new home purchase. Other factors included looser parameters on jumbo loan programs, increased cash-out refinance loans offerings, and the growth of FHA’s VA Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan.

Read More »

NAHB Says Single-Family Residential Construction Generates Millions for Communities

According to the findings, construction of 100 single-family homes pumps an average of $28.7 million in income into a typical local economy in the first year. This, the NAHB says, adds $3.6 million to local tax rolls while providing 394 new jobs. Annually recurring benefits after construction is completed, on average, generate $4.1 million in local income, $1 million in taxes, and 69 local jobs

Read More »

Freddie Mac Finds Mortgage Rate Drop Amid Underwhelming Job Growth

Variable-rate mortgages were down as well. According to Freddie, 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 2.83 percent this week, down from last week’s 2.92 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.09 percent. However, 1-year Treasury-indexed ARMs maintained at 2.46 percent, almost unchanged from a year ago.

Read More »