News

According to figures released by the Census Bureau Tuesday, homeownership dropped last quarter to a rate of 64.8 percent, 0.4 percentage points lower than Q4 2013 and the lowest rate since the third quarter of 1995. Quarter-to-quarter, homeownership was down in all regions except the West, though at 59.4 percent, it remains lower in that region than in any other.

One way the federal government has accounted for local market differences is through the conforming loan limit: the maximum amount of a home loan that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can guarantee. However, according to Trulia chief economist Jed Kolko, this current system falls far short of reflecting the actual differences in local home prices and ends up favoring borrowers in lower-cost markets.

JMAC Lending, a California-based wholesale lender specializing in jumbo, GSE, and government-insured products, announced the kickoff of its new Imperial ARM (adjustable-rate mortgage) program.

Home prices as measured by S&P Dow Jones performed more or less as expected in February, with annual growth rates continuing to slow. The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices shows prices among 20 of the nation’s biggest markets grew 0.8 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in February, matching January’s rate of growth. Unadjusted, the index was unchanged month-over-month.

The South Carolina Board of Financial Institutions closed the five branches of Allendale Country Bank, Fairfax, South Carolina on Friday. The FDIC was appointed as the receiver and to protect the depositors, an assumption agreement was made was made with Palmetto State Bank, Hampton, South Carolina.

A late-month measure of consumer confidence shows sentiment rebounded to a near post-recession high in April, though questions remain as to whether or not that optimism will hold out. The latest Index of Consumer Sentiment, released jointly by Thomson Reuters and the University of Michigan, came to a final reading of 84.1 for April, resting one index point below its post-recession peak recorded last July.

Freddie Mac’s mortgage portfolio has declined in each of the first three months of this year with the fastest annualized decline in March, according to the GSE’s latest monthly volume summary. Freddie’s mortgage portfolio declined at an annualized rate of 2.9 percent in March. The last time the GSE’s portfolio grew was in December, when it demonstrated an annualized growth rate of 0.4 percent.

Black Knight Financial Services released its Home Price Index (HPI), noting that home prices in the U.S. rose 0.7 percent for the month of February to an average of $233,000. Black Knight's report falls between last week's FHFA House Price Index and the S&P Case-Shiller index(slated for release Tuesday), offering a more well-rounded view of market trends for the spring and upcoming summer months.

Out of a poll of more than 2,000 homeowners, Redfin found an even 25 percent would not buy their current home if they had a chance to do it over. Most of the dissatisfaction came from younger people and stemmed from their relationship with the real estate agent, suggesting a generational divide. Not surprisingly, the group with the least buyer’s remorse were those over 65.

In Pennsylvania, LoanLogics, a loan quality management and performance analytics firm, announced two promotions within the company and a new addition to its team: Matt Woolley has moved up to SVP of national sales, Terrell Cassada has been named chief information officer, and Terese L. Campbell has joined as SVP for product management.