Tag Archives: Home Equity

Consumers are showing increased confidence in home sales and a greater sense of job security, according to the results of Fannie Mae's most recent National Housing Survey. January's findings show 41 percent of respondents believe home prices will go up in the next year, a decline of 2 percentage points from December's high. However, the share who believe prices will fall also dropped, returning to a survey low of 10 percent. The average 12-month home price change expectation in January was 2.4 percent.

On an annual basis, 2012 was the strongest year for originations since 2007, according to Lender Processing Services' December Mortgage Monitor.

U.S. home values in 2012 rose 5.9 percent over 2011, according to data in Zillow's latest Home Value Index (HVI).

The National Rural Housing Coalition recently released a report detailing two successful rural housing programs that, according to the Coalition, are two of the most cost-effective federal housing programs. However, funding for these programs is being drastically cut.

Optimism among both real estate professionals and homeowners regarding home values is rising, according to a nationwide survey.

A study from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) asserts the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is inadvertently setting the country up for another housing collapse. In a report titled How the FHA Hurts Working-Class Families and Communities, AEI resident fellow and former Fannie Mae EVP Edward Pinto says an analysis of FHA's books for fiscal years 2009 and 2010 show the agency's "lending practices are inconsistent with its mission and represent a disservice to American working-class families and communities."

A new report from the Center for Responsible Lending asserts that the mortgage industry still has a long way to go before it's out of the woods.

A survey released by the Federal Reserve shows slight easing of standards and strengthened demand for home loans.

Foreclosures have drained nearly $2 trillion in home equity from neighborhoods across the United States, according to a report from the Center for Responsible Lending. In a report titled "Collateral Damage: The Spillover Costs of Foreclosures," researchers Debbie Bocian, Wei Li, and Peter Smith conclude that, based on loans that entered foreclosure between 2007 and 2011, approximately $1.95 trillion in property value has been or will be lost by residents who live close to foreclosed properties.

Home equity revolving credit hit a three-year high in July, signaling continued growth in housing confidence, Equifax said in a report. The company's October National Consumer Credit Trends Report showed new home equity revolving lines of credit totaled more than $44 billion year-to-date through July. First mortgages contracted 3.4 percent year-over-year, but severely delinquent mortgages have also fallen off since their peak, reaching a total balance of $419 billion in September.