Tag Archives: Investors

Potential homebuyers looking to capture the spirit of the swinging 60s still have a chance to snag a piece of history in Beverly Hills. The former home of Patty Duke remains on the market for $5.395 million, after having been originally listed in March of 2011 for $6.

Mortgage servicers received new guidance Thursday addressing protocol for dealing with military members who receive permanent change of station orders. The joint guidance was released by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in concert with the Federal Reserve, FDIC, National Credit Union Administration, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. About one-third of the nation├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós military members receive non-negotiable permanent change of station orders each year, and the new servicer guidance is intended to ensure compliance with applicable consumer laws and regulations.

Existing home sales dropped to 4.55 million in May while the median price of an existing home rose to $182,600, the National Association of realtors reported Thursday. The decline in the seasonally adjusted annual rate of sales was the third in the last four months and steeper than expected. Despite the month-over-month decline, existing-home sales continue a steady, longer-term increase. Sales have averaged 4.574 million in the last five months, compared with 4.358 million in the previous five months and 4.274 million last year.

First time claims for unemployment insurance fell to 387,000 for the week ended June 16, from the prior week├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós 389,000, (revised from the originally reported 387,000) the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists had expected the report would show 3863,000 initial claims.

Renters and first-time homebuyers want more amenities in their first homes and generally feel a sense of optimism that outpaces the reality in a slowly recovering housing market ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔé¼┼ô a disconnect that could set the stage for the next housing crisis. Those are the findings that real estate company Trulia unveiled in an American Dream survey it released Wednesday. Of 86 markets in the 100 largest metro areas, 61 percent, or nearly two-thirds, of Americans believe that home prices will rise over the next year, according to the company.

With a lone dissent, the Federal Open Market Committee Wednesday voted no change in the target federal funds rate but agreed to expand its program to stimulate the economy by purchasing Treasury securities. The action is expected to keep mortgage rates at record lows. After the meeting, the FOMC released its quarterly forecast of the economy and interest rates with more members of the Committee seeing higher rates in 2014 than in the prior forecast. The FOMC said "growth in employment has slowed in recent months and the unemployment rate has declined but remains elevated."

The revised figures for economic growth in the year's first quarter were disappointing, but Fannie Mae's Economic & Strategic Research Group is still forecasting moderate growth for the remainder of 2012. A report released by the group Tuesday projected 2.2 percent growth for all of 2012. Several factors presented risks to the economic outlook, including a slowing trend in job growth and potential contagion in the euro zone from Greece's financial issues. Consumer attitudes also influence the economic outlook.

While other experts and analysts have concluded home prices are on the rise and the recovery is under way, Radar Logic released a report challenging the upbeat viewpoint. The argument made by Radar Logic is that as buyers absorb the supply of homes for sale in certain markets and prices start to stabilize as a result, home owners who have been waiting on the sidelines to sell will do so once prices start to improve. This will increase supply once again, and home prices will stop appreciating as supply exceeds demand. Home values decreased by 0.8 percent year-over-year in April 2012.

Boasting 40 acres of land, full equestrian facilities, and six guest houses, the La Quinta, California, estate once belonging to Merv Griffin is now on the market for $9.5 million.

Multifamily and commercial lender, CWCapital, has added a new senior vice president. The company recently announced the addition of David A.Burt as CWCapital's SVP within its small balance, multifamily program.