National News

4 Big Trends in the U.S. Job Market

October was more of the same for the U.S. job market, but was it enough to sway Fed policy? The U.S. economy added 271,000 jobs in October and the unemployment rate held firm at 5.0 percent, according to the

MBA: Mortgage Applications Slightly Decrease

According to the new Mortgage Applications Survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association, mortgage applications decreased 0.8 percent from the week prior. Refinancing activity decreased by 1 percent, while purchase mortgages rose by 20 percent. Refinancing comprised 59.5 percent of all

TRID Remains Lenders’ No. 1 Regulatory Concern

It’s been more than a month since the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure (TRID) guidelines came into effect, and so far, the industry hasn’t devolved into total chaos. But that doesn’t mean lenders still aren’t worried. Financial services company Wolters Kluwer

Cuban Real Estate Rush: Too Much Too Soon?

There’s been a lot of political posturing as of late, with partisan pundits and presidential candidates butting heads over everything from tax strategies to affordable housing, but one issue that, surprisingly, has remained largely left out of the conversation is

Fannie Mae to No Longer Require Pay Stubs

Fannie Mae opts to use database for those without credit score Fannie Mae will no longer require physical pay stubs and tax data to verify a borrowers’ ability to handle a loan, according to The Wall Street Journal. Instead, Fannie

Freddie Mac CEO: Expect More Low Down Payment Mortgages

The Federal Housing Finance Agency and Freddie Mac are ready to uphold their pledge from last year to extend lending to borrowers who do not qualify for traditional loans. Freddie even hinted that more low down-payment loan programs could possibly

Pending Home Sales Decline for Second Straight Month

Housing continues to slow in 2015 Pending home sales were down 2.3 percent from August to September, according to the latest report from the National Association of Realtors. Closing out the month at 106.8, the Pending Home Sales Index

Why are Builders Constructing So Few Homes?

Single-family home starts are far below the long-term median – why? Builder confidence has posted repeated year-over-year gains in recent months, but the amount of single-family housing starts is not rising to match their confidence, according to a report by The Wall

Has the FHA’s Attempt for More Affordable Housing Backfired?

The FHA’s reduction in insurance premiums may have led to a surge in demand The Federal Housing Administration’s effort to provide relief for homeowners through lower insurance premiums may have backfired, according to a MarketWatch report. The change, which went into effect

3 Big Obstacles to the Housing Recovery

Do these economic trends pose problems for housing’s future? America’s housing market is at a crossroads. In addition to the usual real estate entities that impact its progress – Realtor associations, homebuilders, lending institutions – housing is also privy to the wider

Census Bureau: New Home Sales Disappoint in September

New home sales were down last month, but what about 2015 overall? Autumn has been a lackluster season thus far for new home sales, which rose 2.0 percent month-to-month but fell 11.5 percent year-over-year in September, ending the month at a seasonally adjusted

Case-Shiller: Boston Home Prices Rising Solidly

Home prices in Boston have risen steadily, albeit in line with the national averages Home prices in the Boston metro area rose 0.4 percent monthly and 4.6 percent year-over-year in August, according to the new Case-Shiller Home Price Indices from Standard & Poor’s.

Don’t Hold Your Breath for Any Fannie/Freddie Reforms

Will Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac ever change? Investors and housing advocates alike have anxiously awaited government plans to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but recent comments by Obama administration officials indicate they’ll have to wait a bit longer.

How Lagging Economic Optimism Impacts Housing

The economy on a whole may be doing better, but most Americans are not directly experiencing those gains The unemployment rate is currently 5.1 percent, down substantially from where it was five years ago. Since bottoming in March 2009, the

Construction Still Impacted by Labor Shortages

Employees of all backgrounds left the construction industry and didn’t come back More than five years after the housing downturn, homebuilders are still grappling with a lack of construction workers, according to a new Wall Street Journal report. There are 1.3 million

Trulia Highlights Supernatural Hazards

Trulia sought to find some of the most unnaturally hazardous places in the country Halloween is nearly upon us, which means it’s time to break out our jack-o-lanterns, cue up our YouTube mixes for Thriller and The Monster Mash,

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