National News

Fannie Mae Reports Easing Credit Standards

Mortgage standards are easing across all loan types, according to the new Mortgage Lender Sentiment Survey from Fannie Mae. The survey was conducted in August, and asked senior mortgage executives whether their organizations’ standards had eased, tightened or remained

Builder Confidence at Highest Level Since Oct. 2005

Builder confidence in the market for newly constructed single-family homes rose another point to 62 points on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). It is the highest number since October 2005. David Crowe, the

MBA: Mortgage Applications Decline in Weekly Survey

According to the new Mortgage Applications Survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association, mortgage applications declined 7.0 percent from the week prior. Refinancing activity was down by 9 percent, while purchase mortgages were down by 4 percent. Refinancing comprised 56.2

Millennials Still Living at Home, Facing Economic Hardships

A Pew Research Center study highlights the problems facing Millennials who attempt to purchase a home A new study released by the Pew Research Center highlighted that Millennials are still struggling to live independently, despite the strengthening job market. While the

Fannie Mae Announces HomeReady Affordability Program

Plan revamps mortgage program to better benefit borrowers’ needs People with low to moderate income are gaining a boost when it comes to getting a mortgage. In an effort to better suit borrower needs, Fannie Mae has announced they

22 Subcontractors Needed to Build the Average Home

According to a new National Association of Home Builders study, 70 percent of builders generally use between 11 and 30 subcontractors to build one single-family home. On average, a typical builder would use 22 subcontractors to build a house. Here is

MBA: Mortgage Applications Decline

According to the new Mortgage Applications Survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association, mortgage applications declined 6.2 percent from the week prior. Refinancing activity was down by 10 percent, while purchase mortgages were down by 1 percent. Refinancing comprised 56.9

Is Low Construction to Blame for Housing’s Inventory Woes?

A new NAR analysis argues that lack of new construction hinders housing growth New home construction is insufficient in a majority of metro areas, according to new research by the National Association of Realtors. NAR measured the amount of

Keller Williams Employee Base Increases Amidst Record Expansion

Keller Williams has increased its employee base by 17 percent since January 1 to more than 125,000 associates. In the first half of 2015, Keller Williams broke monthly records as the sales volume increased 26 percent to $100 billion,

realtor.com Unveils New Metrics Report…for Free

A few months back, Zillow Group, the new conglomerate of Zillow and Trulia, rolled out a new feature that allowed brokers to review a variety of listing metrics through its Zillow Data Dashboard, from impressions to total listing views.

New Fannie Mae Index Finds Homebuyers More Confident in 2015

Fannie Mae’s Economic & Strategic Research Group has launched the Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI), which provides details about the direction of the housing market. The index reports that in August, the HPSI dropped to 80.0 from 0.5 points,

U.S. Housing Market Ready for Interest Hike, Economists Say

Housing is well prepared for higher interest rates, according to a new survey The U.S. housing market is strong enough to stand up to an interest rate hike this year, according to a new Reuters report. The report, which surveyed 22

Is Urban Growth Outpacing Suburban Growth?

The 2010s may be on track to change tradition, with cities expanding faster their suburbs for the first time in 40 years, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. According to new research by the Census Bureau,

Pending Home Sales See Small Increase in July

Signings rebound slightly after June’s decline After a negative June, pending home sales saw a small increase in July, according to a report released by the National Association of Realtors. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), a forward-looking indicator

Fall of Chinese Stock Market Leads to Lower Mortgage Rates

Average fixed mortgage rates in the U.S. have fallen to their lowest levels since May of this year amid substantial and ongoing global volatility out of China, according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey. The average 30-year fixed rate mortgage dropped

Minorities Will Drive Future Homeownership Growth

Hispanics and other minorities primed to begin housing boom Minorities are projected to have higher homeownership rates than whites from 2020 to 2030, especially among Hispanics, according to a new Urban Institute study. Although white homeownership growth will be

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