Secondary Market

A survey conducted for the American Action Forum (AAF) shows the majority of American voters view Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac unfavorably and would support phasing out the mortgage giants. The survey found that the enterprises have yet to recover in the public eye, with 52 percent of those surveyed saying they view the companies unfavorably and only 20 percent viewing them favorably. Wes Anderson, who oversaw the poll, described the public image of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as "nearly toxic."

The First Title Radio Show debuted on May 31 and has aired seven episodes so far. In that time, host Doug Dennison--a radio, real estate, and government auction expert--has interviewed more than 15 real estate professionals, including representatives from Sperry Van Ness, Florida Keys Real Estate, Rowell Auctions, Inc., and the Five Star Institute.

One week after spiking to a two-month high, first-time claims for unemployment insurance dropped 24,000 to 334,000 for the week ending July 13--the lowest level in 10 weeks, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists expected the number of claims to drop to 344,000 from the 360,000 originally reported for the week ending July 6. The number of filings for that week was revised down to 358,000.

As a Yale Athletics Corporate Partner, Total Mortgage is the official mortgage services provider for Yale Athletics and will have a presence in multiple platforms.

In Colorado, Allonhill added two managing directors to its sales roster as the company finds more opportunities for growth.

Despite soaring builder confidence, new housing permits and starts fell in June, with new construction falling to the lowest level in 10 months, the Census Bureau and HUD reported Wednesday. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of new housing permits tumbled 7.5 percent--the largest month-over-month decline since January 2011--while starts fell 9.9 percent, the second-largest drop since February 2011. Builders completed homes at an annual adjusted pace of 755,000 in June, 6.3 percent more than May.

The new home market in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Metroplex continued to see rapid growth in the second quarter, according to a report from Metrostudy, a Hanley Wood company.

The StoneHill Group's Wade Hamby received an honor from Mortgage Bankers Association of Florida for his contributions to the association and the mortgage industry.

After surging in June, the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Housing Market Index (HMI)--a measure of builder confidence--shot up again in July, climbing six points to 57, its highest reading since January 2006, the group reported Tuesday. The two-month 13-point gain was the strongest two-month increase since January-February 1992, when the index improved 14 points. All three of the HMI components increased for the third month in a row.

FNC's Residential Price Index (RPI) continued to show gains in May, though the company noted the pace of growth has started to slow to a more sustainable level. According to FNC, the index climbed 0.5 percent in May, striking a balance between April's 0.7 percent growth and March's 0.3 percent improvement. From December through May, FNC reported an average monthly price growth of 0.4 percent, which annual appreciation rates (4.0 percent in May compared to May 2012) similarly leveling out.