The report also reveals that the median sales price of homes sold in March was $277,000, while the average price was $343,000. Additionally, by the end of March, the number of new homes on the market was 213,000. At the current sales rate, this supply should last approximately 5.3 months. Results of the report are gathered through sample surveys, and the majority of houses are chosen randomly from selected building permits. Census field representatives collect the data, visit permit offices, and track when single-family units are started, completed and sold.
Read More »Freddie Mac: Index Shows Most Metro Housing Markets Are Improving
The most improved states in the last three months were Oregon, Michigan, Florida, California and Kentucky, with Oregon jumping more than 2 percent. And on a year-over-year basis, Nevada, Colorado, Florida, Oregon and Rhode Island saw the biggest increases. In fact, since this time last year, MiMi values for Nevada have improved more than 11 percent.
Read More »Lenders Believe Industry Changes Will Benefit Buyers More than Originators
Though they’re on the fence about the benefits for themselves, most lenders surveyed agreed that both changes would be advantageous to consumers. In fact, 76 percent believe that expanding 97-percent LTV loan products will be good for homebuyers, and another 81 percent believe the MIP reduction will be beneficial, too.
Read More »Insurance Providers Are Currently Compliant With Enhanced PMI Eligibility Requirements
Several leading mortgage insurance providers for the industry have announced that if the enhanced Private Mortgage Insurer Eligibility Requirements (PMIERs) announced by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) went into effect today, they would be in complete compliance.
Read More »April’s Forecasts for Existing Home Sales and Prices Show Housing is Gaining Momentum
April's target annual sales rate for existing homes of 5.31 million is an increase of 2.3 percent from March and 11.8 percent from April 2014, according to Auction.com. "Among the factors contributing to the jump in March's existing home sales, pent-up demand from weak sales in January and February probably played a significant role," Auction.com EVP Rick Sharga said.
Read More »Treasury Says GSEs Have an ‘Ongoing Financial Commitment’ to Taxpayers
In the response letter, dated April 21, 2015, Treasury's Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, Randall DeValk said that wanted to "clarify some misunderstandings" from some press reports regarding the agreement, and said that the government's $187.5 billion bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with taxpayer funds in 2008 was not an "ordinary" loan.
Read More »FHFA: Home Prices Nearing Pinnacle Reached in 2007
U.S. house prices overall rose 0.7 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from January to February, according to the agency’s monthly House Price Index report. Prices were up 5.4 percent nationwide compared to this time last year. The HPI is calculated by using home sales price information from mortgages sold to, or guaranteed by, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Read More »Study Finds Population Growth Influences Home Values
The three fastest-growing areas of the country were largely immune from the effects of the housing crisis, leading Massachusetts-based Pro Teck Valuation Services to conclude that population growth is a strong indicator of home values, according to a report the company released Wednesday.
Read More »Legal League Servicer Summit Brings Mortgage Industry and Default Servicing Law Firms Together
Now in its seventh year, the Servicer Summit is a biannual gathering of leaders from both the mortgage servicing and legal communities focused on spurring shared educational opportunities and honest conversation. The novel format encourages all attendees to contribute. Leaders of roundtables serve merely as conversation starters and travel the room with a microphone so that any attendee may respond to a prompt or ask a question.
Read More »Return Buyers Are Expected to Give Housing Market a Boost
Approximately 350,000 borrowers eligible for re-purchase are currently unable to do so due to tight financial markets, and as many as 260,000 borrowers may never return to homeownership at all, the report says, because their former loans were backed by loose lenders.
Read More »
theMReport.com Your trusted source for mortgage banking news