April 13, 2011 (Jeff Alan) In a recent poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports, fifty–four percent of Americans surveyed expected interest rates to rise over the coming year. Only 5 percent expected interest rates to be lower, while 30 percent believed that interest rates would remain the same. Read more...
April 12, 2011 (Shirley Allen) The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced that they are making grants available for lower income homes to help eliminate lead-based paint and other related health hazards. Applications are being accepted for the three programs until June 9, 2011 and are designed to protect young children and [...]
April 12, 2011 (Jeff Alan) Fannie Mae has announced a new buyer assistance program that provides prospective home buyers with closing cost assistance of up to 3.5 percent on any property bought through Fannie Mae’s HomePath Properties. Read more...
April 12, 2011 (Shirley Allen) Zillow.com states in a recently released report that national home values continued to decline in February of 2011, but at a slower pace. Nationwide, monthly home depreciation was -1.1 percent in February, down from -1.3 percent in January. However, year over year depreciation increased to -8.2 percent in February compared [...]
April 8, 2011 (Chris Moore) Clear Capital released its monthly Home Data Index (HDI) Market Report which shows the Western region of the United States leading the nation in price declines (-4.3%), while in the rest of the U.S., prices remain flat. Prices through March in the Western U.S. have reached lows not seen since [...]
April 8, 2011 (Shirley Allen) HOPE NOW, the voluntary, private sector alliance of mortgage servicers, investors, mortgage insurers and non-profit counselors, released its February 2011 loan modification report, which shows approximately 61,000 proprietary loan modifications and 26,147 Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) modifications were completed, for an estimated total of 87,000 completed modifications. The total [...]
April 8, 2011 (Jeff Alan) CoreLogic released its February Home Price Index (HPI) which shows U.S. home prices declining for the seventh month in a row in year over year comparisons. Prices in February 2011 were 6.7 percent lower than February 2010 with most of the pricing declines coming as a result of distressed transactions. [...]
April 7, 2011 (Chris Moore) Differences in how to punish mortgage servicers has apparently split federal regulators and state attorneys general which has resulted in a watered down agreement between federal regulators and the mortgage servicers. The Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Office of Thrift Supervision and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. [...]
April 7, 2011 (Shirley Allen) Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), which shows the 30-year fixed-rate inching upward for the third consecutive week to 4.87 percent but well below its average of 5.21 percent a year ago, the highest it had been since August 13, 2009. For the [...]
