Trends

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Housing Starts Plunge, Building Permits Soar in New Census Bureau Data

The Census Bureau’s latest new construction numbers were a topsy turvy bunch, with housing starts plunging but building permits soaring. If the Census Bureau’s latest numbers are any indicator, April was a wild month for new housing construction in

What Income Does Your Client Need to Buy a Home in Miami?

What income is necessary to afford the typical house in Miami? And how do those requirements compare with other major metro areas? “Housing affordability” is a term that gets thrown around quite a bit nowadays, and for good reason;

Builder Confidence Surges in May

Builder confidence for both the general housing market and the 55+ market increased in May on the strength of homebuyer urgency. Builder confidence at all levels of the homebuilding industry showed some of its strongest numbers in years in

Only 2 Percent of Realtors are Younger than 30

Along with its economic findings, NAR’s 2012 Member Profile also offered great insight into the demographics of today’s Realtors – including median age. The average Realtor is 57 years old, and only 2 percent of the entire Realtor class

How Hard is it, Really, to Get a Mortgage?

Is it still tough to get a mortgage? New numbers from the Federal Reserve offer an enlightening perspective on the issue. It’s the question on everyone’s mind, now that the housing market is on a slow, sustainable path to

3 Intriguing Reasons for Today’s Low Mortgage Rates

Inflation, housing demand and the Syrian opposition all have one thing in common; can you guess what it is? Mortgage rates for 15- and 30-year mortgage in the first week of May, according to the latest Primary Mortgage Market

Realtor Income Up 25 Percent in 2012

For the second straight year, both the income and business activity for Realtors increased in 2012, with incomes jumping by 25 percent. 2012 was a good year for Realtors, with both business activity and income up for the second

Florida Foreclosure Starts Down 27 Percent in April

The news was relatively good for Florida’s foreclosure markets in April, with foreclosure starts down by double-digit amounts. Florida’s foreclosure markets showed continued improvement in RealtyTrac’s U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for April, though the state still has some ways to go.

Mortgage Standards Are Going to Get Much Tougher in 2014

Qualified mortgage standards are back in the news, with the FHFA announcing that it is on track to adopt the standards’ “ability to repay” provisions. The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) has announced that beginning Jan. 10, 2014, Fannie

A Home Sale is Worth How Much to the Economy? Try $56,464

We often hear about how beneficial home sales are for the greater economy, but NAR has finally done the research and slapped a value on the whole process. Housing, the narrative goes, is among the most versatile and dextrous

Majority of Americans Expect Home Prices to Increase

American consumers are growing more and more confident with the housing recovery, according to Fannie Mae’s latest National Housing Survey. More than half of American consumers expect home prices to rise within the next year, according to the latest

Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae Post Insane, Multi-Billion Dollar Q1 Incomes

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, those long beleaguered GSEs, put up some of the strongest incomes in their history in 2013’s first quarter. After putting up their most impressive numbers in years in the final months of 2012, both

Trulia: Miami Rents Soar in April

Nationwide, asking prices outpaced rents in Trulia’s April Price Monitor, but the rental market only grew in strength in Miami. The latest Trulia Price Monitor, which analyzed rental and single-family home listings on the syndication site, spelled a familiar

The 4 Key Traits of Today’s First-Time Homebuyers

First-time homebuyers represent a hugely important swath of the homebuying public, and a new study has pinpointed some of their key characteristics. First-time homebuyers serve an integral role in the U.S. housing market. Along with comprising between 30 and

CoreLogic Home Price Index Jumps 10.5 Percent

CoreLogic’s Home Price Index has been on a tear the last year, and its findings for March 2013 were its strongest findings yet. The March CoreLogic Home Price Index put up its best numbers yet in the housing recovery,

CBO Report Finds Huge Savings in Principal Reduction Policy

The FHFA has been resisting calls for a principal reduction program, but a new study by the CBO has lent considerable heft to the policy’s corner. It’s been an ongoing saga, one of Shakespearean proportions: will the FHFA ever

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