Interest Rate Report – November 11
After hitting low after record low in September, long-term interest rates again dropped to the lowest point in history before rising slightly but still hovering at historical lows all month, according to data from mortgage finance company Freddie Mac.
Existing Home Sales – November 11
Existing U.S. home sales fell in September, according to the National Association of Realtors, as the West felt the effects of lowered conventional loan limits. Total existing home sales dropped 3.0 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.91 million units from the upwardly revised August total of 5.06 million. Sales are up, however, on a yearly basis, rising 11.3 percent above September 2010′s 4.41 million home pace.
More Government Mortgage Help Around the Corner
The Obama Administration may unveil new changes next week to its existing foreclosure prevention programs. These modifications may help more homeowners refinance into lower rates. Reports last week speculated on plans for allowing borrowers with guaranteed loans from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to refinance into today’s rock-bottom rates.
Investors Driving Housing Market Once Again
In its latest report on existing-home sales, the National Association of Realtors reported that the number of first-time home buyers entering the housing market is declining, while the number of investors picking up rental properties is rising. The numbers suggest that tightened lending standards are pricing all but the wealthy out of the mortgage scene.
Foreclosure Tidal Wave Has Slowed, But Not Disappeared
The latest figures for U.S. foreclosure rates show a marked decrease for most metropolitan areas around the country, but unfortunately that doesn’t signal the beginning of the end of our nation’s foreclosure woes.
How Obscenely Low Mortgage Rates Will Affect the Housing Market
Last week the Federal Reserve announced its new plan, Operation Twist, an effort to further push down mortgage interest rates while trying to boost the economy. It’s an interesting choice, to say the least, as home loan rates were already at record lows and had done very little to stimulate the ailing housing market. Now the question is: Will even lower rates be the magic bullet?
Get Ready for a Triple Dip in Home Prices
We’ve heard a lot about the threat of a double dip recession, but here’s something new – it’s possible we might soon see a triple dip in home prices across the country. Financial Analytics firm Fiserv is predicting home prices to decline by another 3.6 percent by June 2012, which would bring them down to a new post-housing bubble low of a 35 percent loss of value since the early 2006 peak.
The Mortgage Deduction: Sacred or Superfluous?
As our country faces the biggest budget crisis possibly ever, the Obama Administration has created a deficit commission charged with discovering the best ways to bring down the national debt. It has come up with a plan to cut our $3 trillion dollars in debt over the next decade. One of the proposals that this commission has suggested is to eliminate the time-honored mortgage interest tax deduction. While this idea has recently garnered some bi-partisan support, it has also created a major uproar among the mortgage industry associations, who claim now is not the time to mess with the tax break. So who is right?
Tips for First Time Home Buyers
Buying a home can be a long, complicated and frightening process, and it is important to be prepared. Knowledge is power when it comes to negotiating the difficult world of home prices, interest rates and mortgage loans. For a first time home buyer, the more information you can gather before you start shopping, the better off you will be.
How to Sell Your Home in a Slow Market
Learn how to sell your home in the current real estate market. Knowing how to prepare your home for sale, when to allow access for showings, and how you can offer buyer incentives will help you find the right buyer, even in a declining market.
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