Learn more about current trends and how to tap them to expand your businessThe booming real estate industry is the healthiest it’s been in the last 30 years with home sales and prices near where they were during the housing boom — and there’s none of the drama involved due to a more stable economy. So what’s in store as the industry looks ahead to the year to come?Sales and interest rates will likely increaseThe National Association of Re
Filings were submitted on 676,535 U.S. properties — a 27 percent year-over-year dropAttom Data Solutions today released its Year-End Foreclosure Market Report, which revealed that foreclosure filings were submitted on 676,535 U.S. properties — a 27 percent year-over-year decline and the lowest level since 2005.The filings, which included default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions, accounted for 0.51 percent of all housing unit
Mortgage applications for refinancings and home purchases surged 4.1 percent last week on a seasonally adjusted basis, even as interest rates rose, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday. Volume is now up 5.6 percent over a year ago.More consumers are growing concerned that the long run of record low rates may be coming to an end. As such, they’re rushing to lock in rates before any more upticks.Applications to purchase a home incr
Homes along the beach tend to command a premium. But for buyers who dream of living near the water, they may still be able to find a beach-town bargain.Gulfport, Miss., was named the most affordable beach town in America for the third consecutive year, according to a new analysis by SmartAsset, a personal finance website. Buyers can snag a home along the beach for $116,200 in Gulfport.SmartAsset ranked the most affordable beach towns by looking a
The population of the U.S. is growing, rising by 2.2 million people in 2016, according to the latest Census data. But the population growth is not even across the country. For instance, the South and West saw their populations rise by 1.1 percent in 2016, while the Northeast and Midwest saw just a 0.1 percent uptick.Eight states saw populations grow by more than 1.6 percent in 2016. Many of the fastest-growing states tend to be affordable, midsiz
Ginnie Mae officials recently testified to lawmakers that “loan churning” within the VA program is putting veteran borrowers at risk with serial refinancings.Michael R. Bright, Ginnie Mae’s executive vice president, was one of four mortgage industry experts who testified to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs last week about the constant pressuring to get vets to refinance their loans. Bright testified that loan churning within the VA p
The gap between homeowners’ and appraisers’ perceptions on the value of properties is continuing to close. Homeowners, in general, still tend to slightly overestimate the price of their home, but not by nearly as much as they did a year ago.Home appraisals were, on average, 0.5 percent lower than what owners expected in December, according to the latest National Quicken Loans Home Price Perception Index. The gap is closing; a year ago, homeow
Where can a home buyer’s money stretch the furthest? The Rust Belt and Midwest may offer some of the best bargains.The realtor.com® research team scoured across 500 of the largest metros to rank the ones with the lowest median home prices. The results were limited to one city per state for the purposes of geographic diversity.“There are a lot of people in that first-time home buyer group looking for starter homes, and they can’t afford it
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is nearing 4 percent, but still remains well below its average from this time a year ago.“After dipping slightly last week, Treasury yields surged this week amid sell-offs in the bond market,” says Len Kiefer, Freddie Mac’s deputy chief economist. “The 10-year Treasury yield, for instance, reached its highest point since March of last year. Mortgage rates followed Treasury yields and ticked up modestly acr
A new program allows employers to help workers' down payment on a home, similar to how companies contribute to a 401(k).HomeFundMe, a Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac-approved down payment crowdfunding platform, allows borrowers to crowdfund their down payment from several sources, including their employer. CMG Financial, a mortgage banking firm, created the HomeFundMe program. Employers can contribute directly to employees’ HomeFundMe accounts to
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