In yet another bundle of positive news for the housing market, mortgage credit availability increased in March, according to the Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI), a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) which analyzes data from Ellie Mae's AllRegs Market Clarity business information tool. The MCAI increased 2.3 percent to...
A diverse group of housing industry stakeholders participated in a credit access symposium recently to discuss how alternative credit scoring models could expand access to mortgage credit for responsible borrowers who may have thin credit histories or extenuating circumstances like medical debts. "REALTORS support safe, responsible access to mortgage credit for...
The recent release by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) shows that its measure of house prices, House Price Index - Purchase Only, rose by 5.1 percent on a 12-month seasonally adjusted basis in January 2015. This marks the 36th consecutive month of year-over-year growth. Over this nearly three-year period,...
Realty Trac recently released its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for February 2015, which shows foreclosure filings - default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions - were reported on 101,938 U.S. properties in February, a decrease of 4 percent from revised January numbers and down 9 percent from a year ago...
Amid continued strengthening in employment, consumer optimism toward the economy is growing and appears to be contributing to further improvement in overall housing sentiment, according to results from Fannie Mae's February 2015 National Housing Survey. The share of respondents who believe the economy is headed in the right direction increased 3...
Fifteen years into the new millennium, we are finally seeing real potential that the market can support full buyer momentum, according to the recently released Home Data Index (HDI) Market Report from Clear Capital, with data through January 2015. According to the data, 2015 has the promise of a transitional year...
President Obama announced a new policy that will reduce annual mortgage insurance premiums (MIP) on FHA loans. The National Association of REALTORS estimates that a reduction in the annual MIP of .50 to .85 percent will enable many first time borrowers and other borrowers who are typically undeserved by the...
Mortgage applications made big moves several weeks ago, increasing 49.1 percent from one week earlier and showcasing the largest jump since November 2008, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending January 9, 2015. "The US economy and job market continued to...
As 2015 rolls forward, there are several economic indicators that the housing market may have a break-out year. Let's review the top three. The job market is stronger. With the recession behind us, more and more companies are adding new employees to the payroll. The unemployment rates has dropped 5.8 percent...
With 2014 behind us, 2015 promises changes within the market as the housing recovery moves forward, according to recently released information from Clear Capital, a provider of data and solutions for real estate asset valuation and collateral risk assessment. The company recently released its Home Data Index (HDI) Market Report...