As this blog reported a few days ago, mortgage application rates were relatively flat in total, but underlying that data were some big swings that didn’t show up in the average. These changes are particularly surprising given the rate of home building starts and U.S. consumer confidence. The current thinking from the Mortgage Bankers Association…

Jeffrey Dorfman, a contributor to Forbes magazine, published an opinion piece yesterday afternoon title, “The Sneaky Path We Took To A Socialist Mortgage Market”. His essential premise is that when the Fannie and Freddie bailout occurred under the Bush administration, it was viewed as a first step towards fully privatizing the market; however, under the…

Despite their reputation as a generation of renters, the truth of the matter is that many Millennials are buying homes. And they’re not just buying, they’re buying smarter than a lot of people did in the past. To be sure, they seem to be taking longer than previous generations to buy their first home, but…

Despite their reputation as a generation of renters, the truth of the matter is that many Millennials are buying homes. And they’re not just buying, they’re buying smarter than a lot of people did in the past. To be sure, they seem to be taking longer than previous generations to buy their first home, but…

For professionals in the housing industry, from real-estate agents to loan officers, and everywhere in between, the more successful you become, the harder it can be to find time to take a vacation. But, you still really should. In April’s issue of Realtor Mag, Michelle Hoffman wrote a great article on how to plan (and…

For professionals in the housing industry, from real-estate agents to loan officers, and everywhere in between, the more successful you become, the harder it can be to find time to take a vacation. But, you still really should. In April’s issue of Realtor Mag, Michelle Hoffman wrote a great article on how to plan (and…

CNBC reported yesterday that mortgage application rates are basically unchanged at an increase of 0.1%, citing the Mortgage Bankers Association. However, hidden in that no-news number was a little bit of actual news, refinances were up substantially, with a week-over-week increase of 3%, contrasted with a 4% decline in purchase applications. Apparently the word on…

A strong Employment Report, a real increase in hourly wages, and a low unemployment rate often collude to drive interest rates in a direction unfriendly to homebuyers or those with ARMs. The  jobs report can have an immediate impact on your monthly mortgage payment. Financial markets prognosticators argue that economic forecasts are already “priced-in” to…

OK, maybe not all of them, because it does really seem that there’s a new entrant every day. Nevertheless, MarketWatch, with the help of Zillow, has put together a photo gallery and summary of at least 15 of them. Highlights include the Clinton’s four-bedroom, six-bathroom house in D.C., estimated at a current market value of…

Higher home prices are making house flipping harder and riskier but more lucrative. Flipping, which is generally defined as buying and selling a home in the same calendar year, is actually down slightly this year, but year-over-year, it’s been fifty percent more profitable. Home flips made up just 4.5% of sales in the second quarter…