– Mortgage rates drop below 4% After two weeks of increases that took the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage to 4.03%, it dropped back this week to an average 3.96%. Fla. foreclosures down 56% in two years ATTOM’s first half of 2017 report: Year-to-year, the Fla. foreclosure rate dropped 34%, and...
– Housing starts rebound 8.3% in June to four-month high In May, experts wondered if the drop in housing starts was an anomaly, and June’s surge suggests that it was. In addition, building permits rose 7.4%. The Property Brothers: Lots of money to be made in real estate However,...
– NAR balks at FCC proposal, says industry needs open internet The FCC wants to allow internet providers to charge website owners for faster loading, but NAR says that would limit consumers’ access to real estate listings. NAR: Foreign investment surges 49% – hits record high A substantial increase...
– Some homeowners losing confidence in their property insurer More private S. Fla. insurers are pulling out of the market or raising rates, in large part because assignment of benefits claims make it unprofitable to stay. Study: Best U.S. cities for first-time homebuyers WalletHub looked at affordability, quality of...
– Average mortgage rates rise above 4% The average 30-year mortgage was 4.03% this week, passing the psychologically noteworthy level of 4% for the first time since May. Survey: 84% think homeownership is a good investment NAR survey finds generally positive attitudes about homeownership, but more than 50% of...
– CFPB clarifies rule: Agents may see Closing Disclosure The federal consumer bureau says it’s okay for lenders to share buyers’ closing disclosure with agents, and it’s announcing soon the how-to-do-it details. Report: Buy a home now before prices go even higher There’s little chance Fla. home prices will...
– Federal Reserve to Congress: Further rate hikes on the way The Fed said Friday that it expects the economy to strengthen, which warrants more gradual increases in the interest rate that impacts ARMs and, indirectly, FRMs. Homebuyers: Don't believe the reality TV show myths Like most reality programs,...
– Mortgage rates spike to highest level since mid-May The 30-year FRM averaged 3.96% this week, up from last week’s 3.88%. Freddie Mac’s chief economist blames higher global interest rates for the uptick. NAR study: Home staging decreases time on market According to NAR’s 2017 Profile of Home Staging,...
– Florida's consumers were a bit more optimistic in June After a two-month decline, consumer sentiment in the state rose 2.1 points in June as four out of five components moved higher. Study: More renters expected to pursue ownership in 2017 Harvard study: “The national housing market is finally...
– 30-year mortgage rates hit 2017 low: 3.88% It’s a marginal drop from last week and 15-year rates stayed the same: 3.17%. Still, fixed rates seem immune so far from the Fed’s short-term rate increases. Millions of homeowners miss out on savings Some owners with ultra-low interest rates may...
