– Fed rate hike tomorrow? Borrowers need not worry In 2004, the Fed raised rates 0.25% at a time with little housing market impact. This time, MBA predicts rates will rise only about 1% through 2016 – to 4.8%.
– Forecast: Fla. home sales to rise 8-10% in 2016 Florida Realtors Chief Economist Dr. John Tuccillo sees steady growth in the new year and projects Fla. home prices should be up about 5% by the end of 2016. Fla. tax appraisers record home values on Jan. 1 A...
– Banks accelerated Fla. home repossessions in Nov. Fla. ranked No. 1 in total completed foreclosures – twice as many as No. 2 Texas. But scheduled auctions dropped 58% year-to-year as crisis cleanup continues. FHA: Loan limits won’t change in 2016 The conforming loan range for buyers seeking a...
– Real estate agents report bizarre, threatening calls Following a report of an alleged cyberstalker threatening real estate agents in Louisiana, a seemingly unrelated case emerged in South Carolina on Monday. NAR report: Remodeling helps even if not selling The 2015 Remodeling Impact Report finds that home improvement projects...
– A Capitol Hill win for homeownership Congress voted and Pres. Obama signed a $305B transportation bill that doesn’t rely on homebuyer funding through g-fees, thanks, in part, to Realtors’ efforts. Baby boomers blamed for clog in housing market Some economists say boomers aren’t selling their homes and downsizing...
– Study: Stellar credit scores add up to savings For every 10-point increase in credit scores, borrowers can expect to receive a lower mortgage interest rate, according to a soon-to-be-published study.
– Dec.’s the best month to land a great home sale deal After a yearly peak price in Aug. and Sept., home prices generally decline by 0.51% for January closings that went under contract in Dec. Half-priced homes from HUD: What to know A little publicized program allows police,...
– Fed chair ready to raise rates at own pace It appears all but certain that the Fed will raise interest rates on Dec. 16 for the first time in eight years. But additional rate hikes are no longer a sure thing. Realtor.com 2016 housing forecast: Best since ’06...
– New mortgage rules: A ‘Y2K’ panic that didn’t happen Mortgage lenders and real estate agents worried that new Oct. 3 TRID rules would prolong closings and delay home sales. But overall, that hasn’t happened. Cities hunt owners lying about homestead exemption A private company tracks down homeowners who...
– NAR: Pending home sales nudge forward in Oct. U.S. pending home sales didn’t rise much in Oct. – only 0.2% – but it marks a change in direction after two month-to-month declines. NAR: Commercial to see mild expansion, easing prices Job growth and credit conditions will keep commercial...
