Bob's Coto Blog

Home resales are soaring. For the 4th consecutive month, the Existing Home Sales report revealed what today's buyers and sellers already know -- there's a lot of buyer activity right now. Existing Home Sales surged 7-plus percent in November, posting its largest number of recorded sales in 33 mon...

Housing Starts jumped last month as builders got back to business.  It's a telling sign for the economy, but bad news for next season's sellers. With more homes coming online, home prices may be slow to rise nationwide. A "Housing Start" is a privately-owned home on which construction has started...

Mortgage markets improved last week as pricing followed a roller coaster-like pattern. After touching a 6-week high Tuesday, rates rallied to weekly lows Thursday, and then jumped back higher Friday. Despite the improvement last week overall, mortgage pricing remains significantly worse from the ...

Mortgage markets worsened for a second consecutive week last week amid debt default concerns and stronger-than-expected economic data. Dollars left the bond market and mortgage rates suffered. After re-reaching an all-time low December 1, mortgage rates have since rolled back to mid-November leve...

If you wonder what mortgage rates and home affordability will look like next year, today's Retail Sales data may hold your answer. Versus October, November's ex-auto sales were up by more than 1 percent. Analysts expected the increase, but not an increase of this magnitude. "Ex-auto" means that m...

Since peaking in July 2009, national foreclosure activity has dropped through 4 consecutive months.  On a month-to-month basis, November's foreclosure activity fell another 8 percent.  However, national foreclosure activity continues to be dominated by a minority of states. As reported by RealtyT...

The average family spends $2,200 per year in electric bills and the average home is responsible for twice the amount of greenhouse gases than the average automobile. Whether you want to save money or save the environment, this 5-minute piece from the NBC Today Show is for you. In it, you'll lear...

For many American homeowners, interest paid on a mortgage is tax-deductible in the year in which it was paid. Knowing that, eligible homeowners can increase their 2009 tax deductions just by making their January 2010 mortgage payment before the end of the year. By paying in 2009, the mortgage int...

Mortgage markets finally reversed course last week, selling off with fury and causing prices to plummet.  When bonds prices fall, rates rise. The action broke a multi-week winning streak, much to the disappointment of rate shoppers everywhere. Rate hikes came in stages. First, early in the week, ...

This morning's jobs report is causing mortgage rates to rise, capping a week during which rates have already jumped 3/8 percent off all-time lows. The government's November Non-Farm Payrolls report reinforced the notion that the recession is nearly over, if not over already. Just 11,000 jobs were...