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2012
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The housing market took a breather in April. After forging past its benchmark value of 100 in March, April's Pending Home Sales Index dropped back to 95.5, its lowest reading of the year. The data suggests fewer home resales nationwide in the months ahead. A "pending home" is a home under contrac...
05/31/2012
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Foreclosures filings fell 5 percent between March and April of this year, and by 11 percent as compared to one year ago. The data comes from RealtyTrac. The foreclosure-tracking firm tallied fewer than 189,000foreclosure-related actions last month -- the fewest number since July 2007. Rapidly-de...
05/30/2012
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer and, in many parts of the country, weekend weather was indistinguishable from what one might expect in August. Temperatures climbed into the 90s throughout the Southwest, South Central, Midwest and Southeast and even crossed 100 degrees in parts o...
05/29/2012
For the fifth consecutive week, conforming 30-year fixed rate mortgage rates have dropped to new all-time lows. According to this week's Primary Mortgage Market Survey from Freddie Mac, "prime" mortgage applicants willing to pay 0.8 discount points plus closing costs can secure a mortgage rate o...
05/25/2012
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The April New Home Sales report suggests that the market for newly-built homes is as strong as the market for existing ones. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of new homes sold rose 3.3 percent in April to a seasonally-adjusted, annualized 343,000 units sold -- its second-highest r...
05/24/2012
Low mortgage rates are helping to make homes more affordable. It appears home buyers have taken notice. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, Existing Home Sales rose 3.4% in April from the month prior, registering 4.62 million homes sold on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis....
05/23/2012
Falling mortgage rates and stagnant home prices are making a positive effect on home affordability nationwide. Never before in recorded history have so many homes been affordable to households earning a moderate annual income. Last week, the National Association of Home Builders reported the Home...
05/22/2012
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There are 3,033 counties in the United States. Which 10 are the richest in terms of median household income? Not surprisingly, those near major economic centers rank high. In a study based on household income estimates from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, Loudoun County, Virginia c...
05/21/2012
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The Federal Open Market Committee released its April 2012 meeting minutes this week, revealing a Federal Reserve in the ready in the event additional monetary stimulus is needed. The Fed Minutes function much like the minutes from a business meeting; or, condominium association meeting, for examp...
05/18/2012
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The new construction housing market continues to improve. One day after the National Association of Homebuilders reported a 5-year high in homebuilder confidence, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that single-family housing starts rose 2 percent for the second straight month last month. In April, on...
05/17/2012