Category Archives: housing market

Fed Chair Yellen Still Dovish, Economy Still “Sluggish”

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Federal Reserve Chairperson Yellen wants to keep interest rates as low as possible for at least the “next couple of FOMC meetings”, even as there are signs that economic growth is accelerating. This is in the face … Continue reading →

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January Existing Home Sales, Mortgage Applications Dip

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Oh, the winter freeze! It seems to put the housing market into a deep freeze, as well. Total existing-home sales, completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, fell 4.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted … Continue reading →

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Mortgage Refinancings Surge in 2015

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The still record-low interest rates are making a difference. Refinancings jumped 66 percent in January’s first two weeks, according to the MBA. And borrowers who refinanced during the fourth quarter of 2014 were able to reduce their … Continue reading →

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Housing Sales-Construction Continue to Expand

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The NAR reports total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 2.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.04 million in December from a downwardly-revised 4.92 million … Continue reading →

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Mortgage Applications Increase Incredible 49 percent in January

Posted on January 18, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Mortgage applications increased 49.1 percent from one week earlier, said the just released Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending January 9, 2015. It was the largest increase since 2008 at the start … Continue reading →

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CFPB Releases Borrower Guidelines

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The Consumer Protection Financial Bureau, set up as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street and Consumer Protection Act, has just published guidelines for mortgage borrowers to help them get the best possible terms. Knowing mortgage guidelines and … Continue reading →

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Good Pending Sales, Home Prices in 2015

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Pending home sales are rising again. Sales picked up steam in November, to 104.8 from a revised 104.0 in October for a better-than-expected gain of 0.8 percent. It is a sign, along with the Case-Shiller Home Price … Continue reading →

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What Will 2015 Bring?

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly We already have an idea of what will happen in 2015. Firstly, job creation should continue to exceed 300,000 payroll jobs per month. Nobelist Paul Krugman is especially optimistic about economic growth, given that we have escaped … Continue reading →

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Why Lower Home Sales?

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner November existing home sales in November tumbled 6.1 percent, the biggest drop since July 2010, down to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.93 million. New-home sales also fell slightly—probably for the same reason. Why? There were … Continue reading →

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New-Home Construction, Builders’ Optimism Still Rising

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Home builders’ optimism is still high, though builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell one point in December to a level of 57 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market … Continue reading →

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