Category Archives: Housing

Yellen’s Federal Reserve To Keep Rates Low

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The Fed’s FOMC minutes of their last meeting were just released, and they show the Fed intends to keep interest rates low for as long as possible, until the unemployment rate drops substantially. And the Fed’s maintenance … Continue reading →

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No Relief Yet With Pending Sales

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner We can’t yet count on Pending Home Sales, a predictor of closings in 60 to 90 days, to predict a boost to this year’s sales. They have been falling since last July, and the last spike in … Continue reading →

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What’s Happened to New-Home Sales?

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Financial FAQs Sales of new single-family houses in February 2014 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 440,000, according to U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates. This is 3.3 percent below the … Continue reading →

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So Fannie and Freddie Weren’t the Problem…

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly We are learning just how much mortgage fraud was committed by 17 national and international banks and other financial entities that the Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA) originally sued to recover some $200 billion in losses to … Continue reading →

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Will Housing Starts Save Inventories?

Posted on March 18, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Will new housing construction improve the very low inventory levels that are restricting housing sales? It is hard to know at present if this slowdown is due more to the severe winter weather, lack of inventory, or … Continue reading →

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Losing Fannie and Freddie—A Terrible Idea

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs There was a reason Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association) and Freddy Mac (Federal Home loan Mortgage Corporation) were government created entities, before they became private corporations in the 1970s.  They encouraged homeownership at a time when owning … Continue reading →

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2014 Mortgage Volumes (and Delinquencies) Lower

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner It looks like the housing market still has to play catch up in 2014. Both mortgage volume and existing-home sales have declined drastically. But new-home sales and housing construction have picked up, even with the Polar weather, … Continue reading →

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January New-Home Sales Soar

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The Polar Vortexes haven’t stopped everything.  It looks like new-home sales are picking up in midwinter, a sign that existing-home inventories are too low. Sales of new single-family houses in January 2014 were at a seasonally adjusted annual … Continue reading →

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Existing-Home Sales Slow in January

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, dropped 5.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.62 million in January from 4.87 million in December, and are 5.1 … Continue reading →

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Housing Inventories Continue Increase

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Calculated Risk and Housing Tracker report that existing-home for sale inventories have increased 4.7 percent in February. It is good news for those who worry that the lack of inventory will hold back existing-home sales this year. … Continue reading →

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