Category Archives: Housing

Economic Growth Still Too Slow

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Part of the debate over whether the Fed’s QE3 purchases of securities should end is based on economic growth.  I.e., why isn’t U.S. Gross Domestic Product growing faster than the average annual 2.2 percent rate? Actually, Q1 … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumers, Economy, Housing, housing market, Macro Economics, Politics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Why Is QE3 So Important For Housing?

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Alas, it does look like the Fed’s Governors are about to slow down the $85 Billion in monthly purchases of Treasury Bonds and Mortgage Backed Securities that have been holding down long term interest rates since last … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumers, Economy, Housing, housing market, Macro Economics, Politics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

New Home Sales Surging—First-timers Being Priced Out?

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs New-home sales are surging, reports the U.S. Census Bureau. But who is buying them with interest rates up 1 percent since Chairman Bernanke made his infamous remark that QE3 bond buying could begin to slow in September? The … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Housing, housing market, Macro Economics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Are Home Prices Rising Too Fast?

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner No, they are just catching up to 4 years of weak household formation and even weaker income growth. Home prices have been held down from a combination of government austerity policies and private sector hoarding since the … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumers, Economy, Housing, housing market, Politics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Builder Confidence Soaring

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The National Association of Home Builders just announced that home builder confidence soared to the highest level since 2006, the height of the housing bubble.  This can only mean more new-home construction to fill the pent up … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Housing, housing market, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Shadow Inventory of Bad Loans Still Too High

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The shadow inventory of troubled homes fell to about 2 million in April, down 18 percent from the same period in the prior year, and down 34 percent from a peak of 3 million in early 2010. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumers, Economy, Housing, housing market, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mortgage Delinquencies Continue Decline

Posted on July 9, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures continue to decline. According to Lender Processing Services (LPS), 6.08 percent of mortgages were delinquent in May, down from 6.21 percent in April, while 3.05 percent of mortgages were in the foreclosure process, … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumers, Economy, Housing, housing market, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pending Home Sales Soaring As Well

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Watch out, homebuyers! There may be few homes left on the market if the National Association of Realtors’ May Pending Home Sales Index is any predictor of future sales. This is even though mortgage rates have risen … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumers, Economy, Housing, housing market, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

New-Home Sales Up, Delinquencies Down

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Lots of news today. New-home sales are surging, while mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures continue to drop. Consumer sentiment is also up sharply, maybe because housing prices are soaring according to both the S&P Case-Shiller and FHFA (for … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumers, Economy, Housing, housing market, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Did Bernanke Change His Tune?

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs As we all know by now, Fed Chairman Bernanke seems to have abruptly switched sides in the stimulus debate. He said the purchases of $85 billion in bonds and mortgage securities could begin to be ‘tapered’ by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumers, Economy, Housing, housing market, Macro Economics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment