Category Archives: Housing

Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Dilemma Won’t End Soon

Posted on June 16, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly The U.S. Treasury is in a bind. Everyone seems to agree that Fannie and Freddie, wards of the government should be downsized, but how to do it without damaging the housing recovery? Extreme conservatives even want to … Continue reading →

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Pending Home Sales, Prices Continue to Rise

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Those who doubt the real estate recovery aren’t paying attention to the latest sales’ data. We reported last week the Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 0.3 percent to 106.0 in … Continue reading →

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Housing Prices at Seven-Year High

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index just reported home prices were accelerating strongly going into  a very strong April start to the Spring housing season. The Case-Shiller 20-city data show a very strong 1.1 percent monthly adjusted … Continue reading →

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Existing-Home Sales, Inventories Climbing

Posted on May 22, 2013 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, increased 0.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.97 million in April, reports the National Association of Realtors. This could … Continue reading →

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S. California RE Sales Return to 2006 Levels

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner DataQuick just reported Southern California homes sold at the fastest pace for an April in seven years amid the release of pent-up demand for move-up homes and high levels of investor purchases. This is while April new-home … Continue reading →

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Saving Fannie and Freddie—Part II

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The Federal Housing Finance Authority that supervises the so-called Government Supervised Enterprises (GSE), now including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, just announced restrictions that not only weaken Fannie and Freddie’s mandate, but the mortgage and housing markets in … Continue reading →

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Bank Lending Still Stingy

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The Federal Reserve just published its quarterly Senior Loan Officer survey on lending standards by the largest banks. They basically adhere to the strictest Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines for residential loans, such as minimum 620 … Continue reading →

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Will U.S. Growth Slow in 2013?

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly The naysayers are already at it. First Quarter GDP growth was 2.5 percent, slightly below forecasts. So many pundits are now saying it is a repeat of last year and the year before. An initial growth spurt … Continue reading →

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California Foreclosures Plunging, Sales Rising

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The number of California homeowners entering the foreclosure process plunged to the lowest level in more than seven years last quarter, reports DataQuick. The unusually sharp drop in the number of mortgage default notices filed by lenders … Continue reading →

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Saving Fannie and Freddie Mac

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Fannie Mae (FNMA), or Federal National Mortgage Association, reported a record profit for 2012, a good reason to save the mortgage giant from dissolution, as the banking industry in particular has lobbied for. The government-sponsored enterprise had … Continue reading →

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