Tag Archives: Freddie Mac

Pending-Home Sales Decline Slightly

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, fell 1.0 percent to 104.7 in August from 105.8 in July, and is now 2.2 percent below August 2013 (107.1). Despite the slight decline, the … Continue reading →

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Existing-Home Sales and Interest Rates

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The National Association of Realtors reported after four consecutive months of gains, existing-home sales slipped in August, as all-cash paying investors retreated from the market. Sales increases in the Northeast and Midwest were outweighed by declines in … Continue reading →

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New Fannie, Freddie Regulator Won’t Cut Loan Limits

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — This headline just out.  Mortgage-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac won’t be directed to lower the limits for mortgages that they back, the new head of their federal regulator said Tuesday. In a … 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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Affordable Housing In Decline

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies has just come out with their rental market report, and it shows very little low rent housing available, due mainly to both increased household formation and those who have lost … Continue reading →

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Conforming Loan Limits Won’t Decline in 2014

Posted on November 28, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The Federal Housing Finance Agency has just announced it is keeping conforming loan limits at the same level in 2014 for most areas in the country. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can guarantee mortgages up to $417,000 … Continue reading →

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