Tag Archives: housing affordability

A Record Year For Mortgages?

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner First quarter mortgage numbers are in, and we could be having a very good year for mortgage originations, says Equifax, among others. According to Equifax’s report, the total dollar amount of first-mortgage originations during the first quarter … Continue reading →

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Builder Optimism Returning to Historical Levels

Posted on June 17, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner After holding steady for the past four months, builder confidence in the market for newly constructed single-family homes rose two points in June to a level of 60 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing … Continue reading →

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Existing-Home Sales Soaring

Posted on May 23, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner There is more news the housing market is recovering—from the Great Recession, that is. But it’s still below pre-recession levels. Total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 1.7 … Continue reading →

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Housing Affordability Improving

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Spurred by a modest reduction in mortgage interest rates and favorable home prices, nationwide housing affordability in the first quarter of 2016 posted a slight increase, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity … Continue reading →

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Why Not More Homes For Sale?

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Many Realtors and economists have been asking this question. Why such a low housing inventory? Total existing-home sales jumped 5.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.33 million in March from a downwardly revised 5.07 million … Continue reading →

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Builder Confidence Holds, But Household Formation Still Weak

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes remained unchanged in April at a level of 58 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). “Builders remain cautiously optimistic about construction growth … Continue reading →

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Record Mortgage Originations in 2015, In Spite of FHFA

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner In addition to very large Consumer credit borrowing that rose $17.2 billion in February (but excludes mortgage lending), the number of new first mortgages increased to a post-recession high in 2015, according to new data from credit … Continue reading →

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Oct. Pending and New-Home Sales Still Rising

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Both new and existing-home sales are still thriving, given that conforming fixed rates are still at almost historic lows, in spite of a looming Fed interest rate hike. Why? It’s mainly investors worried about worldwide growth that … Continue reading →

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Best Existing-Home Sales Since 2007

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Total existing–home sales, which are completed transactions that include single–family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co–ops, increased 4.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.55 million in September from a slightly downwardly revised 5.30 million in … Continue reading →

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Construction, Retail Sales Higher

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The strength of the economy right now is in the housing and construction sectors, again areas insulated from global factors, such as China’s slowdown. Construction spending, next to vehicle sales, is perhaps the week’s best surprise, rising … Continue reading →

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