Tag Archives: housing affordability

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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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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Housing Construction Key to Economic Recovery

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Any doubts that housing is leading the economic recovery should be dispelled by now. Existing-home sales are projected to top 5 million units per year, as the so-called shadow inventory of distressed homes continues to fall due … Continue reading →

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Housing Affordability Up, Inventories Still Shrinking

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported exceptionally low interest rates helped ensure a slight gain in nationwide housing affordability amid relatively stable house prices in the final quarter of 2012, according to the just released … Continue reading →

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Mortgage Quality Highest in Decade

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Record low interest rates and low prices, are making housing more affordable than ever. This is also helping lower default rates, as average credit scores have soared, and Debt to Income Ratios used to quality borrowers have … Continue reading →

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Housing Recovery Has Begun

Posted on June 16, 2012 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner This may be the brashest of predictions. Can residential real estate prices actually be recovering? Yes, as housing inventories decline. The National Association of Realtors just reported on the national level, inventory of for-sale single family homes, … Continue reading →

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2012 Housing Recovery Fuelled by Affordability

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Housing prices needs one more year to begin to recover, according to several pundits and economists, including Barron’s Magazine and Professor Karl Case, co-creator of the S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index. And that mostly depends on two … Continue reading →

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Builder Confidence Soars in 2012

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Home builder confidence in the market for new single-family homes climbed in February for the fifth straight month to reach the highest level in more than four years, said a Marketwatch headline. And there … Continue reading →

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