Monthly Archives: January 2010

Like real estate, it appears that foreclosure activity is a local phenomenon, too. As reported by RealtyTrac.com, more than half of all foreclosure-related activity in 2009 came from just 4 states: California Florida Arizona Illinois More than 1.4 million filings … Continue reading →

As the housing market improves across the country, certain cities are emerging as relative bargains. Some areas, like Miami, were hit hard by the recession, and other areas are buoyed by good school systems and strong labor markets. In this … Continue reading →

Despite the headlines, it’s important to remember that December’s jobs report wasn’t all bad news. Sure, the economy shed 85,000 jobs last month and the Unemployment Rate failed to dip below 10%, but for home buyers and rate shoppers , … Continue reading →

Data was sparse through 2010′s first trading week last week, setting the stage for a week of momentum trading. In up-and-down trading, mortgage pricing improved overall but the best rates of the week didn’t last long. Rates improved Monday and … Continue reading →

FHA home loans are federal assistance mortgages made by lenders, and backed by the government. The FHA doesn’t make loans to homeowners — it insures loans made to homeowners by federally-qualified lenders. By all accounts, FHA home loans are surging … Continue reading →

Both mortgage rates and home affordability took a turn for the better Wednesday after the Federal Reserve released its December 15-16, 2009 meeting minutes. The Fed Minutes is a follow-up piece to the post-FOMC meeting press release. But whereas the … Continue reading →

Just one month after touching a 3-year high, the National Association of Realtors

2010 is just a few days old and already the “experts” are making predictions for the year. Housing calls and mortgage rate predictions run the gamut: Home prices will fall in 2010 Home prices will rise in 2010 Mortgage rates … Continue reading →

Mortgage markets were relatively flat last week during holiday-shortened trading. After starting the week with a Monday surge higher, mortgage rates settled down through Tuesday and remained somewhat flat into the early-close for New Year’s Eve. However, as compared to … Continue reading →