Market Studies

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) mandates and deadlines are still the top concern for lenders, according to QuestSoft's eighth annual compliance survey. More than 500 lenders responded to this year’s survey—62.2 percent ranked the Qualified Mortgage (QM) rule as a high concern.

Pro Teck Valuation Servicers released their April Home Value Forecast (HFV), looking specifically at two metros where there is a mix of hot and cold real estate markets. The company's April edition focuses on Phoenix, Arizona and Cleveland, Ohio.

According to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year average fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) eased to 4.20 percent (0.6 point) for the week ending May 15, a drop of just 1 basis point from the last survey. It was the third straight week of declines, Freddie Mac reported, bring the 30-year fixed average to a six-month low.

For the majority of homes, buying is cheaper than renting. But as home prices rise faster than incomes and mortgage rates slowly head upwards, the question of national affordability becomes ever more germane. Compared to the longer-term past, homeownership still looks relatively affordable as home prices remain undervalued and mortgage rates remain near historic lows. However, affordability for the middle class in some areas of the nation is becoming problematic.

Metrostudy released a study of the first quarter of 2014 for the Houston housing market, which found that housing continued to surge in Q1, with prices rising for both new and resale homes. New home construction was started on roughly 7,100 homes, representing the fastest pace since the third quarter of last year.

The New York Fed recorded an increase of $129 billion in national outstanding household debt in the first three months of the year, bringing the total debt level up to $11.65 trillion. It was the third straight quarterly gain. Leading the increase was a rise in mortgage debt, which was up by $116 billion from the end of 2013, according to the bank.

In a study commissioned by VantageScore Solutions and the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), more than 1,000 representative American consumers were asked 19 questions designed to gauge their knowledge of credit scoring. While the findings illustrate respondents are aware of a handful of facts surrounding their credit score, there are still some major gaps in their knowledge.

CoreLogic released Tuesday its own quarterly Case-Shiller Indexes, assembled using the company’s proprietary data supplemented with statistics from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). With 2014 nearing its halfway point, a broad spectrum look at more than 380 markets nationwide confirms home prices jumped 11.3 percent in 2013’s final quarter compared to the year prior.

A decrease in median home prices coupled with steady mortgage rates helped contribute to higher housing affordability in the first quarter of 2014, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). NAHB, coupled with Wells Fargo, recently published their Housing Opportunity Index (HOI), which found 65.5 percent of new and existing homes sold between January through March were affordable to families.

Florida's housing market showed signs of improvement in the first quarter of 2014, notching gains in median prices, new listings, and inventory while homes spent fewer days on the market. According to the latest data released by Florida Realtors, completed sales of single-family homes totaled roughly 50,000 for the quarter, up 2.3 percent over the previous year's quarter.