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Market Studies

HARP Refis Climb Over 1M Mark in 2012

According to FHFA, nearly 1.1 million HARP refinances were completed in 2012, bringing total volume to 2.2 million since the program's implementation in April 2009. The top five states for HARP refinances (since 2009) are California (which has reported 301,327 refinances under the program), Florida (175,686), Illinois (147,252), Michigan (144,709), and Arizona (106,387). In December, 18 percent of HARP refinances for underwater borrowers were for 15- and 20-year mortgages, which build equity faster than the traditional 30-year mortgage.

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Gasoline Sales Boost February Retail Activity

Led by a surge in gasoline prices, retail sales rose 1.1 percent in February, the Census Bureau reported Wednesday. Economists had expected an increase of 0.5 percent. In January, retails sales rose 0.2 percent. Gasoline station sales rose 5.0 percent in February after a 0.7 percent increase in January.

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No Signs of a Slowdown for Prices; Market Poised for Supply Increase

Housing inventory is now at its lowest level since January 1994; home sales have exceeded listings for the past 25 months; and the upward trajectory in home prices starting at the end of last year continues, according to the latest ""US Housing Market Monthly"" from Capital Economics. Home sales are ""normal"" relative to population, but supply remains low, according to the firm. House prices increased 9.7 percent year-over-year in January, continuing a recent trend, and prices show ""no signs of an imminent slowdown,"" according to Capital Economics.

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Buyers Pay More for Homes in ‘Conservation Developments’

Home prices in neighborhoods that incorporate conservation development are 20 to 29 percent higher than in neighborhoods without designated protected space, according to a recent study from Colorado State University. The study defined conservation development as ""an approach to the design, construction, and stewardship of a development that protects natural resources while also providing social and economic benefits to people.""

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Study: Role of Nonprofits in the Home Repair Industry

Nonprofits such as Rebuilding Together, Habitat for Humanity, NeighborWorks America and others play a critical role in the home improvement and repair industry, according to a study from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. The report found that while the private sector spends about $300 billion a year to improve and repair homes, nonprofits support the home remodeling industry by fulfilling a need unmet by the private sector. By maintaining and improving homes for vulnerable populations, nonprofits help groups such as the elderly and disabled by creating a safer residence for those who may not be able to undertake crucial home repair projects.

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January Layoffs Drop to Record Low

The number of layoffs fell 4.0 percent to 1,507,000 in January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Tuesday in its monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) release, which details the ins and out of the labor market. The layoff total was the smallest since the JOLTS reports began in December 2000. At the same time, BLS said, the number of job openings rose 2.2 percent in January to 3,693,000, which meant there were 3.34 unemployed people for every job opening--a slight improvement from 3.38 in December.

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Commercial, Multifamily Debt Grows in Q4

In the fourth quarter of 2012, commercial and multifamily mortgage debt continued to grow, reaching the highest level in four years, according to a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Commercial and multifamily mortgage debt was up by $21.8 billion, or 0.9 percent, from the previous quarter and up $29.7 billion, or 1.2 percent, from the fourth quarter of 2011, the MBA reported.

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FHFA OIG: GSEs Face Significant Loss from Interest Rate Risks

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are at risk of losing billions as a result of fluctuations in interest rates, according to a white paper from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Office of Inspector General (OIG). According to the OIG's paper, an increase of just 1 percentage point in interest rates could cause the GSEs to lose nearly $2 billion in the fair value of their assets. To protect against interest rate risks, the OIG outlined its own suggestions, one of which included the use of derivatives.

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Nationstar Suit Questions Servicer’s Authority to Sell Mortgage Notes

A justice for New York's Supreme Court has ordered Nationstar to stop the auction of some of its mortgage notes through Auction.com. KIRP LLC filed a complaint against Nationstar over its selling of non-performing loans backing securities. KIRP argues that as master servicer, Nationstar has the authority to foreclose or modify the loans, not to sell them. An analysis of the case by Barclays determined it is unclear what the courts will decide and if the decision applies across the board, ""given the wide variation in the language of the servicing agreements.""

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Fitch: Prepayment Rates Elevated on Newer Loans

Mortgages originated from 2010 and into early 2012 are seeing elevated prepayment rates as low mortgage rates continue to encourage refinance activity, Fitch Ratings explained in a recent report. Despite the high levels of prepayment activity, the rating agency suggested ""the credit implications have been modest to date due to the high overall credit quality of the original pools."" According to Fitch, prime RMBS mortgage pools issued since 2010 had an average conditional prepayment rate (CPR) of about 42 percent.

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