Market Studies

The latest numbers from the Fiserv Case-Shiller Indexes show that the housing market may finally be on solid footing again. Average U.S. home prices increased by 1.2 percent in Q2 2012 from the same quarter last year. The year-over-year increase is the first since 2006 when excluding 2010, which was influenced by the federal homebuyer's tax credit. Fiserv projects that housing prices will grow annually at a rate of 3.3 percent from mid-2012 through Q2 2017.

The multifamily sector may not see much of a decrease in its vacancy rate over the next year, but the market is still considered to be tight and there's still room for growth, according to a report from National Association of Realtors (NAR). The NAR offered projections into four areas of commercial real estate: office, industrial, retail and multifamily markets. Out of all four sectors, the vacancy rate for the multifamily sector is expected to decline the least and fall by just 0.1 point. Despite the small decrease, NAR said the multifamily sector still has the ""tightest availability"" and the ""strongest rent increases.""

New home sales barely budged in October, dropping 0.37 percent to 368,000 after September’s report was revised sharply downward from an original 389,000 to 369,000, Census Bureau and HUD reported Wednesday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected the report to show a sales pace of 387,000.

After reaching a year-to-date high in October, consumer confidence continued to climb in November, according to The Conference Board's recently released Consumer Confidence Index. The index, which is based on survey conducted for The Conference Board by Nielsen, ""posted a moderate increase"" in November, rising to 73.7 from 73.1 previously. According to Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The Conference Board, the index is now at its highest level in more than four and a half years.

With revenue up and the housing market showing a sustained recovery, Fitch Ratings says the outlook for the U.S. title insurance industry is ""stable."" According to the ratings agency, its stable rating outlook is based on its belief that ""ratings actions for the industry will on balance approximate current levels over the next 12-18 months as financial performance has improved recently."" Operating profit margins for Fitch's title universe rose to 10.3 percent in the first nine months of 2012, a dramatic jump from 6.1 percent during the same period in 2011.

When calculating average monthly mortgage payments by state and the District of Columbia, Lending Tree found the nation's capital has the highest average monthly payment and highest share of income that goes toward a house payment. In D.C., monthly mortgage payments average $1,641, while 31 percent of household income goes toward a mortgage, according to LendingTree. Hawaii ranked second with its average payment of $1,536, and homeowners in the state spend about 30 percent of their household income for a house payment.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) reported home prices continued to climb higher in September, with prices gaining by 0.2 percent from August. On the same day Tuesday, the Case-Shiller Indices posted a similar monthly increase of 0.3 percent. FHFA's house price index (HPI) also revealed a quarterly price gain of 1.1 percent from the second to the third quarter. Compared to the third quarter last year, prices rose 4 percent. The agency stated the monthly index has increased for eight straight months now.

Home prices rose just slightly over the month of September, demonstrating a 0.1 percent increase from August, according to Lender Processing Services' Home Price Index, which analyzes home prices in more than 15,500 ZIP codes each month. The September Home Price Index stands at $205,000, according to LPS. While the 0.1 percent increase is slight, LPS does report more significant change on a yearly and year-to-date basis. Home prices have risen 3.6 percent from last September and 4.9 percent over the year thus far.

The share of distressed properties is shrinking and home prices are rising, but first-time homebuyers aren't benefiting from the improvements, according to findings from a survey. In the most recent Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance HousingPulseTracking survey, the first-time homebuyer share for home purchases was found to be 34.7 percent in October. The figure is a decrease from 37.1 percent in June and the lowest share in the survey's three-year history. The decrease coincides with a significant rise in purchases for non-distressed properties.

Despite another month of home price improvements, the housing sector stumbled in September as prices fell in five of the 20 cities covered in the monthly Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller Home Price Index. The 10-city index increased 0.3 percent from August to 158.93, its highest level since September 2010. Meanwhile, the 20-city index rose by the same 0.3 percent to 146.22, also the highest in two years. The national index improved 2.2 percent in the third quarter to 135.67, its highest level since Q3 2010.