Market Studies

After remaining steady in the first quarter of the year, the Interthinx Mortgage Fraud Risk Index rose again in the second quarter, climbing about 7 percent over the three-month period. Nevada and Arizona are the riskiest two states, followed by Florida, New Jersey, and Georgia, which made its way to the top five list for the first time since Interthinx began tracking mortgage fraud in 2009. Georgia took the place of California, which has been on the top five list since the inception of the index, according to Interthinx.

The latest National Delinquency Survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) showed that delinquencies increased in the second quarter of 2012, a shift anticipated by the association. The delinquency rate for mortgage loans on one-to-four-unit residential properties increased to a seasonally adjusted rate of 7.58 percent as of the end of Q2, an increase from 7.40 in Q1. The second quarter's increased rate was still down from 8.44 percent at the same time in 2011.

Weak growth characterized single-family home sales in Connecticut for June, according to a report from The Warren Group. Single-family home sales inched up 0.4 percent after seeing double digits increases in April and May. While the gain in June was small, it was still a move in a positive direction and represents the sixth consecutive month of increases.

Overall, foreclosure activity declined year-over-year and month-over-month, but foreclosure starts told a different story in July, according to RealtyTrac's foreclosure market report. Foreclosure filings, which include default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions, fell 3 percent month-over-month and decreased 10 percent from July 2011. Fewer homes were lost to the foreclosure process as well, with lenders completing the foreclosure process on 53,654 U.S. properties. The figure is a 1 percent decrease from June and a 21 percent decrease from a year ago.

Strong employment reports boosted mortgage rates back up for the second week in a row, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. The GSE's Primary Mortgage Market Survey show the 30-year fixed averaging 3.59 percent (0.6 point) for the week ending August 9, an increase from 3.55 percent the previous week. The 15-year fixed also posted gains, averaging 2.84 percent (0.6 point) for the week, up from 2.83 percent a week ago.

First-time claims for unemployment insurance fell 6,000 for the week ended August 4 to 361,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had expected 367,000 initial claims. The prior week's total was revised up to 367,000 from the originally reported 365,000.

June marked the 12th straight month of year-over-year home sales increases in Seattle, according to a report from DataQuick. Although sales in some of the lower price ranges declined, increased activity in higher ranges made up for those drops. The median sale price rose year-over-year for the third consecutive month-hitting a nearly two-year high-as the market shifted toward mid- to high-end transactions and foreclosure resales fell.

A new report suggests that Sacramento, California may follow Phoenix as the next hard-hit metro to rise out of the ashes. Pro Teck Valuation Services released its August Home Value Forecast Update, putting a focus on which of the hardest hit metros might bounce back and become investment or home purchasing opportunities. According to the report, market-based indicators suggest that Sacramento might be ""the next Phoenix,"" referring to the hard-hit Arizona metro that has seen dramatic improvement this year.

When including distressed sales, CoreLogic reported a 2.5 percent yearly increase in home prices in June, and a 1.3 percent increase month-over-month from May. The rise in home prices is the fourth consecutive increase on a yearly and monthly basis, and CoreLogic's Pending HPI is forecasting at least a 0.4 percent monthly increase in July. In response to CoreLogic's report, Capital Economics said that while the gain in June is strong, ""the latest rise was marginally weaker than we would expect in a typical June, meaning that seasonally-adjusted house prices actually eased a touch.""

National home prices seem to be picking up steam, while all four regions posted price gains, Clear Capital reported Tuesday. On a quarterly basis, home prices increased 2 percent in July, and year-over-year, the increase was even greater at 2.2 percent. The yearly increase is the strongest in nearly two years and 0.5 percentage points higher than June's yearly gain.