Tag Archives: Home Prices

Home equity continued to head south during the first part of the year, but losses were eclipsed by another big jump in the value of financial assets as the stock market sustained positive movement. This, combined with a further reduction in overall debt levels, pushed household net worth higher during the first quarter, according to the Federal Reserve. Real estate assets lost $349 billion of their value over the first three months of 2011. The Fed says a mere 38 percent in homeowner equity is now the norm.

Clear Capital sees signs of market stability as we move into the summer months. New data released Thursday by the company shows that U.S. home prices continue to fall, but the 2.3 percent drop recorded for the three months ending in May was half the decline seen in the previous month's report. Clear Capital says the median price paid for distressed properties has started to rise, indicating the REO market is seeing increased activity toward the upper end of the price range and helping to rein in the depreciating trend of the past several months.

The Federal Reserve has published a new rendition of its popular Beige Book, relaying insight from professionals in the field on regional market conditions. A number of the 12 Fed districts noted improvements in overall credit quality, specifically Philadelphia, Cleveland, Richmond, Kansas City, Dallas, and San Francisco. New York was the only district to report rising delinquency rates on consumer loans, but it saw delinquencies decline for commercial loans and mortgages.

The number of mortgage borrowers who owe more on the loan than their home is worth decreased slightly during the first quarter, but CoreLogic sees a problem area among homeowners with second mortgages. The company found that 10.9 million, or 22.7 percent, of all residential properties with a mortgage were in negative equity as of the end of March. CoreLogic says the underwater ratio of borrowers with home equity loans is more than double that of borrowers without second mortgages.

Radar Logic says strong job gains will not bolster housing despite opinions from economic experts. The firm predicts a recovery in housing values will precede a recovery in the economy, spending, and jobs. Economists say the sliding job market, along with falling consumer confidence and other weak indicators mean the economic recovery has hit a ""soft patch."" There is a strong correlation, Radar Logic explains, between Americans' perceptions of their own wealth as expressed in the value of their homes and their willingness to recycle some of that wealth into the economy.

While a number of closely-watched home price indices show national readings have slipped into a double-dip, Altos Research says it's come and gone. The firm notes that the latest Case-Shiller findings declaring a new post-recession low are based on data through the end of March. Since that time, Altos has recorded a steady uptick in prices for both major metros and mid-city markets across the country. The firm expects to see a rising and falling pattern for several years and believes the double-dip is really just the start of the next housing cycle.

The market has been battered by reports of continuing home price depreciation with both the Clear Capital and S&P/Case-Shiller indices confirming that national readings have fallen below the double-dip mark. But data released Wednesday by CoreLogic provided a flicker of improvement - at least from the short-term view. The company says its index shows home prices in the U.S. rose 0.7 percent between March and April. It's the first such increase since the homebuyer tax credit expired in mid-2010, and that reading includes distressed sales.

First Guaranty Mortgage Corp. (FGMC) recently partnered with APD Solutions and Home Depot to launch an initiative aimed at accelerating the resale of REO properties and rebuilding the housing stock nationwide. Coined ""Rebuild the Dream,"" the initiative seeks to reduce the time cycle on the sale of bank-owned homes and improve sale prices by providing incentives to homebuyers and real estate selling agents to use rehabilitation loans to increase the value and appeal of REO properties.

The S&P/Case-Shiller home price index confirmed a double-dip in home prices across much of the country as Standard & Poor's national reading fell another 4.2 percent during the first quarter. One economist notes that prices have now fallen by more than they did during the Great Depression. On that occasion, the peak in home prices was not regained for 19 years. The widespread view is that with over a quarter of all mortgages underwater and 6.3 million homeowners either delinquent or in foreclosure, home prices have not yet hit bottom.

Data released Tuesday morning by Standard & Poor's show that the S&P/Case-Shiller national home price index declined by 4.2 percent in the first quarter of 2011, after having fallen 3.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010. The national reading hit a new recession low with the first quarter's data and posted an annual decline of 5.1 percent versus the first quarter of 2010. Nationally, home prices are back to their mid-2002 levels. Officials from S&P note that this month's report is marked by the confirmation of a double-dip in home prices across much of the nation.