Tag Archives: Home Sales

The number of applications submitted by consumers for mortgage loans rose last week, as interest rates held low. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported that applications for home purchases were up 5.5 percent from one week earlier, marking their third consecutive weekly increase. MBA's index for refinance applications also rose, jumping 6.0 percent from the previous week.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insured 1.74 million single-family mortgages during fiscal year 2010, which for the agency ended in September. The collective value of the loans endorsed was $318.8 billion. FHA's loan volume for the year was down 10.3 percent from 2009, and came in below the 1.87 million mortgages it had previously projected would be endorsed in the 2010 fiscal year. The agency's serious delinquency rate stood at 8.4 percent at year-end. At the same time in 2009, the rate was 8.3 percent.

The number of contracts signed for purchases of previously owned homes unexpectedly dropped in September. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said Friday that its pending home sales index slipped 1.8 percent - the first decline reported since June. Economists polled by Reuters were anticipating a 3 percent increase. The fact that the September drop occurred before all the problems with foreclosure affidavits came to light, and created uncertainties for buyers of REO properties, means there's likely more volatility to come in home sales statistics.

Single-family home sales in Connecticut fell 14.25 percent in September from a year earlier, according to a new report by the Warren Group. It's the first month since February that the number of home sales has dropped below the 2,000 mark. Condominium sales in the state also fell sharply by 23 percent to the lowest level recorded in September in more than two decades.

Overall mortgage application volume decreased 5 percent for the week ending October 29, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported Wednesday. The decline was led by a falloff in refinances, however, applications for home purchases increased during the week. The trade group reported that mortgage rates were mixed, with 30-year contract rates heading up, but 15-year rates declining.

The analysts at Capital Economics say that dreaded double-dip is already underway, in both housing activity and residential property prices. The research firm is forecasting home prices in the United States to steadily decline over the next 12 months and have fallen back by over 5 percent by the end of next year, taking them to a new cycle low. The company's analysts say there are currently about 1.5 million too many homes up for sale, and that excess supply will likely grow by another 4.9 million due to elevated foreclosure activity.

Mortgage rates are still incredibly low by historical standards. They've been fluctuating around record lows not seen in more than a half-century for a good many months now. This week was one where that movement was upward, according to industry data released Thursday. A nationwide survey conducted by Freddie Mac found that 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose to 4.23 percent, while 15-year rates edged up to 3.66 percent. Bankrate reports that the larger jumbo 30-year fixed rate reversed last week's decline, returning to 5.10 percent.

Home loan production is expected to come in below $1 trillion for the 2011 calendar year, according to figures released this week by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). If the trade group's projections pan out, it will be the industry's lowest level of home lending volume in 14 years. MBA's economists say next year's drop will be driven by a decline in refinance originations as mortgage rates head higher, but the industry will see an increase in purchase originations.

Industry data released by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Wednesday shows that consumer demand for home loans intensified last week as mortgage interest rates dropped to their second-lowest level on record. MBA says its measurement of total mortgage loan application volume rose 3.2 percent for the week ending October 22, after dipping more than 10 percent the week before.

The proportion of foreclosure and other distressed property sales continued to climb in September, with damaged REO experiencing the sharpest rise, according to a report released this week by Campbell Surveys. The company says the new data suggests that any significant delay in foreclosures resulting from the recent legal controversy surrounding paperwork accuracy could have major repercussions for the housing market in the coming months.