According to a new report from the Warren Group, single-family home sales are up 2.6 percent overall this year in Connecticut, with a 2.8 percent increase in February of this year from last year. Fighting a low inventory this month, the month represents ten straight months of increases in a row, easing fears.
Read More »Decline in Mortgage Rates Helps Spring Buying Season
Good news for homebuyers—Freddie Mac reported the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaging a rate of 4.34 percent (0.7 point) for the week ending April 10, a decline from 4.41 percent last week. A year ago at this time, the 30-year fixed was down nearly a full percentage point: 3.43 percent.
Read More »Second-Home Mortgages on the Rise; Buyers Take Advantage of Prices
Since 1998, second-home mortgages have averaged about 4.76 percent of the total purchase market, but the share is rising, according to Fannie Mae. While the purchase market increased four-fold from 1998 through the bubble years, the second-home mortgage market multiplied by 15 over the same years.
Read More »Financial Education Paramount for Texas Homebuyers
Through a partnership between the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC) and the Texas Association of Realtors (TAR), the joint campaign "Get Ready: Making Texans Homeowners for Life" will work to increase awareness of educational programs among potential home buyers.
Read More »Home Prices Expected to Thaw in Spring Months
Homevestors of America expects home prices to surge in the coming months, recovering from the winter storms that plagued large swaths of the country, limiting home prices and home sales. Three Texas cities led the list—Homevestors noted Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin as prime metros for home price growth.
Read More »North Carolina’s Economy Back on the Move as Unemployment Falls
North Carolina's economy appears to back on the move, according to a recently released study performed by the Wells Fargo Economics Group. Labor market conditions are improving, with job growth outpacing the nation and home sales finally recovering from a period of dormancy.
Read More »Vacation Home Sales Rise in 2013; Investment Purchases Fall
Vacation home sales rose in 2013, while investment purchases fell below the higher levels seen in previous years, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). NAR’s 2014 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey found vacation-home sales jumped 29.7 percent to an estimated 717,000, while investment-home sales fell 8.5 percent to an estimated 1.1 million in 2013.
Read More »Home Prices Remain Flat; Distressed Homes Stable in March
Clear Capital, a provider of data and solutions for real estate asset valuation and collateral risk assessment, released its Home Data Index Market Report with data through March, 2014. The report noted that the frosty winter left home prices mostly flat, while saturation of distressed homes remained stable at 21.8 percent.
Read More »Distressed Sales and Investor Purchases Fall in February
U.S. residential sale volume decreased in February, with distressed sales and investor purchases also pulling back for the month. RealtyTrac's February 2014 Residential & Foreclosure Sales Report found that U.S. residential properties slid .2 percent from January, but remain up 7 percent from the same time period a year ago.
Read More »February Home Sales Fall Slightly in California
California single-family home and condominium sales fell 1.4 percent in February from January, and declined 16.1 percent from February, 2013. According to the Real Property Report from PropertyRadar, last month marked the lowest sales for the month of February since 2008.
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