The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index was up 4.4 percent in the second quarter of 2010, more than recovering from the 2.9 percent loss that was suffered in the first quarter, but the index committee warned that recent housing indicators “point to more ominous signals as tax incentives have ended and foreclosures continue.” On a month to month basis, the 10-city index improved 1.0 percent to 161.04 and the 20-city index rose 1.0 percent to 147.97. The year over year 10-City and 20 City Composite Indices for June marked the first time in 16 months that the increase in annual returns moderated, pointing to a possible deceleration in home price returns. In May the YoY increase in the 10-City Composite was 5.4 percent, in June it was 5.0 percent. The 20-City figure…(read more)
The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index was up 4.4 percent in the second quarter of 2010, more than recovering from the 2.9 percent loss that was suffered in the first quarter, but the index committee warned that recent housing indicators “point to more ominous signals as tax incentives have ended and foreclosures continue.” On a month to month basis, the 10-city index improved 1.0 percent to 161.04 and the 20-city index rose 1.0 percent to 147.97. The year over year 10-City and 20 City Composite Indices for June marked the first time in 16 months that the increase in annual returns moderated, pointing to a possible deceleration in home price returns. In May the YoY increase in the 10-City Composite was 5.4 percent, in June it was 5.0 percent. The 20-City figure…(read more)
In the wake of a full week full of bad economic news, especially housing indicators, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Shaun Donovan appeared on CNNs Sunday morning news and interview program State of the Union . Host Ed Henry prefaced the interview with July housing numbers – a 27 percent decline in existing home sales and new home sales at their lowest levels since 1963 . “Many analysts,” Henry said, “believe that housing started this whole financial crisis. We saw some pretty grim headlines this week sparking some fears about a double dip recession.” He asked Donovan, what he could say to reassure Americans that this will not happen. Donovan said that the dip in house sales in July was not unexpected because it would mark the end of the homebuyers’ tax credit that had been…(read more)
In the wake of a full week full of bad economic news, especially housing indicators, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Shaun Donovan appeared on CNNs Sunday morning news and interview program State of the Union . Host Ed Henry prefaced the interview with July housing numbers – a 27 percent decline in existing home sales and new home sales at their lowest levels since 1963 . “Many analysts,” Henry said, “believe that housing started this whole financial crisis. We saw some pretty grim headlines this week sparking some fears about a double dip recession.” He asked Donovan, what he could say to reassure Americans that this will not happen. Donovan said that the dip in house sales in July was not unexpected because it would mark the end of the homebuyers’ tax credit that had been…(read more)
While it reported that most delinquency figures dropped substantially in the second quarter, the Mortgage Bankers Association's National Delinquency Survey also carried some dishearting harbingers of what might lie ahead. The report showed the seasonally adjusted delinquency rate for all loans at 9.85 percent, a drop of 21 basis points from the first quarter but 61 basis points higher than it was during the second quarter of 2009. Delinquency rate figures include all loans that are at least one payment past due, but do not include loans in the process of foreclosure. When those are added into the total the delinquency rate rises to 13.97 percent compared to 14.01 in the first quarter. Foreclosure actions were started on 1.11 percent of loans, down from 1.23 percent in the first quarter…(read more)
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Charles Evans pointed directly to a major problem with the economic system in a speech before the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership on Wednesday: a serious deficit in the country's financial literacy. His solution, however is aimed less at eliminating that illiteracy than at incentivizing it in appropriate directions. Evans spoke at the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership (INHP) Community Breakfast on the roots of the housing crisis and current plans to end it, but his speech differed a bit form the formulaic presentation given over and over by financial and housing officials. While others have pointed to the use of inappropriate mortgage products as one cause of the crisis, rather than vilify these products such as option…(read more)
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Charles Evans pointed directly to a major problem with the economic system in a speech before the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership on Wednesday: a serious deficit in the country's financial literacy. His solution, however is aimed less at eliminating that illiteracy than at incentivizing it in appropriate directions. Evans spoke at the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership (INHP) Community Breakfast on the roots of the housing crisis and current plans to end it, but his speech differed a bit form the formulaic presentation given over and over by financial and housing officials. While others have pointed to the use of inappropriate mortgage products as one cause of the crisis, rather than vilify these products such as option…(read more)
The National Association of Realtors today released Existing Home Sales data for July 2010. HERE is the methodology for data collection Excerpts from the release…. Existing-home sales were sharply lower in July following expiration of the home buyer tax credit but home prices continued to gain, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, dropped 27.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.83 million units in July from a downwardly revised 5.26 million in June, and are 25.5 percent below the 5.14 million-unit level in July 2009. Total Sales are at the lowest level since the total existing-home sales series launched. Single-family home sales dropped 27…(read more)
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury have released the August edition of the Obama Administration's Housing Scorecard . The August 2010 Scorecard was marked primarily by how few changes were evidenced since the July Report. Housing prices have been relatively flat on a month to month basis since January 2009 when they ended their 30 month decline. Historic low interest rates continued to promote home affordability and refinancing options for the nation's families, but few people were taking advantage of it either to purchase a home or refinance their existing one. Overall, the market remains fragile with foreclosure starts showing a slight increase and serious delinquencies continuing to work through the pipeline. MND has…(read more)
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) took a step last week that may effectively end private transfer fees before the end of the year. The agency announced a public comment period on new regulations that would restrict Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks) from investing in mortgages with private transfer fee covenants. The proposed "Guidance" would extend to mortgages and securities purchased by FHLBanks or acquired by them as collateral for advances, and to mortgages and securities purchased or guaranteed by the Enterprises. Transfer fees are enabled by covenants on a deed which require a payment to a third party every time property ownership is transferred and are typically 1 percent of the amount of the sale. For example: a developer of a condominium…(read more)
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