By Alex Veiga Homeowners with a mortgage gained an average $51,500 in home equity in the second quarter – a 29.3% year-to-year increase. It’s the biggest jump since 2Q 2010. LOS ANGELES (AP) – Soaring home prices have pushed up average homeowner equity growth to the highest level in more than a decade, though recent signs of a cooling U.S. housing market point to more moderate gains in the second half of the year. Homes with a mortgage gained an average of $51,500 in equity in the second quarter, an increase of 29.3% from the April-June quarter last year, according
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By Talis Shelbourne 17% of buyers who couldn’t qualify for a mortgage should have better luck now that Fannie Mae includes rent history in its lending decisions. Lenders consider a history of on-time rent payments a strong predictor for whether borrowers will make regular mortgage payments. WASHINGTON – “There are many Black families with strong rental histories. What you’re lacking … in terms of credit score, history or whatever, you’re compensating for in rental history.” – Deon Price, Acts Housing real estate agent Renters looking to become homeowners have another tool at their disposal now that Fannie Mae has added
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By Bart Jansen and Savannah Behrmann A possible government shutdown – and potential speedbump for closings – was postponed until at least Dec. 3 after Congress voted to approve a short-term extension. WASHINGTON – Congress approved legislation Thursday to avert a government shutdown hours before a midnight deadline, passing a measure that extends funding for the federal government through Dec. 3. The House voted 254-175 to approve the bill that raced through both chambers in a few hours. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the legislation would keep government services functioning, prevent furloughs for hundreds of thousands of workers and
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By Kerry Smith After weeks of little movement in the 2.88% range, the average 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage rose to 3.01% this week. Economist cites “many factors” pushing the increase. MCLEAN, Va. – The average 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage has fluctuated little over the past few months, hovering somewhere around the 2.88% range. However, it rose to 3.01% this week, breaking the psychological 3% barrier. “Mortgage rates rose across all loan types this week as the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield reached its highest point since June,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Many factors led to this increase, including the Federal
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By Kerry Smith Nationwide credit scores fall about 20 points in the months following a home purchase, but they bounce back fully in less than one year. In four Fla. cities included in a LendingTree study, the full credit-score rebound ranged from 332 days in Miami to 387 in Jacksonville. WASHINGTON – Credit scores take a hit after a homebuyer takes out a mortgage, but a study from LendingTree shows credit scores rebound within a year. Credit scores are unlikely to fall no more than 20 points, on average, in the four and a half to six months after getting
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By Stacey Moncrieff “Sharing data helps all of us,” said a speaker at NAR’s recent C5 Summit. But many commercial brokers avoid technology and keep info “close to the vest.” CHICAGO – If commercial real estate lags behind residential in adoption of technology, it’s not due to a lack of investment in the sector. In the first half of 2021, equity and debt investment in U.S. proptech (technology that optimizes researching, renting, buying, selling and managing property) totaled $8.5 billion, surpassing the total amount of capital invested in 2020, according to GCA, an adviser in the proptech market. “The biggest
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By Rick Rouan No two shutdowns are the same, but the IRS would likely stop verifying homebuyers’ Social Security numbers and income. That created backlogs in earlier shutdowns. NEW YORK – As the federal government teeters near the edge of another shutdown, you might wonder what it could mean for you if the slow gears grind to a halt. Congress hasn’t adopted any appropriations bills before the new fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1. If it doesn’t meet the deadline by midnight Sept. 30 – or adopt a continuing resolution to buy more time – a shutdown is likely. That
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By Kerry Smith NAR Economist Yun credited “rising inventory and moderating price conditions” for bringing more buyers back to the market. A separate realtor.com survey found three Fla. metro areas to be “hottest markets,” including the areas around Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville. WASHINGTON – Pending home sales rebounded in August, recording significant gains after two prior months of declines, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). Each of the four major U.S. regions tracked by NAR mounted month-over-month growth in contract activity. However, each territory was also down in year-to-year pending-sale comparisons, with the Northeast down a double-digit 15.8%.
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When creating a list of must-haves and would-likes, three out of four homebuyers include some consideration of disaster risk, according to a realtor.com study. CHICAGO – About three in four recent homebuyers say they factored natural disasters into their decision when choosing a location for their new home, according to a new survey of about 3,000 consumers conducted by realtor.com. Nationwide, 75% of recent home buyers say they’re concerned about the threat of natural disasters. The natural disasters that have them most concerned are: Tornadoes (39%) Severe Cold Or Winter Storms (38%) Floods (35%) Hurricanes (29%) Earthquakes (21%) Wildfires (17%)
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By Laura Gomes Buyers who want to make their offer more appealing sometimes consider changes to the contract’s “Loan Approval Period.” Of the possible changes they can choose to make their offer more appealing, this one may carry the highest risk. ORLANDO, Fla. – Part three of a three-part series on buyers’ offers: The series focuses on potential pitfalls in relation to buyers’ attempts to make their offers “more appealing” in today’s market. The Loan Approval Period may be the riskiest clause to change due to all the potential issues that may pop up later. Some buyers choose to submit
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