1.The Numbers Every Home Buyer Needs to Know Now
“What’s your number? If you are a home buyer and can’t answer this question, it’s time to hit the pause button before getting too far in the process.”
2.Zombie foreclosures still weighing on housing markets
“Foreclosures have hit their lowest level in years, yet many cities report they are still struggling with the blight of “zombie foreclosures.” “
3.Applications for New Home Purchases Increased in February 2014
“WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 13, 2014) — The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) estimates sales of new single-family homes were running at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 533,000 units in February 2014, based on data from MBA’s Builder Applications Survey (BAS). “
4.REAL ESTATE: February home sales lackluster, as prices continue to rise
“Real estate signs that herald the sale of a house and its escrow status have become more commonplace in the Riverside County region. Although a stronger pool of buyers in 2013 and early 2014 has led to advertised transactions like these, real estate professionals describe the inventory as of February as constrained. “
5.Seattle home sales drop 5% in past year
“Home sales in Seattle have dropped slightly more than 5 percent in the past year, but that’s less than the national average drop of more than 10 percent.”
6.Investors and the DC Real Estate Market
“I wanted to find an investment property that I could fix up and rent out. Can you help me with that?”
7.Real estate agents can safely ignore people with things to sell who position themselves as experts
“Sometimes the companies that build technology for real estate agents and the “experts” who make a living giving us advice don’t seem to understand what our clients actually expect of us.”
8.February foreclosure filings fell by 10 percent from January
“U.S. foreclosure filings in February fell to the level in more than seven years, and dropped 10 percent from January, RealtyTrac reported Thursday.”
9.New Millennium Realty – RebateState Announces Rebates for Buyers and Sellers
“Layton, Utah March 2014- New Millennium Realty – RebateState (http://www.rebatestate.com) is revolutionizing the way people buy and sell homes in Utah by offering both buyers and sellers rebate checks up to a 40%.”
10.Foreclosure starts drop to 8-year low
“Foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions — were reported on 112,498 U.S. properties in February, a 10 percent decrease from January and down 27 percent from February 2013 to the lowest monthly total since December 2006 — a more than seven-year low, according to a report Wednesday night from foreclosure information company RealtyTrac Inc. of Irvine.”
11.Foreclosures Hit Lowest Level Since 2006, Says RealtyTrac
“Foreclosure activity dropped in February to its lowest level in more than seven years, data released by RealtyTrac today shows. A total of 112,498 foreclosure filings—default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions—were recorded during the month. That’s the lowest level since December 2006.”
12.Mortgage Rates Edge Up, Remain Near Historic Lows
“WASHINGTON — Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages rose last week but remained close to historically low levels.”
13.Zombie Foreclosures: The Vacant Dead
“One in every five homes in the foreclosure process is sitting vacant, abandoned by the distressed homeowner and not yet repossessed by the foreclosing lender. With no one to maintain them, these zombie foreclosures are falling into disrepair, attracting vandalism and other crime and dragging down the values of nearby homes in the neighborhood.”
14.Premium placement of listing agents’ contact info at odds with who deserves consumer leads
“Real estate agents, broker-owners and multiple listing services are rightfully concerned about two major issues when it comes to syndication to listing portals: data accuracy and an issue that has become known as “the three-headed monster.”
15.After Rising Last Month, Foreclosures Snap Back to 8 Year Low
“After spiking 8 percent in January, foreclosures filings have resumed their downward spiral RealtyTrac said today. Its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for February notes that filings, including default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions or completed foreclosures, decreased by 10 percent from January and were 27 percent below levels one year earlier. There were a total of 112,498 filings during the month, the lowest monthly total since December 2006. “
16.West Coast Home Sales Hit Lowest Point in Five Years
“The Redfin Real Estate Real-Time Price Tracker is a monthly report on home prices, inventory and sales volume that offers a clear and current read on the U.S. real estate market, coming weeks or months ahead of other market reports. As a brokerage with access to Multiple Listing Services (MLSs), Redfin gets data within minutes of a sale, pending sale or listing activation, well before any government, media or analytics organization.”
17.Freddie Mac: Mortgage rates on 30-year loan rise from 4.28% to 4.37%
“Mortgage rates edged higher early this week, with Freddie Mac’s survey showing lenders offering 30-year fixed-rate loans to solid borrowers at 4.37%, up from 4.28% a week earlier.”
18.Southern California home prices flat, sales tumble in February
“Southern California home prices held steady last month while sales tumbled to a six-year low, further evidence that the market has stalled after a torrid rebound.”