Category: News Updates

1.Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
“Mortgage applications decreased 2.7 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending August 8, 2014.  ”

2.Record income gap fuels US housing weakness
“The income gap between America’s richest and poorest metropolitan regions has reached its widest on record, shaping an uneven housing recovery that threatens to hold back the broader revival of the world’s largest economy.”

3.US in good position: Pro
“Dissecting the U.S. market compared to around the world, with Ben Willis, Princeton Securities Group, and Michael Farr, Farr, Miller & Washington. ”

4.California’s housing affordability declines
“Lower interest rates in the second quarter of 2014 failed to offset continued home price increases in California, lowering housing affordability, according to the California Association of Realtors.”

5.Homes less affordable, but San Bernardino more affordable than most
“The housing affordability index, which measures the percentage of all households that can afford to purchase a median-priced single- family home in California, fell in the second quarter, the California Association of Realtors reported today.”

6.Southland Home Sales Fall Yr/Yr Again; Prices Rise at Slower Pace
“Southern California home sales fell to a three-year low for the month of July as supply continued to fall short of demand, some buyers struggled with higher prices, and investor activity fell. Cash deals declined to the lowest level in more than four years, while the median sale price dipped from June and rose from a year ago at the slowest pace in more than two years, a real estate information service reported. ”

TonyAlvarez.com

1.Home-Price Gains Decelerate in Many Metro Areas during Second Quarter
“WASHINGTON (August 12, 2014) – Home-price growth continued to moderate in many metropolitan areas in the second quarter and national year-over-year price appreciation is now at its slowest pace since 2012, according to the latest quarterly report by the National Association of Realtors®.”

2.Orange County is 3rd-priciest housing market in U.S.; L.A. is 9th
“Orange County is the third-most-expensive housing market in the country, with two other chunks of the Southland ranking in the top 10.”

3.First-Time Buyers Shut Out of Expanding U.S. Home Supply
“The four-bedroom house that Ilia Nielsen-Dembe purchased in west Denver earlier this year wasn’t her top choice. The first-time buyer had to settle on a home in a neighborhood with a high crime rate after losing out on bids for five properties in more desirable areas. ”

4.US Job Openings in June Hit 13-Year-Plus High
“U.S. employers in June advertised the most monthly job openings in more than 13 years.”

5.Landing a great real estate deal can be a humbling experience
“Justin Pierce is a real estate investor who regularly writes about his experiences buying, renovating and selling houses in the Washington area.”

6.Home Price Growth Slowdown a Mixed Trend for Economy
“Home-price appreciation is slowing, a trend that could be good for potential buyers looking for an opportunity to jump into the market, but bad for homeowners still looking for relief for underwater mortgages.”

7.Home sales slow
“CNBC’s Diana Olick reports home sales in Q2 are up from Q1, but down 4.5 percent from a year ago. ”

TonyAlvarez.com

1.Job Market Tilts Toward U.S. Workers in Virtuous Cycle: Economy
“The balance of power in the job market is shifting slowly toward employees from employers. ”

2.As home-equity loans reset, these owners are most at risk
“Home-equity lines of credit, popular during the housing boom of the mid-2000s, are now a source of concern, as many of these loans are due to reset to higher payments in the next few years. ”

3.Denver home inventory shortage eases in July
“The months-long shortage of homes on the market in the Denver area eased slightly in July, the Denver Metro Association of Realtors (DMAR) said in its latest market update.”

4.Huge backlog of Baltimore-area homes under contract could negate weak July home sales
“It was a slow July for Baltimore home sales, but there are indications that August could make up for the decline in closed transactions last month.”

5.Low rates boost REITs, commercial real estate stocks
“As interest rates hover near recent lows, and investors search for anything with yield, commercial real estate is finding its footing yet again, outperforming the broader U.S. stock market. ”

6.The World May Be in Flames, but the U.S. Economy Is Finally Catching Fire
“The stock market has been under pressure for the first time in months. The Eurozone is faltering. China’s credit issues never really went away. American airplanes are once more pounding bombs into the Iraqi desert. Russia and Ukraine. Gaza. There’s a lot to worry about.”

7.The Downside Of Up: How Rising Mortgage Rates Will Lead To Lower Sales
“For 30 years, falling mortgage interest rates have enabled homeowners to move into ever-larger homes on the promise of ever-cheaper financing. But that party is over, and the impact on existing home sales could be significant.”

8.Rising ‘Used-Home’ Obsolescence Drives New Home Sales For Alert Realtors
“REALTOR Janice had worked two months with a couple who insisted on expensive renovations to every short-sale they liked, but could never agree on the cost of renovation. A friend suggested that as alternative to showing another short sale, show a new home because ‘it was already renovated’ for price comparisons.”

TonyAlvarez.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.Home Price Gains Now Driven More By Jobs Than By Rebound Effect
“The Trulia Price Monitor and the Trulia Rent Monitor are the earliest leading indicators of how asking prices and rents are trending nationally and locally. They adjust for the changing mix of listed homes and therefore show what’s really happening to asking prices and rents. Because asking prices lead sales prices by approximately two or more months, the Monitors reveal trends before other price indexes do. With that, here’s the scoop on where prices and rents are headed.”

2.Housing recovery ‘changing shape,’ hinges on job growth, report says
“After two years of rebounding off the bottom of a bust, the recovery in the housing market is “changing shape” this summer, and any new price gains will depend more on job growth and economic fundamentals.”

3.Delinquency and Foreclosure Rates Decrease in Second Quarter
“The delinquency rate for mortgage loans on one-to-four-unit residential properties decreased to a seasonally adjusted rate of 6.04 percent of all loans outstanding at the end of the second quarter of 2014. The delinquency rate decreased for the fifth consecutive quarter and reached the lowest level since the fourth quarter of 2007.  The delinquency rate decreased seven basis points from the previous quarter, and 92 basis points from one year ago, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) National Delinquency Survey.”

4.Average US 30-Year Mortgage Rate at 4.14 Percent
“Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates rose slightly this week but remained near their lows for the year.”

5.As home-equity loans reset, these owners are most at risk
“Home-equity lines of credit, popular during the housing boom of the mid-2000s, are now a source of concern, as many of these loans are due to reset to higher payments in the next few years. ”

6.The real estate gamble in Arizona: Inventory is up 35 percent from last year as cash investors begin to pull away from the market.
“In many markets, investors were purchasing properties to rent out for a short period of time before they had any intention of selling. Many of the large investors have hinted at buying places and holding them for 5 to 7 years before selling them off. Since big money entered the market in 2008, we are already seeing that phase one is being completed and big money is certainly exiting the market. ”

TonyAlvarez.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.House Punting: The Cost of Waiting to Buy in Hot Markets
“When shopping for a big purchase, the line that “it never hurts to wait” often make sense. But that’s only because by looking around more, you might find a better deal. Which is why, with interest rates expected to rise over the next few years and home-buying demand still heathy, following that advice could be costly in today’s real estate market.”

2.Home price gains leveling off, CoreLogic reports
“House price gains are leveling off, with Orange County posting the smallest year-over-year increase in almost two years, CoreLogic reported Tuesday.”

3.A year after frenzy, homes taking longer to sell
“A year ago, homes typically sold in days with multiple offers as a buying frenzy gripped the market, driving prices up as much as 28 percent in a year.”

4.Housing Market Slide: Can Millennials Save Real Estate from Another Decline?
“Over the last few months, a number of national real estate reports have generated mixed results, and as I recently detailed, homebuilder stocks have thus been stuck in neutral. But in the past two weeks it seems as if the homebuilders have slid from neutral gear into reverse, as earnings reports from industry leaders like D.R. Horton (DHI) have failed to meet analyst expectations.”

5.The economy is improving a little, and Americans are taking notice — a little
“The economy is showing some of its first real signs of steady recovery after some very tough years. There have been six straight months of at least 200,000 jobs created, and the Gross Domestic Product in the second quarter grew at a stronger-than-expected 4 percent. There are still plenty of causes for concern, and the progress is tenuous, but the amount of good news is pretty much unprecedented since the recession.”

6.Markets and the economy
“SO HAS the recent economic news been good or bad? The second quarter American GDP numbers were strong (although combined with Q1, they mean the economy grew just 0.5% in first half). The non-farm payroll numbers were OK and the services PMI was extremely strong, coming in at 58.7.”

7.Underwater homeowners are turning into landlords
“One of the biggest barriers to a robust recovery in the housing market is a lack of supply. There are simply not enough homes listed for sale to meet the demand—and part of that is because a growing number of home buyers are not selling their previous homes. ”

TonyAlvarez.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.Mortgage Credit Availability Increases Slightly in July
“Mortgage credit availability increased in July according to the Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI), a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) which analyzes data from the AllRegs® Market Clarity® product.  ”

2.Improving Housing Market Luring Would-Be Brokers
“To motivate a classroom packed with 87 aspiring real estate agents, instructor Keith Grandy started off his one-week, intensive course with the promise of big money: With hard work, fresh licensees in the Miami metro area could make $100,000 a year if they complete at least two transactions per month, according to current property prices and commissions.”

3.Real Estate’s Epic Rebound Starts to Cool
“The U.S. real-estate market has stormed back over the past five years after enduring its most brutal period since the Great Depression. The rebound has rewarded investors and boosted the overall economy.”

4.Improving housing market luring would-be brokers
“To motivate a classroom packed with 87 aspiring real estate agents, instructor Keith Grandy started off his one-week, intensive course with the promise of big money: With hard work, fresh licensees in the Miami metro area could make $100,000 a year if they complete at least two transactions per month, according to current property prices and commissions.”

5.Home prices rise at slowest pace in 20 months
“U.S. home prices rose in June by the smallest year-over-year amount in 20 months, slowed by modest sales and more properties coming on the market.”

6.U.S. economic confidence dips in July
“Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index fell two points in July to a minus 17, which is the lowest index reading since March.”

7.Home prices rose by 7.5 percent in June
“Home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased 7.5 percent in June compared to June 2013, according to a new report Tuesday from financial information company CoreLogic Inc. (NYSE: CLGX) of Irvine.”

8.Can You Still Get a Good Deal on a Home?
“The seesawing housing market continues to defy economists and expectations.”

TonyAlvarez.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.Best cities for Millennial homebuyers
“About 110 people are moving to Austin every day — and many of them are under the age of 35.”

2.Real Estate Oversupply Becoming Bigger Problem For China
“If you build it they will come. Eventually. That’s been the mantra of Chinese real estate developers and their lenders who have been throwing them buckets filled with yuan for the past several years. Now, an oversupply problem in second and third tier cities promises to derail the economy by as much as one percentage point, the International Monetary Fund has warned.”

3.Why Is the Economy Still Weak? Blame These Five Sectors
“The economy keeps underperforming. Yes, new G.D.P. data last week were better than expected. But the United States is still producing around $800 billion a year less in goods and services than it would if the economy were at full health, and as a result millions of people aren’t working who would be if conditions were better.”

4.What’s behind homeownership drop
“CNBC’s Diana Olick reports homeownership just keeps falling, and younger Americans are behind the drop. ”

5.Adding 7+ million renter households over the last decade: Number of homeowners neutral over last 10 years. The shifting purchasing power of American households
“The low turnover in housing is having some organizations changing their tune regarding the current boom in home values. After all, places like the National Association of Realtors (NAR) will be better off with higher sales volume and lower prices versus very low sales volume and higher prices. As we see investors pulling back, the already low volume is dropping even further in what is typically the house lustful months of the summer.”

6.Five Trends That Make Your Home Smaller Every Year
“The longer you live in your home, the smaller it gets – that’s physics. This article will reveal 5 home-shrinking trends and how to reverse them.”

TonyAlvarez.com

 

1.Million-dollar home sales hit seven-year high in California
“The number of homes that sold for $1 million or more in California hit a seven-year high in the second quarter, and sales north of $2 million reached a new record.”

2.US Consumer Spending up 0.4 Percent in June
“U.S. consumer spending rose at the fastest pace in three months in June, providing momentum for the economy going into the second half of the year.”

3.Economy gains 209,000 jobs; jobless rate, 6.2%
“The high-flying labor market showed no let-up in July as employers added 209,000 jobs.”

4.Sales of California’s million dollar homes at 7-year high
“The Golden State’s million dollar housing market sparkled in the second quarter of the year as high-end sales hit their highest level in seven years, a market tracker said Thursday”

TonyAlvarez.com

 

1.Can Any Local Market Predict National Home-Price Trends?
“Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a local housing market that we could use as the nation’s crystal ball? If one market regularly ran ahead of the national trends, we could pay extra attention to what’s happening there in order to know what the rest of the country should expect.”

2.Purchase Applications Increase Slightly in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
“Mortgage applications decreased 2.2 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending July 25, 2014.  ”

3.Case-Shiller: House prices up 12.3% in May
“Los Angeles and Orange county house prices continued their two-year rise through May, but at a much slower pace, the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index reported Tuesday.”

4.Average US 30-Year Mortgage Rate at 4.12 Percent
“Average U.S. mortgage rates declined slightly this week, hovering near their lows for the year.”

5.In San Francisco Real Estate, $1M Won’t Buy Much
“San Francisco Association of Realtors President Betty Taisch has two words of advice for those who want to live here and think $1 million will buy them their dream house: think again.”

6.A More Vigorous US Economy Appears to Be Emerging
“The U.S. economy has rebounded with vigor from a grim start to 2014 and should show renewed strength into next year.”

7.REAL ESTATE: California’s slow slog to recovery noted in WalletHub survey
“It’s nice to look across the horizon holding a glass of economic recovery that’s a little more than half filled, so to speak.”

8.Bouncing Back, Economy Grew 4% for Quarter
“The United States economy rebounded strongly in the second quarter of the year, shaking off the negative effects of an unusually harsh winter and stirring hopes that it might finally be establishing a solid enough footing to put the lingering effects of the recession squarely in the past.”

9.The Economy Just Grew Much Faster Than It Was Expected To
“U.S. economic growth accelerated more than expected in the second quarter and the decline in output in the prior period was less steep than previously reported, which could bolster views for a stronger performance in the last six months of the year.”

TonyAlvarez.com

1.Home price increases continue at slower pace
“Home prices continued to rise this spring, but the pace of increase has slowed since late last year.”

2.U.S. home prices down in May, but consumer confidence strong
“U.S. single-family home prices fell unexpectedly in May, declining for the first time in more than two years in the latest signal of the wobbly state of the housing market.”

3.Consumer Confidence in U.S. Jumps to Highest Since 2007
“Confidence among consumers soared in July to an almost seven-year high as increased employment opportunities led to brighter views of the U.S. economy. ”

4.U.S. home prices rise 1.1% in May amid signs of waning pressure
“U.S. house prices rose 1.1% in May, according to the Case-Shiller 20-city composite index released Tuesday, with every city showing gains.”

5.What’s to come for housing
“Keith Banks, U.S. Trust President, discusses his outlook for the housing industry. Robert Reffkin, Urban Compass founder & CEO, and the FMHR traders, provide perspective. ”

6.U.S. economic confidence plunges
“Americans are losing confidence in the economy, according to the latest Gallup U.S. Economic Confidence Index, which dropped six points last week to a -21.”

7.Home price gains continue to slow down
“U.S. home prices rose in May from a year earlier at the weakest pace in 15 months as sales remain modest in the spring buying season. ”

TonyAlvarez.com