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1.Applications for New Home Purchases Increased in April 2014
“The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Builder Application Survey (BAS) data for March 2014 shows mortgage applications for new home purchases increased by 5 percent relative to the previous month.  This change does not include any adjustment for typical seasonal patterns. By product type, conventional loans composed 68.4 percent of loan applications, FHA loans composed 15.8 percent, RHS/USDA loans composed 1.6 percent and VA loans composed 14.2 percent.  The average loan size of new homes increased from $296,428 in March to $299,094 in April. “

2.U.S. Stocks Rise as Technology, Small-Cap Shares Rally
“U.S. stocks climbed, as Internet and small-cap shares rallied while the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a record, amid deals activity that boosted confidence in the world’s largest economy. “

3.Why millennials are hurting the real estate recovery
“First-time home buyers haven’t been much help in the housing recovery, but it isn’t because young adults stopped aspiring to become homeowners. “

4. 43% of 2014 home buyers paid all cash
“Americans are still buying homes in all-cash deals, despite more investors leaving the market, according to a new report. “

5.Is Real Estate Crowdfunding Right for Me?
“Want to invest in an income producing, multi-family property in Indianapolis? How about helping fund a brand new shopping center in California? Thanks to real estate crowdfunding, ordinary investors may now be able to invest in real estate projects that were once available only to deep-pocketed real estate developers.”

6.Real estate market still advantageous for first-time home buyers despite seller’s market
“STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — After a divorce, Christine Miglionico moved herself and her daughter into her father’s home. “

7.Investing in Property Still Possible in a Rising Market, Says Rick Otton
“Rick Otton, owner and director of We Buy Houses Pty Ltd, will explain how Sydney-siders can invest in property in a rising market when he launches his Ready,Set, BOOM National Tour later this month.”

8.Are Electronic Mortgage Closings Better?
“Real estate settlements will increasingly include more electrons and less paper if the government has its way. We’re plainly moving toward paperless closings but before celebrating it might be wise to look at the potential costs.”

TonyAlvarez.com

1.The Housing Recovery Needs More Than Just Rising Prices
“n the boom-and-bust housing markets with the biggest price rebounds, construction activity is lagging. In contrast, the markets where construction has recovered include big-city metros with strong rental demand. Rents are up 4.5% year-over-year, and rental affordability is worst in Miami and New York.”

2.Mortgage rates hit a 2014 low
“The average interest charged to borrowers for a 30-year, fixed rate loan fell to 4.21% from 4.29% last week, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage rate report. “

3.Nearly half of all home sales all-cash deals
“Want to buy a home? Better be carrying lots of cash.”

4.All Cash U.S. Home Purchases Surge With Rising Rates: Mortgages
“Greg Leffel, an investor in Columbus, Ohio, said he relishes cash deals as much as he dislikes home loans. He has spent $150,000 buying and renovating 10 foreclosed houses in the past two years and turned them into rentals. “

5.Average US 30-Year Mortgage Rate Falls to 4.21 Pct
“Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages fell this week for a second straight week as the spring home-buying season has gotten off to a slow start.”

6. 43% of 2014 home buyers paid all cash
“Americans are still buying homes in all-cash deals, despite more investors leaving the market, according to a new report. “

7.Now more than ever, cash is king in real estate
“WASHINGTON — One in three buyers of U.S. homes is paying cash, a record high number, according to data made available to McClatchy.”

8.Zillow CEO: Home values appreciating about 6% YOY

9.Four out of ten homes sold for all-cash
“The share of all-cash home sales reached a new high in the first quarter even as the share of institutional investor purchases dropped to the lowest level since the first quarter of 2012, according to a report Wednesday night from RealtyTrac Inc. of Irvine.”

10.Mortgage rates hit low for the year on economic worries including housing
“Mortgage rates hit a new low for the year this week as worries about the economy made relatively safe investments like Treasury notes and mortgage-backed securities look more attractive to investors.”

TonyAlvarez.com

1.Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
“Mortgage applications increased 5.3 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 2, 2014.”

2.Americans Shut Out of Housing as FHA Fees Jump: Mortgages
“After two months of looking for a home to buy, Brittani Kaufman walked into a townhouse under construction in Glen Burnie, Maryland, in April. “

3.Is it better to remodel or buy a bigger home?
“When Dave Payne married last December, he and his wife Jeannette decided to renovate the home she was already living in for over a decade in Winter Haven, Fla., thinking it would be cheaper than moving to another house. They spent $3,000 updating the 1987 interior with new paint, curtains, plugs, switches and repairing the sprinkler system. “

4.Toughest markets for renters looking to buy
“It’s not easy for first-time home buyers to make a purchase, thanks to stringent mortgage underwriting standards and tight inventory among lower-priced homes, said Steve Brown, president of the National Association of Realtors.”

5.How do major investors view the real estate market?
“A new quarterly report for gauging the real estate market, “The United Realty/Zogby Real Estate Confidence Index,” was released today.”

6.Real Estate Market Across the Board Looks Stellar for Texas
“Prudential Texas Properties reports all sectors of the real estate market have proven to be successful in 2013 and are projected to have great years in 2014, as the Fort Worth residential real estate market is already showing its muscles at the start of the spring season.”

7.A look into a housing inflexion point: 6 charts highlighting a dysfunctional housing market. Living at home into old age not promising for a resurgence in housing.
“You would think that with all the surefire bets in housing that people would be dialing up their realtors and heading out every weekend to make those lustful multiple offers presented in PowerPoint format on properties.”

8.Build or buy: There is no right answer
“With both new construction and existing sales on the rise across the country, the question for many potential homeowners has become whether to build new or buy an existing home. Realtors say there are benefits to both and the choice really depends on the individual’s needs.”

9.How To Measure Wall Street Reform
“Is Wall Street reform impacting the mortgage system? If we’re to believe the American Enterprise Institute’s International Center On Housing Risk, the answer is plainly no.”

10.Home prices continue their upward trek in March
“Home prices continued their steady climb upward in March and are helping crimp home sales in this year’s spring buying season, according to a report from analytics firm CoreLogic.”

11.Reverse Mortgages—Avoid a Reversal of Fortune
“If you are in your sixties, and own your home, you have likely heard about reverse mortgages—or will soon.”

12.Home buyers want new, but won’t pay for it
“A new survey finds that more than 40 percent of home buyers would prefer to buy new homes despite the ever-growing premium for a newly built home in the wake of a weak winter for residential sales and construction.”

TonyAlvarez.com

1.To Buy a New or an Existing Home? Why, How Much, and Where
“41% of Americans say they would prefer to buy a newly built home over a previously-lived-in home; modern features and the ability to customize the home are the top reasons. However, just 46% of the people who strongly prefer a new home are willing to pay the 20% premium that new homes typically cost.”

2.Housing still a weak investment, bond fund manager says
“FORTUNE — Your house is a terrible investment, and it’s getting worse. Of course, that’s good news for home shoppers. Prices are likely to fall from here.”

3.Real estate giant predicts slow home sales for months to come
“Sluggish home sales took a bite out of the stock price of one the nation’s biggest real estate brokerages.”

4.First Quarter Commercial and Multifamily Mortgage Originations at Same Pace as Q1 2013
“WASHINGTON, DC (April 6, 2014) – According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Quarterly Survey of Commercial/Multifamily Mortgage Bankers Originations, first quarter 2014 commercial and multifamily mortgage loan originations were one percent lower than during the same period last year and 45 percent lower than the fourth quarter of 2013. “

5.Short Sales in 2014?
“2013 was an interesting year for real estate. It was predicted to be the year of the short sale … then there was 30% appreciation, the California Homeowner Bill of Rights and numerous bank regulatory issues.”

6.Weaker Sales Slowed US Home Price Gains in March
“U.S. home prices rose at a slightly slower pace in the 12 months that ended in March, a sign that weak sales have begun to restrain the housing market’s sharp price gains.”

7.Southern Indiana housing outpacing the rest of the state
“Home sales were flat for the first quarter of 2014 compared to the same period last year, but Southern Indiana still outpaced the rest of the state.”

8.US stocks fall in midday trading on mixed earnings
“Stocks are falling in midday trading following mixed earnings news from U.S. companies.”

9.Home prices rise by 11.1 percent in March
“Home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased 11.1 percent in last month compared to March 2013, according to a new report Tuesday from financial information company CoreLogic Inc. (NYSE: CLGX) of Irvine.”

10.Napa County median home price rises, sales decline
“The median price for a Napa County home rose 20.9 percent over the past year, from $395,500 in March 2013 to $478,000 this March, while the number of homes sold declined 8.5 percent, the result of a strong local economy and a tight supply of homes on the market, according to data recently released by DataQuick information services.”

11.Home prices continue their upward trek in March
“Home prices continued their steady climb upward in March and are helping crimp home sales in this year’s spring buying season, according to a report from analytics firm CoreLogic.”

12.Agents: Are You Fishing Where The Fish Are?
“By now you’ve attended countless seminars and training sessions on the value of having a presence on Facebook. If you haven’t joined already, you probably never will and that’s ok. It’s ok if you don’t have the time or energy, but know that your competition does.”

TonyAlvarez.com

1.Stocks: Bouncing back after early losses
“It started as an ugly day on Wall Street, but the carnage may be contained, for now.”

2.The 10 Best Cities to Flip a Home
“As the national housing market continues to rebound, real estate investors are trying their hand at home flipping — buying and selling a house within six months. While in some markets home flippers lost money, in others they earned a decent return on their investment.”

3.CALIFORNIA FORECLOSURES: BUYING HOUSES MADE SIMPLE
“People just like you are buying Real Estate for as much as Half-Off Retail Prices! You can learn how to save Big Money Right Now! “

4.How long will the real estate upswing last?
“Houston’s housing market never experienced serious declines during the downturn, but the upswing has been fierce.”

5.Tight inventory, high demand send real estate prices higher
“If Palm Beach real estate were a melody, the season that just ended wasn’t exactly the same song as last season. But it wasn’t an entirely new tune, either.”

6.‘Overbid Madness’ Strikes San Francisco Real Estate Market, Home Sold $600K Above Asking
“Realtors are using the words “overbid madness” to describe what’s happening in San Francisco’s housing market. One case in point is a home that was sold hundreds of thousands above the asking price.”

7.The battle between traditional buyers and cash buyers: Cash buyers still make up over 30 percent of market and purchase applications fall to lowest level since December of 2000.
“People adapt very quickly to new circumstances. Today, many are coming to terms that the housing market is dominated by investors.”

8.Foreclosure activity lowest in 8 years in California, Los Angeles County
“California’s foreclosure activity has flatlined. For the last three quarters, the number of homeowners receiving default notices has hovered around a level last seen eight years ago, according the the latest report from market tracker DataQuick.”

TonyAlvarez.com

1.KB Home launches new subdivisions in Santa Clarita
“The big Los Angeles-based homebuilder has bought 278 lots in two subdivisions in the Plum Canyon area of the north Los Angeles County city, with plans to start construction by early summer.”

2.Hiring in U.S. Kicks Into Higher Gear as Unemployment Plunges to 6.3%
“America’s job-creation machine kicked into higher gear in April as employers boosted payrolls by the most in two years and the jobless rate plunged to the lowest since the collapse of Lehman Brothers. “

3.20 million U.S. families could buy homes, but don’t
” For Rebecca Diamond, a marketing manager in Randallstown, Md. who’s getting married this month, buying a home with her new husband would seem like the logical next step. But she’s not even considering it. “

4.House flipping becomes more profitable
“If you’ve been dreaming of fixing up a home and unloading it for a tidy profit, now may be the time to do it. “

5.These cities are rising real estate stars
“Househunters in Miami, Chicago and Lagos had better get ready for their dream homes to get that much more expensive. The cities have joined the list of locations that could outperform real estate markets in more established global cities, according to a new report.”

6.Jobs vs GDP: Which economy is it?
“A look at recent headlines may have some scratching their heads about the state of the economy. “

7.Home loans fall off as sales slow, rates rise
“Fewer home sales and rising interest rates have led to the nation’s lowest level of mortgage lending in 14 years.”

8.Baby boomers moving back home with mom and dad from the silent generation? 2 million adults live with parents in California and those 50 to 64 moving in with parents has surged.
“House horny Californians try to avoid the overarching statistics starring them directly in the face. Many Californians are all hat and no cattle.”

9.U.S. jobless rate drops to 6.3 percent in April
“Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 288,000, and the nation’s unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage point to 6.3 percent in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says Friday.”

10.Foreclosure activity lowest in 8 years in California, Los Angeles County
“California’s foreclosure activity has flatlined. For the last three quarters, the number of homeowners receiving default notices has hovered around a level last seen eight years ago, according the the latest report from market tracker DataQuick.”

11.House flippers grow more cautious as price appreciation slows
“Easing home price appreciation made home flipping less attractive to investor buyers in the first quarter, but rates of return on flips rose, according to the latest report from data aggregator RealtyTrac.”

TonyAlvarez.com

1.Manufacturing Picks Up as U.S. Consumers Open Wallets: Economy
“Manufacturing picked up in April after consumer spending surged the prior month, showing the U.S. economy is poised to lift off in the second quarter. “

2.Appraisal Value And Market Value Are NOT Always The Same Thing
“As we’ve seen values soften over the last 6 months with slightly higher interest rates, I’ve had multiple conversations with sellers fixated on a price for their home based on an appraisal they had a few months ago.”

3.Do foreclosures and short sales still exist?
“Unfortunately short sales and foreclosures are still taking place. Yes the real estate market is getting better but there are still homeowners losing their homes. “

4.Average US 30-Year Mortgage Rate Eases to 4.29 Pct
“Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages declined slightly this week as the spring home-buying season has gotten off to a slow start.”

5.House flipping becomes more profitable
“In the first three months of this year, home flippers raked in a 30% gross return on their investment — one of the highest levels in years, according to data released Thursday by RealtyTrac ; that’s compared to just 4% in the last quarter of last year. Flippers bought the homes for an average of $183,276 and sold them for $238,850, the data showed.”

6.Fewer homes ‘flipped’ in first quarter, says RealtyTrac
“In a sign that real-estate markets may be returning to a more rational level of appreciation and value, house-flipping, namely purchases and resales of the same home within six months, fell in the first quarter of 2014 to a rate of just 3.7% of all single-family homes sold in the U.S., RealtyTrac reported. “

7.Home flipping slips as price gains slow
“The housing recovery is turning out to be especially profitable for home flippers—who are pocketing returns as high as 80 percent in some markets. “

8.What’s wrong with housing?
“The weather is warming up, home prices are still strong, and more listings are coming onto the market.”

9.5 trends heating up REITs as other stocks stall
“So far this year, real estate investment trust (REIT) stocks have bucked the trend in the equity markets stall out. The MSCI US REIT Index has returned 12.18 percent, while the S&P 500 has sputtered to a 2 percent gain. “

10.Real estate agents are outsmarting the listing portals’ ‘three-headed monster’: what to do immediately after signing a new listing
“Are you tired of having three other agents’ pictures displayed prominently next to your listing on another brokerage or listing portal, especially when your contact information is buried where almost no one can find it? While it’s difficult to slay the “three-headed monster,” there are steps you can take to limit its destructiveness to your business.”

11.Pooled MLS listings create new market opportunity for Realtors
“More than 88,000 agents and brokers belonging to two of California’s biggest multiple listing services will soon be able to seamlessly access each other’s listing information and offer buyers and sellers listings from across the state on their public websites.”

12.A Kitchen Clean Up Pays When Selling Your Home
“When it comes to selling a home, a kitchen clean up pays. You don’t have to do an expensive remodel to make your kitchen appealing to buyers. If you’re starting with a good kitchen space, then making a few inexpensive modifications can help you get your home noticed and sell for more money. “

13.As prices rise, housing recovery wobbles
“A housing recovery that was expected to accelerate this year is instead sputtering. And no, you can’t just blame the weather.”