Real Estate ABC - Information on Buying and Selling A Home

Interest Rate Report - April 2

Mortgage interest rates rose to the highest level of the year, according to mortgage finance company Freddie Mac, but still stayed very near historical lows.

Existing Home Sales - April 2

Sales of existing U.S. homes grew in February as did prices, according to the National Association of Realtors, with sales having increased on a yearly basis now for 20 straight months. Total sales rose 0.8 percent in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.98 million from 4.94 million the month before. Sales were also up 10.2 percent from February 2012.

New Mortgage Rules Finalized But Debate Continues

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released important new mortgage regulations in the middle of January, laying out the foundation of what “safe” home loans should now look like. And while the rules have put some lenders' fears to rest, others remain unconvinced that future housing bubbles will be prevented.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Are Starting to Turn Profits – Could This Be Bad?

Mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been carefully nursed back to health since being taken into government conservatorship in 2008. Freddie Mac reported profits of $11 billion during 2012, a sharp improvement compared with it $5.3 billion loss in 2012.

Foreclosure Tidal Wave Has Slowed, But Not Disappeared

The latest figures for U.S. foreclosure rates show a marked decrease for most metropolitan areas around the country, but unfortunately that doesn't signal the beginning of the end of our nation's foreclosure woes.

How Obscenely Low Mortgage Rates Will Affect the Housing Market

Last week the Federal Reserve announced its new plan, Operation Twist, an effort to further push down mortgage interest rates while trying to boost the economy. It's an interesting choice, to say the least, as home loan rates were already at record lows and had done very little to stimulate the ailing housing market. Now the question is: Will even lower rates be the magic bullet?

Getting the Big Picture on the Housing Market

In its most recent meeting, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve decided once again to leave its target interest rate unchanged in the range of zero to 0.25 percent. That rate has not changed since December 2008, and it looks as though there will be no movement for some time to come.

The Mortgage Deduction: Sacred or Superfluous?

As our country faces the biggest budget crisis possibly ever, the Obama Administration has created a deficit commission charged with discovering the best ways to bring down the national debt. It has come up with a plan to cut our $3 trillion dollars in debt over the next decade. One of the proposals that this commission has suggested is to eliminate the time-honored mortgage interest tax deduction. While this idea has recently garnered some bi-partisan support, it has also created a major uproar among the mortgage industry associations, who claim now is not the time to mess with the tax break. So who is right?

Tips for First Time Home Buyers

Buying a home can be a long, complicated and frightening process, and it is important to be prepared. Knowledge is power when it comes to negotiating the difficult world of home prices, interest rates and mortgage loans. For a first time home buyer, the more information you can gather before you start shopping, the better off you will be.

Is There Still Reason to Fear the Foreclosure Overhang?

Foreclosure filings have been falling year-over-year nationally for the past several months. Home sales have been showing strength for many months and home prices have been climbing at an even faster rate. It's feeling like the U.S. has been able to avoid the second wave of foreclosures that was predicted after the robo-signing scandal broke. Is there any chance that a massive roll-out of foreclosures is still looming and dangerous?

Moody's: Mortgage Credit Will Loosen in 2013

The report said that 2012 was the healthiest year for the housing market since 2005, almost the peak of the boom. For instance, mortgage delinquencies dropped to pre-recession lows, with the 30-day delinquency rate falling to it 2006 level. Falling late payments translate into fewer foreclosures down the road, and less exposure to risk by mortgage lenders. A drop in foreclosures and delinquencies will encourage banks to provide more mortgage credit, according to Moody's.

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