Archive for May, 2007
Next Entries »Mortgage Rates Remain Relatively Stable, Again
Wednesday, May 16th, 2007“Low employment growth in April - the slowest pace since November
2004 - and downward revisions to both February and March job growth
tempered market concerns of future increases in the rate of inflation,”
said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. “As a
result, mortgage rates were little changed this
week.”
The Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey
for the week ended May 11 showed a little more definitive movement…
Is Virtual Real Estate More Than An Oxymoron?
Tuesday, May 15th, 2007How can something that is virtual be real? Over 6 million
people apparently find no problem with the concept as they
socialize, create, build, and become willing advertising test dummies in
a not-quite make believe world called “Second Life.”
We will try our best to explain the concept and hope that gradually
our reasons for looking at what must be called a real estate
phenomenon will become obvious.
Featured Community - Remington Reserve in Naples, Florida
Monday, May 14th, 2007Live every day as if you’re on vacation and experience the ultimate Florida
lifestyle, presented at its finest at Remington Reserve. A gated enclave of 48 elegant
coach homes, the twelve Mediterranean-inspired buildings are tucked along a private
roadway and cul-de-sac. Amenities include a clubhouse with fitness center,
meeting room, heated pool and spa, and an outdoor fireplace and grilling area.
All set among Remington Reserve’s ideal North Naples location.
One Persons Stigma Could Be Anothers Selling Point
Friday, May 11th, 2007Every so often a house comes on the market that is said to be
stigmatized. Most of the time the stigma is in the mind
of one or two buyers, but sometimes it will be a serious issue for
multiple buyers and can affect the marketing of the property.
Freddie Mac Housing Forecast Sees Slow Recovery
Thursday, May 10th, 2007With the growth of house price appreciation now stalled or even
reversed, this has fueled fears that homeowners may face an inability to
withdraw equity which could in turn undermine consumer spending. But, the
data released on Tuesday shows that there is “ample margin for taking out
cash without running down home equity.”
The Outlook also provided the following
insights…
Mortgage Rates and Applications Remain Relatively Flat
Wednesday, May 9th, 2007The two mortgage rate surveys we follow each week
showed few significant changes for the weeks ended May 3 (Freddie Mac)
and May 4 (Mortgage Bankers Association) although the MBA data did show a
substantial change in the 30-year fixed rate mortgage (FRM) rate.
“Interestingly, the refinance share of mortgage
applications has been on a downward trend from a recent peak of
nearly 53 percent in December, 2006 to around 42 percent last week. But a
majority of refinancing…
Home Equity Still Being Pulled Despite Soft Housing Market
Tuesday, May 8th, 2007Declining home sales and prices have not succeeded in discouraging
homeowners from pulling equity out of their homes
according to Freddie Mac’s quarterly refinance review for the first
quarter of 2007.
The corporation reported that 82 percent of Freddie Mac-owned loans
that were refinanced during the quarter resulted in new
loans that were at least five percent larger than the original amount of
the previous mortgage. This is…
NHMC and NAA Sue HUD over Language Requirements
Monday, May 7th, 2007Two associations representing owners of multi-family
properties have brought suit again the Department of Housing and
Urban Development over new regulations that require them to provide
written materials and services to tenants and potential tenants for whom
English is not their primary language.