Mortgage Rates Move Higher Before Jobs Data

Posted To: Mortgage Rate Watch

What a boring day in the markets! Stocks added to yesterday's gains and bonds added to their losses. This pushed mortgage rates marginally higher. The best 30 year fixed mortgage rates are still in the 4.125% to 4.375% range for well-qualified consumers, but less lenders are offering rates below 4.25% today. If your lender is still willing to offer a rate below 4.25%, your closing costs are about 25bps higher today (0.25% of your loan amount). AQ's comments from yesterday still apply... We're not panicking over this sell off. There has been no change in our fundamental economic outlook, we see no new reason to be optimistic about a rapid recovery. What we witnessed today was a technical adjustment, an adjustment that could reverse course on Friday morning if the Employment Situation Report...(read more)

Pending Home Sales Rebound from Record Low. What Might...

Posted To: MND NewsWire

The National Association of Realtors released the Pending Home Sales Index today. NAR's Pending Home Sales Index measures the number of home purchase contracts that were signed in the monthly reporting period. Once "pending" sales contracts are closed, they are considered an existing home sale. Because the Pending Home Sales index tells us how many contracts were signed, it is consider a forward indicator of existing home sales. A signed contract is not counted as an existing home sale until the transaction actually closes. Excerpts from the Release... Following a sharp drop in the months immediately after expiration of the home buyer tax credit, pending home sales have modestly risen. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator, rose 5.2 percent to 79.4 based on contracts signed...(read more)

Fractional Interest Ownership

Interested in owning a second home, but can?t afford it? You may want to consider a fractional interest property instead. Check out this NEW Field Guide to find out more on this exciting prospect.

Fed Hosts Neighborhood Stabilization Summit

Posted To: MND NewsWire

Community organizers, state and federal government officials, and representatives from banking, research and educations institutions are currently meeting in Washington at a REO and Vacant Properties Summit sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank. The two day conference is focused on examining the problems associated with vacant and abandoned property and to explore approaches to neighborhood stabilization. Governor Elizabeth Duke, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve opened the summit on Wednesday. In her remarks she introduced the types of issues that are faced by communities with high rates of foreclosure and REO and highlighted some of the lessons learned in the last few years about neighborhood stabilization strategies. She pointed out that the impact of each foreclosure goes far beyond...(read more)

Directory of Real Estate Research Centers

NAR members have access to a wealth of information relating to the real estate industry from our website, Realtor.org. Now we are providing members with alternate resources to assist in their success. Various academic institutions and independent organizations around the U.S. have established research centers to study real estate-related issues and trends. These resources include state and local association library/research sources, as well as Internet sites. This Updated Field Guide includes contact information for many of these research centers.