Yearly Archives: 2008

Forecasting the Upstate's real estate market is best determined by local data that focuses on the supply of houses that are entering the market. Real estate is local -- meaning there is no such thing as a national real estate market.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has issued a letter re-emphasizing the importance of strong capital and loan loss allowance levels, and robust credit risk-management practices for state nonmember institutions with significant concentrations of commercial real estate (CRE) loans, and construction and development loans.

March 18, 2008 - Single-family housing starts continued on a downward trajectory in February, posting a 6.7 percent decline to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 707,000 units, according to figures released today by the U.S. Commerce Department. Meanwhile, production in the more volatile multifamily sector registered a 14.4 percent gain to 358,000 units, limiting the decline in total housing starts to a rate of 1.065 million units -- 0.6 percent below the revised January pace.

March 17, 2008 - Builder confidence in the market for new single-family homes remained unchanged in March, according to the latest NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today. The HMI held firm at 20, which is near its historic low of 18 set in December of 2007 (the series began in January of 1985).

WASHINGTON – In an effort to significantly improve the complicated, unclear and costly homebuying process, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson today proposed mortgage reform designed to help consumers better understand their loan terms so that they can shop more effectively for the largest purchase of their lives.

RealtyTrac today released its February 2008 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report™, which shows foreclosure filings — default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions — were reported on 223,651 properties nationwide during the month, a 4 percent decrease from the previous month but still a nearly 60 percent increase from February 2007. The report also shows one in every 557 U.S. households received a foreclosure filing during the month.

The FDIC Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion (ComE-IN) will meet on March 19th to explore saving and asset-building opportunities for individuals and banks. The committee will hear from a panel of experts, who will address:

February 29, 2008 - Yesterday the mortgage lending industry successfully stopped a Senate bill, "The Foreclosure Prevention Act" from moving forward. This bill (S. 2636) includes key provisions that would prevent well over 1/2 million foreclosures and avoid property declines of $200 billion.

WASHINGTON, DC - Tens of thousands of affordable housing residents are at risk of losing their housing unless Congress acts to force changes at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

HOME BUYER TAX CREDIT WON'T FIX THE FORECLOSURE CRISIS AND WON'T KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES Congress Should Focus on Restructuring Mortgages, Not on Housing Oversupply

Though delinquencies continue to mount in Detroit, Stockton, Calif., and Las Vegas, markets where the number of foreclosures are relatively low, but rapidly rising, are also causing concern

WASHINGTON, March 12, 2008 - Commercial real estate market fundamentals are fairly stable, although investment is waning following a record year in 2007, according to the latest COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE OUTLOOK of the National Association of Realtors

March 11, 2008 - The Multifamily Condo Market Index (MCMI) ended 2007 on a low note, with the component of the index tracking builder confidence in current conditions standing at 18.8, down nearly 11 points from the same time a year ago, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)

March 11, 2008 - Builders now have an opportunity to see how their business stacks up against the competition. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently released the 2008 edition of the Cost of Doing Business Study, a national study of builders’ business practices and financial performance.

Now is a great time to buy a home, say the financial gurus at the Wall Street Journal. The Journal calls it a buyers market and offers these suggestions for first-timers getting their feet wet. While their advice is solid, it’s not revolutionary, but some potential customers might find it reassuring

That's right. Legendary investor Warren Buffett, 77, still calls his humble digs in Omaha's Happy Hollow suburb home, despite a $62 billion fortune that eclipses the gross domestic products of Croatia and Jordan combined.

March 6, 2008 - Mandatory inclusionary zoning requiring builders to sell a certain number of homes at below-market prices is a complex market intervention that can act like a tax on housing and worsen the affordable housing problem it is meant to solve.

March 6, 2008 - To help bolster a faltering housing market, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today called on Congress to move quickly to enact comprehensive regulatory reform for housing government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks that will ensure their financial safety and soundness and allow them to vigorously pursue their housing mission.

Practitioners can protect themselves against potential liability by learning how to pick out visible defects in new and older homes.

McLean, VA – Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.03 percent with an average 0.5 point for the week ending March 6, 2008, down from last week when it averaged 6.24 percent.