Archive for April, 2011

Pending Home Sales Point To Seller’s Market This Summer

Posted in April 29th, 2011

by Bill Lublin in Housing Analysis

The National Association of REALTORSÂ® Pending Home Sales Index rose for the third straight month last month.

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A Simple Explanation Of The Federal Reserve Statement (April 27, 2011 Edition)

Posted in April 27th, 2011

by Bill Lublin in Federal Reserve

The Federal Open Market Committee voted the Fed Funds Rate unchanged today at 0.000-0.250 percent. The vote was 10-0 — the third straight unanimous vote.

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New Home Supply Falls To 16-Year Low

Posted in April 27th, 2011

by Bill Lublin in Housing Analysis

Based on joint research from the Census Bureau and HUD, 300,000 new, single-family homes were sold on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis in March. It’s an 11 percent improvement from February.

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Mortgage Rates — And Home Affordability — At The Whim Of The Federal Reserve

Posted in April 26th, 2011

by Bill Lublin in Federal Reserve

If you’re shopping for a mortgage, or floating a rate, consider locking in before the FOMC issues its press release Wednesday at 12:15 PM ET. Once the statement hits, mortgage rates could soar.

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Demand Is Rising, Supplies Are Falling : Home Prices Set To Rise?

Posted in April 21st, 2011

by Bill Lublin in Housing Analysis

Home resales rose 4 percent last month, according to the March Existing Home Sales report. A total of 5.1 million homes were sold on an annualized, seasonally-adjusted basis.

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Building Permits Rise In All 4 Regions

Posted in April 20th, 2011

by Bill Lublin in Housing Analysis

According to the Census Bureau, seasonally-adjusted, single-family Housing Starts rebounded in March, increasing 8 percent over February’s 2-year low.

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As Buyer Traffic Grows, Homebuilder Confidence Slips

Posted in April 19th, 2011

by Bill Lublin in Housing Analysis

According to the National Association of Homebuilders, the Housing Market Index slipped one point to 16 in April. It’s the 5th time in 6 months that the index read 16 — a figure exactly in line with the 1-year average, but still considered “poor”.

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Which Is Better : Fresh Produce Or Frozen Produce?

Posted in April 18th, 2011

by Bill Lublin in Around The Home

There’s a long-standing myth that freezer-section produce is “worse for you” than fresh produce from a farm. The truth, however, is often the opposite.

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Foreclosures Drop 35 Percent Year-Over-Year

Posted in April 15th, 2011

by Bill Lublin in Housing Analysis

According to foreclosure-tracking firm RealtyTrac, the number of national foreclosure filings plunged 35 percent in March 2011 as compared to March 2010, a statistic that reflects a more healthy housing market and more robust outlook for 2011.

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Inflation Pressures Mounting; Mortgage Rates Rising

Posted in April 14th, 2011

by Bill Lublin in The Economy

The March CPI data is expected to show an increase in the cost of living for the 17th straight month — a reading that would take CPI to an all-time high. This would be awful for mortgage rates.

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