Archive for March, 2010

Standard & Poors released its Case-Shiller Index Wednesday. The report shows that, on a seasonally-adjusted basis, between December and January, home prices rose in more than half of the index's tracked markets. The strength of this month's Case-Shiller report, however, should be put in context.
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Starting Monday, April 5, 2010, getting an FHA mortgage will be more expensive. That means you'll want to give a full mortgage application before the weekend so your lender can register your loan in time for the deadline.
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Mortgage markets tanked last week, raising rates to their highest levels in a month. Most of the losses occurred Wednesday in what was the worst 1-day mortgage market performance in more than 6 months.
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Home values fell again in January, according to the Federal Home Finance Agency's Home Price Index. Values were reported down 0.6 percent, on average. But it's hardly helpful information for buyers and sellers.
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If you're among the Americans expecting a tax refund this year, this 4-minute piece from NBC's The Today Show may be helpful. It's a talk about how to receive a refund and what to do with it.
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As expected, Existing Home Sales fell in February, slipping 30,000 units versus January's numbers. It's the 4th straight month in which Existing Home Sales were lower, month-over-month. But it may not last long.
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CNNMoney.com recently published its 2010 forecast and projections for home prices in the country's largest metro markets. Listed as "Top 25" and also comprehensively by state, CNNMoney.com's home price forecasts puts Santa Rosa, California at the top of 2010's home appreciation list and Hanford, California at its bottom.
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Mortgage markets closed unchanged last week, but that's not say mortgage rates were calm. Monday through Wednesday, rates improved steadily before a swift, late-week sell-off unwound the gains. The speed of the Thursday-Friday reversal may signal that markets are preparing for change.
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If you're trying to gauge whether rates will be rising or falling, one keyword for which to listen is "inflation". Mortgage rates are highly responsive to inflation.
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Single-family Housing Starts idled last month, dropping just 3,000 units from the month prior, or 0.2%. According to the Commerce Department's report, February marked the 8th straight month in which Housing Starts straddled the half-million marker, dating back to June 2009.
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