What's Happening
April 13th 2009
Buyers Say Foreclosure Deals Taking Too Long
Banks are quickly accepting bids and writing contracts for foreclosed homes, but buyers are complaining that settlements are taking too long.
Real estate pros say purchasing a bank-owned property is different than dealing with a regular home owner, considering that banks have to check claims on the property and problems can arise at closing. Plus, in some states, banks also need court approval of the foreclosure.
Although banks are swamped by the record number of foreclosures, the bank-owned homes will have to be sold to help stabilize residential prices and boost the housing market.
April 10th 2009
MORTGAGE RATES
Rates on 30-year mortgages inched higher this week to 4.87 percent after two straight weeks of record lows, but still remained at attractive levels for borrowers looking to refinance their home loans.
Find out more
HOME AFFORDABILITY
If the real estate market is cloudy, the silver lining is home affordability. According to NAHB, a median-priced home is now affordable to more than half of all American households.
Find out more
ECONOMY
Economic recovery is about making people feel more confident, says Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Economy.com. He points to increasing home sales and gains in the stock market as promising signs that the worst is over.
Find out more
Pulte to Acquire Centex in $3.1 Billion Merger
The newly blended company will have more than $3.4 billion in liquidity, bolstering its ability to navigate through the downturn.
Find out more
Mortgage Applications Keep Rising
Though interest rates inched up, volume jumped 4.7 percent last week over the prior week, and was up 67.6 percent compared with the same period a year ago, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Find out more
If you would like to receive updates and newsletters direct to your inbox please sign up here