According to the National Association of Realtors’ second quarter report, median home prices continued improving, with annual price gains showing their strongest reading in more than seven years. Compared to the second quarter of last year, 87 percent of

Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau in conjunction with the Department of Housing and Urban Development indicated that privately-owned housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 896,000 in July, 6 percent above the upwardly revised

Q. Are there many special loans available for new construction, or at least specific products? A. For new construction, the ultimate differences in mortgage products are extended rate locks. The normal lock period for a purchase can range from

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported the Housing Market Index (HMI) increased 3 points in August to 59. Any number above 50 indicates that more builders view sales conditions as good than poor. The NAHB posted the

We keep hearing that mortgage lending standards are unfairly tight, but does the data support that meme? One of the more prevailing memes in the housing recovery has been the relative tightness of lending standards on residential mortgages, and

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Not only were existing-home sales up by monthly and yearly measures in July, but housing inventory continued to stabilize as well. July was a rock solid month for existing-home sales, according to the latest data from the National Association

Housing affordability has slipped a bit so far in 2013, but does Chicagoland’s housing stock remain affordable relative to other major cities? Housing affordability slipped a bit from the first quarter to the second quarter in 2013, according to

Residential construction posted great numbers in July, with housing starts, building permits and housing completions all in positive territory. July was a sterling month for residential construction, with all measured tracked by the Census Bureau posting positive numbers for

The rapid rise in home prices has been one of 2013’s major economic stories, but there’s mounting evidence that those increases will slow down – and soon. If there’s been a poster child for the housing recovery, it’s been

Builder confidence continued its upward trend in August, rising to its highest mark since 2005. August has proven another sterling month for homebuilders, with the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, the leading measure of builder

Housing inventory in Chicago was down by double-digit amounts in July; how do those declines compare with the rest of the nation? Housing inventory in July may have been down 26.2 percent year-over-year in Chicago and 16.2 percent nationally,

Percentage of mortgage delinquencies hits a five-year low The percentage of mortgage delinquencies is at a five-year low for the second quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) National Delinquency Survey. Mortgage delinquencies on one-to-four-unit residential properties decreased

The second quarter proved a boisterously good period for the nation’s mortgage markets, but did all that good cheer extend to our local marketplace? Last week, we reported on the latest National Delinquency Survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association,

One of the more common housing memes, as of late, has been the end of suburbia: that because of the housing boom, and all the rampant suburban speculation that drove it, prospective homebuyers are opting for smaller units in

The second quarter was a spectacular one for Freddie and Freddie, but are such successes problematic for the government’s reform efforts? Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had mighty good second quarters – not only did the GSEs post respective