National News
The Pending Home Sales Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), one of the best indicators in housing for future home sales, posted strong numbers in December, increasing 6.9 percent year-over-year in
The Internet has produced an interesting evolution in modern shopping behaviors. Because shopping on the Web is so exceedingly easy, it’s become quite common for consumers to find something they want to buy, and then sleep on it –
MRED found that the most popular loans used last year were conventional loans, at 43.8 percent, and that cash sales were next highest, at 37.3 percent. The total number of properties closed in Chicagoland in 2012 was 7,445, and
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) topped off a week of mortgage rule rollouts by launching the agency’s guidelines for loan officer and broker compensation Friday. Among other provisions, the CFPB’s final rule keeps originators from steering borrowers into
According to the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Housing Affordability Index, 2012 fared well compared to previous years. The trade group made an important distinction, noting that though the affordability conditions mark “a great year for buyers who could
Existing-homes sales eased in December, while limited inventory maintained the upward momentum in home prices. Total existing-home sales declined 1.0 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.94 million in December from a downwardly revised 4.99 million in
According to the fourth quarter Zillow Home Value Index, home values rose 5.9 percent in 2012 to $157,400, and 2.5 percent from the third quarter, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of home values rising. Zillow forecasts home values will
Home sellers, though increasingly confident with the real estate market, are continuing to hang tight and wait for further improvements to the real estate market before listing their properties, according to the latest Real-Time Seller Survey from
At last week’s Inman Real Estate Connect in New York City, it was announced that Russ Bergeron, Chief Executive Officer of Midwest Real Estate Data LLC (MRED), has again been selected as one of the top 100 most influential
New single-family home sales in 2012 increased 19.9 percent over 2011, as the homebuilding market concluded its most productive year of business in some time. According to the latest Census Bureau figures, new single-family home sales were also up
The Purchase Index of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest Mortgage Applications Survey, which measures purchase activity in the nation’s mortgage markets, increased 3 percent last week from the week before and 26 percent year-over-year, hitting its highest level
Rebounding home prices, record low mortgage rates and strong home sales are just some of many positive factors in the housing market heading into 2013, according to the latest Economic and Strategic Research report from Fannie
The American Housing Survey is conducted every two years by the U.S. Census Bureau, and every time the agency releases it they unleash a bevy of fascinating statistics regarding how the buyers of newly-built single-family homes differ from the
Yesterday’s existing-home sales report from the National Association of Realtors’ made two points perfectly clear: one, that existing-home sales are showing promising trends for 2013; and two, that housing inventory has fallen just about as low as it possibly
The housing market will contribute positively to the U.S. economy in 2013, with single-family housing starts climbing 18 percent, new home sales rising 22 percent, and finally, existing-home sales increasing 7 percent, according to an optimistic report by Fitch
The latest Home Value Index from Zillow had nothing but good things to share about the housing market, with U.S. home values increasing 5.9 percent in 2012 over 2011. Furthermore, the Home Value Index also increased in 2012’s fourth quarter,