National News

Shaken, Not Stirred – Obama’s Housing Scorecard a Mixed Bag

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury released the White House’s latest Housing Scorecard, a cumulative report that assesses a wide number of factors in the housing market. Like most

The Feminine Mystique of Mortgage Rates

Typically, income and credit scores are main factors in determining mortgage rates, but a new study from the Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics suggests that gender plays a substantial role. Brought to light by an AOL Real Estate

A Tale of Two Home Values

We all saw the headlines; CoreLogic’s Home Price Index (HPI) fell 1.3 percent from September to October and 3.9 percent from last year, while LPS reported a 1.2 percent drop from August and the Case-Shiller, the granddaddy of them

20 Cities Added to the NAHB’s Improving Markets Index

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) added 20 more cities to its Improving Markets Index (IMI), further evidence that though housing remains tough in some markets, it is not only improving, but showing positive signs of growth in

Scientific Curiosity Fuels New Consumer Research Firm

Why do consumers make the choices they do? Why buy one jacket, but pass on another? Why invest in one bond, but not the latest Silicon Valley IPO? In the end, what governs reckless financial behavior, even at the

Low Credit Scores Hobble Prospective Homebuyers

There were many outcomes of the housing boom and bust cycle, but one of the more implicit has been lowering consumer credit scores, a detail that has posed problems for prospective homebuyers seeking a mortgage for their transactions. According

Competing Price Indices Post Seasonal Lulls

Two home price indices from CoreLogic and Lender Processing Services (LPS) both showed small declines in home prices for October, indications that the summer buying boom has concluded and home values are entering their seasonal lull. CoreLogic’s Home Price Index (HPI),

Romney Wins HomeGain Survey Election

Real estate website HomeGain recently surveyed Realtors on a number of economic topics, and though most of the questions dealt with prices and home values, a question on political support yielded interesting results, according to a HousingWire piece on

Concerns Mount for FHA’s Finances

What originally began as a mere economic analysis by a University of Pennsylvania professor has quickly developed into an all-out inquiry into the financial solvency of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), one culminating in testimonies and audits that put

Owning Becomes More Affordable Than Renting in 12 Cities, Including Chicago

The Wall Street Journal‘s third-quarter survey of housing-market conditions showed that home prices have fallen so far that the monthly cost of owning a home is at the most affordable it’s been in 15 years. Additionally, as rental rates

First-Time Homebuyers Skittish on Ideal Market

Only 65.1 percent of U.S. households own homes, which is the lowest amount since 1996. A big reason for that decline, according to a new piece by the Associated Press (AP), is the relative absence of first-time homebuyers, a longtime

Case-Shiller Shows “Plunging Prices Behind Us”

By Peter Ricci U.S. cities are reporting little change in prices in the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, the monthly report by Standard & Poor’s (S&P) that is the leading measure of U.S. home prices. The newest report, which

Pending Home Sales Up By 10.4 Percent in October

By Peter Ricci The Pending Home Sales Index, a prospective data set compiled monthly by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), increased by 10.4 percent in October, rising from 84.5 in September to 93.3 last month. In addition, the

Which Offices Have Added Agents This Year?

With decreased volume and shrinking paychecks, even the best offices are having trouble keeping and growing their agent base. Across Chicagoland, only 9.8 percent of offices with more than 10 agents in the fourth quarter of 2010 have managed

Suburban Deterioration? Not So Fast

Suburbia has been taking a bit of flack, as of late. The New York Times, as highlighted by NewGeography, ran two op-eds this past weekend proclaiming the decline of suburban living. Urban theorist Chris Leinberger claiming that Americans were abandoning

HUD to Grant $40 Million to Housing “How-to” Programs

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today it is offering more than $40 million to various housing counseling programs. The grants will be awarded competitively to approximately 500 HUD-approved counseling agencies and State Housing Finance

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