The bursting of the housing bubble plunged the economy into a recession from which it has yet to fully recover. But economists say this could finally be the year that housing lifts us out of the doldrums. Just over half of economists surveyed by CNNMoney identified a housing recovery as the primary driver of economic [...]
Atlanta Ranks #2 in U. S. in Affordable Housing
October 18, 2012 | Posted by
Metro Atlanta remains one of the most affordable places in America to buy a home, according to Bankrate’s Interest.com subsidiary. The Big Peach is the No. 2 most affordable U.S. market with 40 percent of the area’s median income households exceeding the income necessary for a median priced home, which costs $103,200. Atlanta’s housing market [...]
Welcome Relief: September Foreclosures Were at Lowest Level in 5 Years – Video
October 11, 2012 | Posted by
The wave of foreclosures hitting the nation’s housing market has been much less severe than anticipated, with foreclosure filings at their lowest level in five years last month, according to a report out Thursday. Foreclosure filings — including default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions — were reported on 180,427 properties in September, a 7% [...]
Low-End Housing Prices Rise in Many Markets
September 26, 2012 | Posted by
The housing market continues to gather strength, and the biggest gains in price now appear to be among the least expensive homes, whose values fell the most in the downturn and have weighed against any would-be recovery. Over all, the Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller index showed an annual gain of 1.2 percent in the price [...]
Cheap Mortgage Rates Helping Housing Market Rebound
September 2, 2012 | Posted by
Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages fell this week and are just slightly above record lows reached earlier this year. The low rates have contributed to a modest housing recovery. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate on the 30-year loan declined to 3.59 percent, down from 3.66 percent last week. Five weeks ago, the rate [...]
July Foreclosure Filings Fell 10%, States Slow Seizure Process
August 10, 2012 | Posted by
U.S. foreclosure filings fell 10 percent in July from a year earlier as court rulings and new legislation slowed the process for seizing homes in some states, according to RealtyTrac Inc. Default, auction and repossession notices were sent to 191,925 homes, or one in 686 households, the Irvine, California-based data firm said today in a [...]
Do Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Profits Signal Housing Market Turning a Corner?
August 9, 2012 | Posted by
Mortgage financing giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are seeing a marked improvement in home values, which is significantly boosting their bottom lines even as Washington considers abolishing them. The news out of the two firms, which back the majority of U.S. mortgages, is the latest sign that the housing market may be turning a [...]
