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Housing Headlines

Housing Headlines

The Wall Street Journal
Why housing will spring ahead

Spring is coming to the housing market. Probably. It is over a decade since the housing bust began, and the U.S. housing market isn't close to what historically would be considered normal. Last year, a combined 5.1 million new and used homes were sold in the U.S -- not quite as many as in 1998, when the working-age population was one-fifth lower than it is now. (Subscription may be required.)

 

MarketWatch
Why stronger growth may lie ahead after March housing starts swoon

Disregard the dismal housing starts data out Tuesday, many analysts say: a spring rebound is in the cards.

 

MarketWatch
Existing-home sales soar 5.1% in March, as housing demand remains strong

Home resales rebounded strongly in March, signaling sturdy demand in the housing market even as the recovery remains choppy.

 

ABC News (AP)
U.S. mortgage rates remain low as home-buying season starts

Long-term U.S. mortgage rates stayed near 2016 lows this week, potentially good news for the housing market as the spring home-buying season begins.

 

CNBC
Mortgage applications rise 1.3% but buyers pull back

Interest rates held relatively steady last week, near one-year lows, but homebuyers were not enticed.

 

Bloomberg
U.S. home prices rose 0.4% in February from January, FHFA says

U.S. home prices rose 0.4 percent in February from the prior month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as job growth fueled demand for a scant supply of listings.

 

The Wall Street Journal
The U.S. occupations at greatest risk of a labor shortage

The U.S. is at risk of running out of occupational therapists, railroad engineers, mathematicians, machinists and other workers, potentially leaving the economy in a long-term slump.

 

The Wall Street Journal
Why the great divide is growing between affordable and expensive U.S. cities

Across the country, a divide is emerging between cities that are growing outward and remaining affordable and ones that are hemmed in by geography and onerous zoning codes and are becoming more and more expensive.

 

The New York Times
In cramped and costly Bay Area, cries to build, baby, build

San Francisco does not have enough places to live. Sonja Trauss, a local activist, thinks the city should tackle this problem by building more housing. This may not sound like a controversial idea. But this is San Francisco.

 

ABC News (AP)
Missing ingredient for millennials: Down payment savings

Short of savings and burdened by debt, America's millennials are struggling to afford their first homes in the face of sharply higher prices in many of the most desirable cities.


The Wall Street Journal
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac shareholders argue against government's profit sweep

Lawyers for shareholders of mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac argued in federal appeals court on Friday that the U.S. government has illegally seized much of those institutions' profits during the past three years, effectively bilking them out of hundreds of billions of dollars. (Subscription may be required.) 

 

National Mortgage News
"Promising Road" to GSE reform? We've been here before

The debate over the future of our mortgage finance system is back in fashion. Sparked by a paper from Jim Parrott, Lew Ranieri, Gene Sperling, Mark Zandi and Barry Zigas, as well as a series of ongoing essays organized by the Urban Institute, commentators are again asking what direction we should go. Parrott et al., title theirs "A More Promising Road to GSE Reform." With all due respect to its authors, a few of whom I consider friends, going down this road would largely take us back to the pre-crisis status quo. (Subscription may be required.)

 

National Mortgage News
Shelby asks GAO, CBO to report on GSE policy moves

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., is seeking input from the Government Accountability Office and the Congressional Budget Office on the future of policies dealing with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. (Subscription may be required.)

 

MP Global
Zip Up Under Deck -  A Perfect Way to Extend a Deck Job!

While electric radiant under-floor heat systems for supplemental warmth started out years ago as a luxury option in new homes and high end renovations, they are now an increasingly popular perk for many types of new construction and remodeling projects. The concept is popular in bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, family rooms, entryways, laundry areas, sunrooms, and other spaces where a bit of extra warmth underfoot would be appreciated.  

 

Ply Gem
PVC Shake and Shingle

The style and grace of shake-and-shingle clad homes is part of the American architectural tradition, but the upkeep required to keep these exteriors looking good is more than most homeowners care to take on.

 

Professional Warranty Service Corp
Are You Marketing in a Way that Matters?

In 2016, in order to be competitive and reach the target audience of potential home buyers, builders and real estate professionals need to understand "How are home buyers across the U.S. researching new home builders and how does this influence their decision regarding who they want to build their home?"

 

The Washington Post
Looking for a low-down-payment loan? If your FICO score is good, you're in luck.

If you're planning to buy a home with a low down payment, you need to be aware of some important but virtually unpublicized price changes underway in the mortgage market.


HousingWire
Is TRID hysteria over? Time to close drops to 12-month low

Well, it's now been more than six months since the implementation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosures rule.