Economy

 

The Wall Street Journal
Home prices this year post steady but not spectacular gains
Home prices grew moderately in cities across the U.S. in the first quarter, as the market heads for steady, but not spectacular growth in 2016.

HousingWire
Report: Home sales hold ground despite TRID
Mortgage rates are close to record lows, and April home mortgage applications were at their highest since 2010, however lack of inventory continues to give sellers the upper hand, according to Capital Economics report, titled US Housing Market Monthly.

MarketWatch
As equity returns, HELOC values rocket
Americans opened more, and more expensive, home equity lines of credit in the first quarter as home values and owner confidence swelled.

CNBC
Mortgage applications up just 0.4%, despite rates near three-year lows
Despite the lowest interest rates in nearly three years, the number of people applying for a mortgage barely moved last week.

The New York Times
Tips for house hunting in a seller’s market
A lack of homes for sale in many parts of the country is making house hunting a challenge this spring, especially for first-time buyers.

 

The Wall Street Journal
Rising rents squeeze middle class
Rising rents in cities across the nation are hurting the poorest residents, but those who are higher on the income ladder might be bearing the brunt of the pain. (Subscription may be required.)

NPR
First-time buyers face housing crunch in big cities
Despite low interest rates, it's a difficult time for people who want to buy a house for the first time. Skylar Olsen of Zillow explains why so few houses are available and why prices are so high.

Forbes
Homeownership rates are falling, and it's not just a millennial problem
More people are renting than buying these days and they’re not just millennials.

The Wall Street Journal
Luxury condo boom is ending in Manhattan; Demand for luxury units slows amid unprecedented supply
The 1,004-foot Manhattan condominium tower known as One57 was the envy of the real-estate market as it was being constructed in recent years, garnering interest from so many wealthy buyers that it sparked a boom by developers betting demand for luxury apartments would keep climbing to the skies. (Subscription may be required.) 

 

GSEs

 

The Washington Post
The cost to taxpayers of shoring up Fannie and Freddie (letter to the editor by Ed Brady)
While George F. Will fretted in his May 5 op-ed, “Treasury’s Fannie and Freddie rip-off,” that a few hedge fund managers are being ripped off because they can’t recoup their long-shot investments in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the real focus should be on taxpayers.

The Wall Street Journal
Bets on Fannie and Freddie get help from lobbyists
Hedge funds that have bet hundreds of millions of dollars on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's stock aren't just leaving the fate of their investment to Wall Street. They are also working K Street.

The Wall Street Journal
Hedge fund cash flows to GOP lawmakers seeking to loosen government grip on Fannie and Freddie
Private shareholders of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have waged an intense lobbying campaign in an effort to drum up support for releasing the companies from government control and in the process restore some value to their shares.

HousingWire
Conservative groups join growing push to recapitalize Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac
Over the last year, various groups, including community lenders, affordable housing advocates, civil rights groups, interested observers, and financial analysts, called for a change in governmental policy that would allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to rebuild a capital base.

National Mortgage News
Flood insurance bill could threaten the GSEs
Legislation that would authorize the use of private flood insurance on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgages was overwhelmingly approved by the House late last month, but concerns about its potential impact are beginning to crop up. (Subscription may be required.)

 

Regulatory

 

The Wall Street Journal
Home builders say they are squeezed by rising compliance costs
The average cost for home builders to comply with regulations for new home construction has increased by nearly 30% over the last five years, according to new research from the National Association of Home Builders. (Subscription may be required.)

Las Vegas Review-Journal
Editorial: Making homes unaffordable
There are all sorts of burdensome government regulations that make it harder for average Americans to make ends meet — alarmist environmental edicts and inane occupational licensing rules to name just two.

 

Product News

 

MP Global
The Market is Warming Up for Electric Radiant Heat under Hard Surface Floors
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. 

Integrity Windows and Doors
The 4-Panel Sliding French Door By Integrity: Our Biggest Door Yet
For homeowners who crave expansive vistas, Integrity has released their biggest door yet, the 4-Panel Sliding French Door. Making no compromises, its size invites maximum daylight into the home, illuminating a rich wood interior, while its exterior is made of durable, and virtually maintenance free, Ultrex pultruded fiberglass.  

 

TRID

 

The Washington Post
Agency seeks input from public on possible fixes for controversial home closing rules
A recent effort by the federal government to make the home closing process smoother and more transparent for buyers has instead turned into a quagmire of inconsistency and confusion, according to title companies and real estate agents.

 

Mortgage News

The Wall Street Journal
Private lenders remodel the mortgage market
Mike Klemens, 81 years old, is a bridge player, real-estate investor and part of a new generation of private lenders helping reshape the American home-mortgage market. From his ranch-style house in the hills above the San Fernando Valley, he services home loans financed from his individual retirement account and profits made in 35 years of buying and selling Southern California real estate. (Subscription may be required.)

 

Softwood Lumber Agreement

 

Sudbury.com
Canadian lumber producers reject rumoured U.S. calls for return to quotas
Canadian forestry company executives are eager for a new softwood lumber agreement but say they are not interest in a rumoured U.S. proposal to reinstate across-the-board quotas.