Prices of “normal” homes—those that aren’t foreclosures or short sales—are stabilizing and the numbers of future foreclosures are falling. That “sliver of good news for consumer spending” was included in CoreLogic’s July report on housing and market trends.
In May 2011, the firm’s Home Price Index excluding distressed sales only dropped 0.4 percent from a year ago, compared to a decline of 7.4 percent for the all transactions measured by the HPI. Even while including distressed sales, the HPI increased between March and April —the first time in more than six months—and was up again between April and May.
“These increases represent the resumption of seasonality in home prices and are a positive sign for the market. When disaggregating median prices by type of sale for the first complete month of the spring home buying season, it is clear that despite the whipsaw impact of the federal homebuyer tax credit, state homebuyer tax credits and increases in FHA premiums, non-distressed median existing and new prices are back to 2009 levels,” the report said.
Although the distressed sales share remains high, the geographical sources of distress are shifting and becoming more dispersed. As of December 2008, four of the top five largest distressed sales markets were all located in California, and the top five markets averaged a distressed sale share of 68 percent. As of April 2011, only two of the top five markets are in California and, more importantly, the top five average distressed share was 56 percent — a 12 percentage point decline relative to top markets in late 2008.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
NAHB Applauds EPA Rejection of Renovation Clearance Testing Requirements
The National Association of Home Builders commends the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for rejecting a proposal to add third-party clearance testing to the Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP).
“We’re pleased that the EPA listened to the concerns of remodelers about the extreme costs the proposed clearance testing would have imposed,” says Bob Peterson, NAHB Remodelers chair and a remodeler from Fort Collins, Colo. “Home owners are saved from spending a great deal of money on lead testing. If remodeling is more affordable, home owners will be able to hire an EPA-certified renovator to keep them safe from lead dust hazards during renovation.”
At NAHB’s request this regulation was selected for review by the EPA under the Presidential Executive Order for Regulatory Review (Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review, 76 FR 3821 issued on Jan. 21) concerning the impact of federal rules on small businesses and job creation.
The lead rule applies to homes built before 1978 and requires renovator training and certification, following lead-safe work practices, containing and cleaning dust, and record keeping.
Under the lead paint rule contractors have been required to wipe down the project area after completing remodeling or renovation work and match the result to an EPA-approved card to determine whether lead paint dust is still present—a process that EPA says is “effective at reducing dust lead levels below the dust-lead hazard standard.”
The proposal would have required contractors to hire EPA-accredited dust samplers to collect several samples after a renovation and send them to an EPA-accredited lab for lead testing. Because of the cost of this as well as the waiting period for test results and the limited number of accredited labs nationwide, professional remodelers were very concerned about home owners’ willingness to undergo the process.
“The EPA has maintained its common sense approach to keeping families safe during renovation,” says Peterson. “Hiring trained professional remodelers to contain dust, use lead-safe work practices, and clean up has been shown to successfully minimize lead hazards and protect individuals from lead exposure.”
Several problems with the rule still remain. The EPA has yet to recognize an efficient, low-cost lead test kit that meets the requirements of the regulation. And last year the agency removed a key consumer choice measure—the opt-out provision—which allowed homeowners with no children or pregnant women in residence to waive the rule’s requirement. In this down economy, consumers are still balking at the extra costs of the rule and often choose to reduce the amount of work done on their homes, hire uncertified contractors, or endanger themselves by attempting the work themselves.
For more information, visit www.nahb.org.
“We’re pleased that the EPA listened to the concerns of remodelers about the extreme costs the proposed clearance testing would have imposed,” says Bob Peterson, NAHB Remodelers chair and a remodeler from Fort Collins, Colo. “Home owners are saved from spending a great deal of money on lead testing. If remodeling is more affordable, home owners will be able to hire an EPA-certified renovator to keep them safe from lead dust hazards during renovation.”
At NAHB’s request this regulation was selected for review by the EPA under the Presidential Executive Order for Regulatory Review (Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review, 76 FR 3821 issued on Jan. 21) concerning the impact of federal rules on small businesses and job creation.
The lead rule applies to homes built before 1978 and requires renovator training and certification, following lead-safe work practices, containing and cleaning dust, and record keeping.
Under the lead paint rule contractors have been required to wipe down the project area after completing remodeling or renovation work and match the result to an EPA-approved card to determine whether lead paint dust is still present—a process that EPA says is “effective at reducing dust lead levels below the dust-lead hazard standard.”
The proposal would have required contractors to hire EPA-accredited dust samplers to collect several samples after a renovation and send them to an EPA-accredited lab for lead testing. Because of the cost of this as well as the waiting period for test results and the limited number of accredited labs nationwide, professional remodelers were very concerned about home owners’ willingness to undergo the process.
“The EPA has maintained its common sense approach to keeping families safe during renovation,” says Peterson. “Hiring trained professional remodelers to contain dust, use lead-safe work practices, and clean up has been shown to successfully minimize lead hazards and protect individuals from lead exposure.”
Several problems with the rule still remain. The EPA has yet to recognize an efficient, low-cost lead test kit that meets the requirements of the regulation. And last year the agency removed a key consumer choice measure—the opt-out provision—which allowed homeowners with no children or pregnant women in residence to waive the rule’s requirement. In this down economy, consumers are still balking at the extra costs of the rule and often choose to reduce the amount of work done on their homes, hire uncertified contractors, or endanger themselves by attempting the work themselves.
For more information, visit www.nahb.org.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Coldwell Banker Real Estate Issues International Housing Report
Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC recently released a report on international housing markets, which compares similar four-bedroom, two-bathroom homes in 30 countries and more than 60 markets outside the United States and Canada.
Among the more affluent markets in the report is Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, located just four miles from the center of Paris and is the hometown of Nicolas Sarkozy, the current President of the French Republic. The city also serves as the headquarters for the global edition of The New York Times newspaper and The International Herald Tribune. A continent away in the opposite hemisphere, the tourist city of Salinas, Ecuador, is one of the many markets offering great affordability. It is also known for its proximity to the Pacific Ocean and year-round temperatures averaging 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
“As one of the world’s premier international real estate companies, Coldwell Banker has the pulse on what is happening in various global markets,” says Budge Huskey, president and chief operating officer, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “Increasingly we have seen that buyers are expanding their horizons when it comes to the number of countries under consideration for their investment.”
In addition to Salinas and Neuilly-sur-Seine, the Coldwell Banker report highlights some of the world’s most prominent cities, full of fun trivia and charming local facts:
• Paris, France, has been ranked as one of the top three European cities of the future by The Financial Times and produces more than one fourth of France’s total gross domestic product.
• Madrid, Spain, is the third largest city in the European Union and is considered the major financial center of Southern Europe.
• Rome is the capital and most populated city of Italy and has been ranked as one of the world’s 15 most important cities.
• Amsterdam is the financial and cultural capital of the Netherlands and home to seven Fortune 500 companies including ING Group and Royal Philips Electronics.
• Dublin houses more than one-quarter of the entire population of Ireland and is ranked 29th in the Global Financial Centres Index.
• Aruba is renowned for its white, sandy beaches, temperate waters and warm climate moderated by the trade winds of the Atlantic Ocean.
• Istanbul is the cultural, economic, and financial center of Turkey and at one time served as the capital of the Roman and Ottoman Empires.
• Mexico City, Mexico, is the country’s most important political, cultural, educational and financial center and boasts one of the world’s fastest growing economies with a gross domestic product expected to double by 2020.
The release of this international data follows the recent Coldwell Banker Home Listing Report, a comprehensive analysis of real estate markets throughout the U.S. and Canada. Additional information on the North American report can be found on the Coldwell Banker Home Listing Report website.
Among the more affluent markets in the report is Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, located just four miles from the center of Paris and is the hometown of Nicolas Sarkozy, the current President of the French Republic. The city also serves as the headquarters for the global edition of The New York Times newspaper and The International Herald Tribune. A continent away in the opposite hemisphere, the tourist city of Salinas, Ecuador, is one of the many markets offering great affordability. It is also known for its proximity to the Pacific Ocean and year-round temperatures averaging 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
“As one of the world’s premier international real estate companies, Coldwell Banker has the pulse on what is happening in various global markets,” says Budge Huskey, president and chief operating officer, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “Increasingly we have seen that buyers are expanding their horizons when it comes to the number of countries under consideration for their investment.”
In addition to Salinas and Neuilly-sur-Seine, the Coldwell Banker report highlights some of the world’s most prominent cities, full of fun trivia and charming local facts:
• Paris, France, has been ranked as one of the top three European cities of the future by The Financial Times and produces more than one fourth of France’s total gross domestic product.
• Madrid, Spain, is the third largest city in the European Union and is considered the major financial center of Southern Europe.
• Rome is the capital and most populated city of Italy and has been ranked as one of the world’s 15 most important cities.
• Amsterdam is the financial and cultural capital of the Netherlands and home to seven Fortune 500 companies including ING Group and Royal Philips Electronics.
• Dublin houses more than one-quarter of the entire population of Ireland and is ranked 29th in the Global Financial Centres Index.
• Aruba is renowned for its white, sandy beaches, temperate waters and warm climate moderated by the trade winds of the Atlantic Ocean.
• Istanbul is the cultural, economic, and financial center of Turkey and at one time served as the capital of the Roman and Ottoman Empires.
• Mexico City, Mexico, is the country’s most important political, cultural, educational and financial center and boasts one of the world’s fastest growing economies with a gross domestic product expected to double by 2020.
The release of this international data follows the recent Coldwell Banker Home Listing Report, a comprehensive analysis of real estate markets throughout the U.S. and Canada. Additional information on the North American report can be found on the Coldwell Banker Home Listing Report website.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Mortgage Marvel Rate Trends Shows Jump in 30-Year Fixed Rates
Mortgage Marvel Rate Trends™, a daily survey of over 950 lenders, shows 30-year, fixed rates bouncing up 0.15% to 4.78% after setting a new six-month low last week.
With the increase in rates over the past week, 30-year fixed rates are 0.44% lower than the 6-month high of 5.22% achieved on February 10, 2011 and 0.58% above the ever-to-date low of 4.20% reached October 12, 2010.
Fifteen-year fixed rates also jumped, but to a lesser degree than the 30-year fixed, ending the week at 3.93% as compared to last week’s 3.85%. The increase in 5/1 ARM rates matched that of the 30-year fixed rate, jumping 0.16% to end the week at 3.80%. The rates for 30-year, fixed rate jumbo loans (typically loans over $417,000) increased just 0.03% to 5.48% this week from 5.45% last week.
With the increase in rates over the past week, 30-year fixed rates are 0.44% lower than the 6-month high of 5.22% achieved on February 10, 2011 and 0.58% above the ever-to-date low of 4.20% reached October 12, 2010.
Fifteen-year fixed rates also jumped, but to a lesser degree than the 30-year fixed, ending the week at 3.93% as compared to last week’s 3.85%. The increase in 5/1 ARM rates matched that of the 30-year fixed rate, jumping 0.16% to end the week at 3.80%. The rates for 30-year, fixed rate jumbo loans (typically loans over $417,000) increased just 0.03% to 5.48% this week from 5.45% last week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
