Last week's economic news included several housing-related reports including the Housing Market Index (HMI) for March, a report on housing starts, and building permits for February. The National Association of REALTORS® also released its Existing Home Sales report for February and the Federal Reserve issued its first FOMC statement under the helm of Fed Chair Janet Yellen. Home Builders Conservative On Housing Market Conditions The National Association of Home Builders Wells Fargo Housing Market Index rose by one point to a reading of 47 in March against a reading of 46 in February and … [Read more...]
What’s Ahead for Mortgage Rates This Week: December 24, 2012
Mortgage markets worsened last week amid ongoing discussions budget and tax conversations in Washington, D.C., and the release of key housing and economic data. Mortgage rates climbed in Arizona and nationwide. Freddie Mac reported the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate at 3.37 percent nationwide for borrowers willing to pay an accompanying 0.7 discount points at closing, plus closing costs -- an increase of 0.05 percentage points from the week prior. The average 15-year fixed rate mortgage rate was listed at 2.65 percent nationwide with an accompanying 0.7 discount points plus a full … [Read more...]
Housing Starts, Building Permits Rising Into 2013
Single-family housing starts took a small step back in November. According to the monthly Housing Starts report from the U.S. Department of Commerce, single-family housing starts tallied 565,000 in November 2012 on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis. This marks a 4 percent decline from October, but is more than 100,000 higher than the count from 12 months ago. Clearly, the nation's new home construction market is expanding. On a regional basis, single-family housing starts have been strongest in the Midwest; and Hurricane Sandy appears to have affected the number of starts across the … [Read more...]
More Bullish Data : Housing Starts Climb 3.6%
According to a joint release from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Housing Starts rose 3.6% in October 2012, climbing to a seasonally-adjusted, annualized rate of 894,000 units. A "housing start" is a new home on which construction has started and the report gives buyers and sellers across Arizona yet one more reason to be optimistic for the 2013 housing market. Regionally, Housing Starts varied. The West and Midwest Regions posted gains between September and October 2012; and, the South and Northeast Regions posted declines. The latter was affected … [Read more...]
Single-Family Housing Starts Rise To 4-Year High
The housing market continues to improve. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis, Single-Family Housing Starts rose to 603,000 last month, an 11 percent increase from the month prior and the highest reading in more than 4 years. A "housing start" is a home on which construction has started and home builders are breaking ground at rates not seen even during the 2010 federal home buyer tax credit period. It's a signal to home buyers throughout Arizona that the U.S. housing market may be permanently off its bottom. At least, the nation's home builders … [Read more...]