Market Conditions
Market Conditions
Remodeling Spending To Tick Up Through Mid-2025
The Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity report says things will trend up after a modest downturn
NAHB
NAHB: Remodelers Face Challenges and Opportunities
Remodelers face a uniquely strong market yet remain challenged by codes and costs
NAHB
NAHB Announces Action Plan for Housing Affordability
Six of the proposed 10 action items are important to residential remodelers
Market Conditions
Metros with the Highest and Lowest Remodel ROI
First-time homebuyers can find fixer-upper listings priced between 5 to 10% lower than move-in ready homes. The high return on investment of these projects shows that remodeling remains a strong option to navigate the current housing market
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Mortgage Bankers Association Predicts Rise in Mortgage Rates
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) predicts that 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates will rise to 4.7 percent in the first quarter of 2011, and to 5.1 percent by the end of that year, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. Although the rates will rise, the group notes that a rate of 5.1 percent is still very low historically.The
New Single-Family Home Sales Up in September
Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 6.6 percent in September, the best rate since June, according to data released by the U.S. Commerce Department, said a press release by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The number of units sold rose to a seasonally adjusted rate of 307,000.
Freddie Mac CEO: Government involvement in housing market must continue
The government will have to continue its involvement in the housing and mortgage markets, as the industry forecast for the next year remains dreary, said Freddie Mac CEO Charles E. Haldeman Jr. The government currently backs nearly nine out of 10 new loans.
Existing Home Sales Up, Median Prices Down, Says National Association of Realtors
Existing home sales increased 10 percent in September according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), said a report by Forbes.com. There were 4.53 million existing home sales last month, up 10 percent from the 4.12 million sales in August. Sales were 19.1 percent lower than September 2009, however, with 5.6 million existing home sales.
Former economic adviser proposes solution to foreclosure crisis
Former White House housing finance issue adviser Peter Swire proposed that senior bank officials personally vouch for the quality of their banks’ mortgage documentation process. Swire, now a law professor at Ohio State University, based his proposal on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which required certain disclosures to restore faith in financial statements after the Enron and WorldCom scandals.
States Announce Investigation of Mortgage Companies
A coalition of state attorneys general this week announced that they will be launching an investigation into the mortgage servicing industry, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. The decision was made due to the recent allegations of fraudulent documents and “robo-signers,” workers who allegedly signed foreclosure documents without reading them.
2010 Professional Remodeler Market Leaders
Our exclusive annual report on the industry’s leaders shows even the largest companies are feeling the crunch
Healthcare Reform: How it affects your business
Most aspects of the Affordable Care Act will not benefit many remodelers
Mortgage Refinance Applications Jump
The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 14.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.
Morgan Stanley Report: Housing Trough in 2012 Possible
Morgan Stanley analysts released their Housing Market Insights report, according to a report by HousingWire. The Morgan Stanley report predicts that home prices will fall by five to ten percent in 2011, and then remain flat for four years. The analysts added, however, that home prices are still at risk of falling further, and that the housing trough may continue through 2012.