Posts Tagged ‘Realtors’
Mortgage Market Still Hampers Housing Recovery
The Realtors say it, the home builders say it, and now the chairman of the Federal Reserve is saying it: “Some creditworthy borrowers are still having trouble getting a mortgage.”
What Are Buyers Really Putting Down for a Mortgage?
Ask the Realtors, the Builders, even the Housing Reporters, and they'll all tell you that the biggest impediments to housing's recovery are higher credit underwriting standards.
Realtors Report Even Higher Cancellations; And It’s Not Why You Think
For the past several months, Realtors across the nation have been reporting an ever-increasing number of cancelled existing home sale contracts. The latest Realtors Confidence Index now puts the cancellation rate at 20 percent, way up from the historical norm of around four to six percent.
Is It Really That Hard to Get a Mortgage?
The realtors say it, the home builders say it, the architects say it, I've said it: For better or worse, tight mortgage lending standards are one of the big roadblocks to housing's recovery. Now one economist is saying that's not true.
Home Sales Split By Price
Sales of existing homes in October beat expectations, registering a gain of 1.4 percent from the previous month, but that number masks a market that is heavily weighted to the low end. Realtors say they expect sales to bounce around the same levels for the rest of the year, with a very slight annual gain from 2010.
Home Sales Bounce: Catching up to Spring?
Sales of existing homes took an unexpected and rare jump in August, rising 7.7 percent from July. Realtors say it's the result of delayed sales from the spring market, which they previously characterized as disappointing. The results were unexpected because the usual indicators no longer apply.
Cancellations Roil Realtors
Forecasters expected sales of existing homes to rise in June because the pending home sales index, which measures signed contracts, rose in May. If you consider it takes 1-2 months to close, then there's your indicator. But that was not the case.
Realtors Face Off Against Mortgage Bankers
Yesterday I had the great opportunity to moderate a symposium on mortgage liquidity with a pretty heavy panel of mortgage bankers and industry executives. I knew they would be guarded in their answers...and they were guarded, until I opened up the floor to the Realtors, who hammered them hard on foreclosures, short sales, and mortgage credit for independent contractors like themselves.
Home Builders May Be Faring Better Than We Think
Last week's revelation that realtors had been overestimating the number of existing home sales in 2010 was certainly a bombshell to those of us who cover housing, but it didn't really affect investors. But here's a new one that could affect how you stock players trade.
Realtors Seek Data Help
It wasn't at all what I expected. With accusations over the weekend by various journalists that the Realtors have been overestimating existing home sales numbers, I was ready for a full-court PR press at this morning's monthly sales report lockup. Not so much.
