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Las Vegas housing prices dip | Katonah Real Estate

Las Vegas housing resale prices dipped in July but remained higher than they were a year ago, while sales volume continued to climb, according to a new report.

The median sales price of single-family homes sold in Southern Nevada last month was $218,000, down 0.9 percent from June but up 9 percent from July 2014, according to the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors.

Buyers picked up 3,180 single-family homes last month, up 4 percent from June and 20.4 percent from July 2014.

The number of ignored listings, however, also rose. There were 7,636 single-family homes on the market without offers by the end of July, up 2.7 percent from June and 5 percent from a year ago, the GLVAR reported.

The trade association reports data from its listing service, which largely comprises previously owned homes.

In the report, GLVAR President Keith Lynam said he likes to compare the housing market to a marriage: “It’s a good thing when it’s stable.”

“For the most part, that’s what we’ve seen so far this year,” he said.

Prices are rising at a much slower pace than in recent years. After the economy tanked, investors gobbled up cheap homes to turn into rentals and pushed up housing values at one of the fastest rates nationally, raising fears of another bubble. However, the housing marketcooled considerably last year as investors, faced with higher prices, backed out.

 

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http://vegasinc.com/business/2015/aug/10/Las-Vegas-housing-prices-dip-July/

Interest Only Mortgages are back | Katonah Real Estate

They were the villains of the housing crash. Federal regulators called them toxic. Now interest-only mortgages are making a comeback, but these are not the loans of yesteryear or yester-housing booms.

“I think it’s opening the door back to responsible lending, giving people choices,” said Mat Ishbia, president and CEO of Michigan-based United Wholesale Mortgage, the second-largest lender through brokers in the nation.

The company announced Monday it is now offering interest-only loans through brokers, with significant safeguards. Borrowers must put 20 percent down, ensuring that they have the “skin in the game” that so many did not during the heady days of the housing boom. They must have at least a 720 FICO credit score, which is well above average, and they must qualify on what the payments will be once they’re adjusted higher, not at the starter rate.

Real estate

Mike Powell | Getty Images

“These people can afford these mortgages. They’re savvy homeowners,” said Ishbia. “We’re giving them the choice. It is no more risk to us. We actually think it’s less risk.”

United Wholesale Mortgage does not hold the loans but sells them to investors. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-backed mortgage giants, do not buy these types of loans.

The mortgage begins as a five-year adjustable-rate product. Without paying principal, a borrower using, for example, a $300,000 mortgage, would start at 4.125 percent today, the same as a 30-year fixed. Without paying principal, however, the borrower would save $420 per month.

The interest rate can then adjust higher after five years, depending on market rates, but borrowers for this product are underwritten at a rate above 6 percent to ensure they could handle that adjustment. Borrowers are also required to start making principal payments after 10 years; of course they can also refinance the loan whenever they want.

In 2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued rules to protect consumers from what it deemed “irresponsible mortgage lending.” So-called qualified mortgages under the new regulations would give lenders certain protections, should the loans go bad. Under the QM rules, according to the news release at the time, there would be:

No toxic loan features: A qualified mortgage cannot have risky loan features, such as terms that exceed 30 years, interest-only payments, or negative-amortization payments where the principal amount increases. In the lead up to the crisis, too many consumers took on risky loans that they didn’t understand. They didn’t realize their debt or payments could increase, or that they weren’t building any equity in the home.

Interest-only loans therefore fall under the definition of a qualified mortgage. During the housing boom, they were used to help borrowers buy homes they really couldn’t afford. Now, more lenders are starting to do them again, but with much tighter restrictions. They are mostly offered to high net worth individuals in the jumbo loan category, and banks hold the loans on their balance sheets.

 

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http://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/20/interest-only-mortgages-theyre-baaack.html

30 Year Mortgage Rates Average 4.08% | Katonah Real Estate

Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing average fixed mortgage rates reaching new 2015 highs heading into the holiday weekend and ahead of the June jobs report.

News Facts

  • 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.08 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending July 2, 2015, up from last week when it averaged 4.02 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.12 percent.
  • 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.24 percent with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 3.21 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.22 percent.
  • 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 2.99 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.98 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 2.98 percent.
  • 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.52 percent this week with an average 0.3 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.50 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.38 percent.

Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total upfront cost of obtaining the mortgage. Visit the following links for theRegional and National Mortgage Rate Details and Definitions. Borrowers may still pay closing costs which are not included in the survey.

Quote
Attributed to Sean Becketti, chief economist, Freddie Mac.

“Overseas events are generating significant day-to-day volatility in interest rates. Nonetheless, the week-to-week impact on most rates was modest — the 30-year mortgage rate increased just 6 bps, to 4.08 percent. The MBA composite index of mortgage applications fell 4.7 percent in response to what is now three consecutive weeks of mortgage rates over 4 percent. Other measures, however, confirmed continued strength in housing — pending home sales rose 0.9 percent, exceeding expectations, and the Case-Shiller house price index recorded another solid increase.”

Boost Your All-White Color Scheme | Katonah Real Estate

Love the look of fresh white but don’t want to feel like you live in a cold, minimalist compound? Here’s how to boost white to get a livable, inviting look that feels airy, open and full of personality.

Home-builder confidence rises to nine-month high | Katonah Real Estate

A gauge of confidence among home builders rose five points to 59 in June, hitting a nine-month high, according to National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo data released Monday. Economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires had expected a June result of 55.

Gauges of builders’ views on present and upcoming home sales each hit their highest level since late 2005, shortly before the housing bubble burst. Readings above 50 signal that home-construction companies, generally, are optimistic about sales trends, and June marks the 12th consecutive month of above-50 readings.

NAHB said a barometer of builders’ views on present sales of single-family homes rose seven points to 65 in June, while a gauge of their views on upcoming sales increased six to 69, and an index of prospective-buyer traffic rose five to 44.

 

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http://www.marketwatch.com/story/home-builder-confidence-rises-to-nine-month-high-in-june-2015-06-15

U.S. house prices accelerate in April | #Katonah Real Estate

U.S. house prices accelerated further in April, as low inventories and growing sales push costs higher, a leading data provider said Tuesday.

CoreLogic reported a 2.7% monthly advance to take the year-on-year gain to 6.8%.

The spring is traditionally the strongest portion of the year for housing, and data from CoreLogic and other providers suggest an upturn.

“Old-fashion supply and demand, fueled by historically low mortgage rates and improving consumer finances and confidence, continue to push home prices up,” said Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic.

Dallas and Houston prices are showing few signs of let-up despite the collapse in energy prices. Dallas prices were up 10.3% in the 12 months to April, and Houston prices were up 9.5%. The Washington, D.C., area brought up the rear with just a 1.6% advance.

South Carolina was the strongest state, with an 11.4% advance, while Massachusetts saw a 1.7% drop, one of only four states to register a decline.

CoreLogic is the first of the three major house-price trackers to report results. The Case-Shiller/20-city composite rose 5% in the year to March, and the FHFA house price report showed a 5.2% gain in the 12 months to March.

 

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http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-house-prices-accelerate-in-april-corelogic-says-2015-06-02

New home sales jump in April even as prices gain | Katonah Real Estate

Sales of new single-family houses in April 2015 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 517,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

This comes after a big drop in March which saw just 481,000 new home sales, the biggest drop in almost two years and primarily driven by a precipitous drop in sales in the Northeast in March.

This is 6.8% above the revised March rate of 484,000 and is 26.1% above the April 2014 estimate of 410,000.

The big driver of the gain was one of the smaller home regions, the Midwest, which saw a jump from 57,000 to 78,000 sales. In April the West and Northeast both saw declines.

The median sales price of new houses sold in April 2015 was $297,300; the average sales price was $341,500 – both up from March.

 

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http://www.housingwire.com/articles/33989

Westchester Property Taxes win Title for Highest | Katonah Real Estate

Barring floods and asbestos, property taxes are the highest cost of homeownership after a mortgage — and taxes never end.

In 2013, the median U.S. property tax bill was $2,132, according to a Zillow analysis that used the most recent data available.

That’s a whole lot less than residents paid in Westchester County, NY, where the median tax bill was $13,842. In Tunica County, MS, the median tax bill was $216.

All 10 of the most expensive counties for property taxes, based on the median paid for single-family homes, are in the same vicinity:

CountyMedian taxes
Westchester, NY$13,842
Rockland, NY$10,550
Bergen, NJ$9,546
Essex, NJ$9,288
Nassau, NY$9,091
Passaic, NJ$8,978
Union, NJ$8,926
Morris, NJ$8,549
Hudson, NJ$8,407
Hunterdon, NJ$8,392

Four of the 10 least expensive counties are in Alabama, with the other six scattered among several states..

 

 

http://www.zillow.com/blog/property-taxes-2015-173854/

 

Non-Revolving Credit Drives Consumer Credit Growth | Katonah Real Estate

The Federal Reserve Board recently reported that consumer credit outstanding rose by a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.6%, $186.2 billion, in February 2015. Consumer credit outstanding now totals $3.343 trillion.

The expansion of total consumer credit outstanding reflected an increase in the outstanding amount of non-revolving consumer credit. Non-revolving consumer credit includes auto loans and student loans. According to the report, non-revolving credit outstanding grew by a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 9.4%, $230.3 billion, in February 2015, 3.6 percentage points faster than the 5.8%, $141.6 billion, growth recorded in January 2015. There is now $2.459 trillion in outstanding non-revolving credit, 74% of the total amount of consumer credit outstanding.

The growth in non-revolving credit was partially offset by a contraction in the outstanding amount of revolving credit. Revolving credit outstanding is largely composed of consumer credit card debt. After recording a small decline of 1.4%, $12.0 billion, in January 2015, revolving credit outstanding registered a larger decrease, 5.0% or $44.1 billion, in February 2015. As of January 2015, revolving credit outstanding totals $884.8 billion, 26% of total consumer credit outstanding.

Presentation1

An earlier post showed that the increase in consumer credit outstanding largely reflects an expansion in non-revolving credit outstanding. As a result, non-revolving credit outstanding as a share of total consumer credit outstanding has risen. However, while the overall composition of consumer credit outstanding is skewed to non-revolving credit, the composition of consumer credit varies by type of holder. Depository institutions, nonfinancial businesses and pools of securitized assets hold more revolving credit than non-revolving credit. In contrast, finance companies, credit unions, the federal government, and nonprofit and educational institutions hold primarily on non-revolving credit. Both the federal government and non-profit and educational institutions focus only on non-revolving credit.

As Chart 2 illustrates, of the consumer credit held by depository institutions, 54% of it represents revolving credit while the rest, 46%, is non-revolving credit. Of the consumer credit held by pools of securitized assets and nonfinancial businesses, 58% and 52% respectively is held as revolving credit while the rest, 42% and 48% respectively, is held as non-revolving consumer credit. Meanwhile, of the consumer credit held by credit unions and finance companies, 15% and 9%, respectively, is revolving credit and the rest, 85% and 91% respectively, is non-revolving credit.

Presentation2

Although 3 types of institutions hold more revolving credit than non-revolving credit, 2, nonfinancial businesses and pools of securitized assets, account for only 3% of consumer credit outstanding combined but the third, depository institutions, is the largest holder of consumer credit outstanding. Although the current composition of consumer credit outstanding held by depository institutions is currently near evenly split, this has not always been the case. As Chart 3 illustrates, the consumer credit holdings of depository institutions were largely of non-revolving credit and very little revolving credit. However, over the last 46 years, 1968-2014, the share of revolving consumer credit has steadily risen while the share of non-revolving credit has declined. In 2010, a large spike in the holdings of revolving credit by depository institutions that was related to the shift of consumer credit pools of securitized assets to other categories due to implementation of the FAS 166/167 accounting rules, pushed its share past 50%. In contrast, the share of consumer credit held by depository institutions that was non-revolving credit fell below 50%. At the end of 2014, 54% of depository institutions’ consumer credit holdings were revolving credit and the rest, 46%, was non-revolving credit.

 

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http://eyeonhousing.org/2015/04/non-revolving-credit-drives-consumer-credit-growth/

Stronger Demand and Thin Inventories Push Prices up 7.5 Percent | Katonah Real Estate

Persistently tight inventories—not a good sign as the spring season nears—coupled with an uptick in sales pushed prices up 7.5 percent in February

The median existing-home price2 for all housing types in February was $202,600. This marks the 36th consecutive month of year-over-year price gains and the largest since last February (8.8 percent), according to the National Association of Realtors.

Total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 1.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.88 million in February from 4.82 million in January. Sales are 4.7 percent higher than a year ago and above year-over-year totals for the fifth consecutive month.

Total housing inventory at the end of February increased from January by 1.6 percent to 1.89 million existing homes available for sale, but remains 0.5 percent below a year ago (1.90 million). For the second straight month, unsold inventory is at a 4.6-month supply at the current sales pace.

Concerns are growing about the low inventory levels have persisted through the winter months.  Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said, “Insufficient supply appears to be hampering prospective buyers in several areas of the country and is hiking prices to near unsuitable levels,” he said. “Stronger price growth is a boon for homeowners looking to build additional equity, but it continues to be an obstacle for current buyers looking to close before rates rise.”

“With all indications pointing to a rate increase from the Federal Reserve this year – perhaps as early as this summer – affordability concerns could heighten as home prices and rents both continue to exceed wages,” adds Yun.

A NAR study released earlier this month found that the disparity between rent and income growth is widening in metro areas throughout the country and is making it harder for renters to become homeowners.

 

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http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2015/03/8633/