The number of signed sales contracts to buy homes rose in September for the eighth straight month, according to a real estate industry report released Monday.
Sales of newly built homes fell unexpectedly in September after rising for five straight months, according to government figures released Wednesday.
Confused about whether lawmakers will extend the $8,000 first-time homebuyer credit and what it would look like?
While foreclosure rates are easing in some of the hardest-hit cities, the crisis is beginning to expand into new metro areas.
Home prices rose for the fourth month in a row during August and suffered a smaller-than-expected annual drop, according to a report issued Tuesday.
Sales of existing homes rebounded sharply in September to their highest level in two years, getting a strong boost from first-time homebuyers, according to a report released Friday.
When the FDIC closed Chicago's Corus Bank last month, it may have signaled the beginning of the next shock to the banking system: commercial real estate defaults.
If you're a beef-eating, beer-guzzling, pick-up driving resident of heartland America, there's a good chance you escaped the housing bust. But pesto-chomping, chardonnay-sipping, hybrid-driving city-slickers were probably out of luck.
If you thought home prices were bottoming out, you may be wrong. They're expected to head a lot lower.
Despite concerted government-led and lender-supported efforts to prevent foreclosures, the number of filings hit a record high in the third quarter, according to a report issued Thursday.
The number of signed sales contracts to buy homes rose in September for the eighth straight month, according to a real estate industry report released Monday.
Sales of newly built homes fell unexpectedly in September after rising for five straight months, according to government figures released Wednesday.
Confused about whether lawmakers will extend the $8,000 first-time homebuyer credit and what it would look like?
While foreclosure rates are easing in some of the hardest-hit cities, the crisis is beginning to expand into new metro areas.
Home prices rose for the fourth month in a row during August and suffered a smaller-than-expected annual drop, according to a report issued Tuesday.
Sales of existing homes rebounded sharply in September to their highest level in two years, getting a strong boost from first-time homebuyers, according to a report released Friday.
When the FDIC closed Chicago's Corus Bank last month, it may have signaled the beginning of the next shock to the banking system: commercial real estate defaults.
If you're a beef-eating, beer-guzzling, pick-up driving resident of heartland America, there's a good chance you escaped the housing bust. But pesto-chomping, chardonnay-sipping, hybrid-driving city-slickers were probably out of luck.
If you thought home prices were bottoming out, you may be wrong. They're expected to head a lot lower.
Despite concerted government-led and lender-supported efforts to prevent foreclosures, the number of filings hit a record high in the third quarter, according to a report issued Thursday.
Congress is considering proposals to greatly expand a soon-to-expire $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers -- potentially applying it to all but the wealthiest homebuyers.
In a housing market plagued by one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country, finding and buying a home would seem to be an easy hunt, especially if you're armed with federal funding assistance.
Homebuyers signed more sales contracts in August than in any month this year, boosted by the looming expiration of a homebuyers' tax credit, according to an industry report released Thursday.
A controversial $3.9 billion federal program aimed at saving neighborhoods blighted by foreclosure is hitting hurdles that could threaten its effectiveness.
There was another tick-up in home prices in July, a further indication that housing markets may be stabilizing, according to a report issued Tuesday.
Existing home sales fell in August, snapping a four-month streak of increases, according to a report released Thursday.
More than 1.4 million Americans have already claimed the new tax credit for first-time home buyers, according to a report from the Internal Revenue Service.
An index of home builders' confidence rose in September for the third month in a row, but an industry group said Wednesday the fragile residential real estate market recovery could be cut short if a popular government tax credit isn't extended.
The foreclosure crisis grinds on amid signs of hope.
Substantially fewer homes were repossessed in August than in July, but just as many Americans were behind on their mortgage payments, according to a report released Thursday.
Sales of newly constructed homes leaped unexpectedly in July to hit their highest level since last September.
National home prices may be on the road to recovery.
The good news is that Citigroup helped 108,000 people avoid foreclosure during the second quarter, a nearly 30% increase from the previous period.
Sales of existing homes rose in July for the fourth consecutive month, lending support to economists who argue a recovery is near.
The foreclosure plague continued to devastate last month.
You've heard of speed dating? It's got nothin' on foreclosure buying these days. In many places, anyone who wants to buy a foreclosure better act fast, or they're going to come away with bupkus.
Sun Belt cities dominated the list of metro areas with the biggest foreclosure problems during the first six months of 2009.
The value of U.S. homes grew on a monthly basis in May for the first time in nearly three years, according to 20-city index released Tuesday.
As a growing number of Americans default on their mortgages, the Obama administration is set to meet Tuesday with industry executives to discuss their efforts so far to help people save their homes.
Sales of newly constructed single-family homes spiked 11% in June to an annualized rate of 384,000 homes, according to a report released Monday.
Sales of existing homes disappointed again in June, coming in at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 4.89 million, up just 3.6% compared with May, according to a monthly report from the National Association of Realtors.
The foreclosure plague is not going away -- it's only getting worse.
It's noon in New Haven, and Yale economist Robert Shiller and I are leaving his office to walk down the block for pizza. It was a damp morning, but now the sun is breaking through the clouds. "Do we need an umbrella?" he asks. I say I don't think so. But a few steps outside his office, he turns around to get one. "It's better to be safe," he says.
Home prices continued to tumble in April, falling 18.1% from a year earlier -- but the change from March narrowed sharply, indicating that housing markets may be starting to turn.
Existing home sales rose in May, as increasingly affordable home prices and a first-time tax credit attracted hesitant buyers.
Did you happen to see the latest home-price stats from S&P/Case-Shiller, or did you avert your eyes? Here's what struck me: As of March 2009, every metro area in Case-Shiller's 20-city index, without exception, has fallen double digits from its peak. Ten are down more than 30%. Eight have dropped more than 40%. Las Vegas is down 50%. Phoenix? It doesn't get any worse than Phoenix. According to Case-Shiller, between June 2006 and March 2009 the average house in Phoenix lost a staggering 53% of its value. Possibly during the Great Depression, but almost certainly at no time since then, have house prices in a major metropolitan area fallen by more than half. It's almost unbelievable. Brother, tell me you didn't buy a house during the boom in Phoenix!
Lenders filed fewer foreclosure notices in May, but the total number of filings was still the third-highest monthly total on record.
The number of home sales contracts signed in April continued to bounce back from record lows hit last winter, according to a widely watched industry report. This is the third consecutive month of gains.
Despite all the hand-wringing and attempts to contain the foreclosure plague, the problem still spread during the first three months of 2009, as the number of foreclosure actions started hit a record high, according to a quarterly report.
Your home value has sunk like a stone, and you're so far underwater you'll have to hold your breath for years. Can you at least get a break on your property taxes?
The residential real estate market picked up slightly in April, as increasingly affordable home prices drew in hesitant buyers.
For Victor Guevares, winning a bid at a raucous foreclosure auction two months ago was just the first step toward achieving his dream of home ownership. And after getting through several obstacles along the way, he finally moved his family into the two-story, three-bedroom house in Queens.
A study released yesterday by RealtyTrac.com and Truila.com shows that more Americans than ever are interested in buying foreclosed properties.
U.S. home prices are their most affordable in 18 years, according to a report released Monday.
More than 55,000 troubled homeowners have received loan modification offers under President Obama's foreclosure prevention program, officials said Thursday.
Foreclosures in April exceeded even March's blistering pace with a record 342,000 homes receiving notices of default, auction notices or undergoing bank repossessions, according to a regular industry report.
Foreclosures are still hitting record highs according to an industry report out today.
1. Finding one has become easier
Sales of existing homes fell in March, according to an industry report released Thursday, but analysts say the housing market is showing signs of stabilization.
The 26 cities with the highest foreclosure rate in the nation are all located in four hard-hit states, with Las Vegas topping the list, according to a report released Wednesday.
The economy in southern New Hampshire is not by any means among the worst in the nation. Still, according to city records, there are 29 foreclosed homes on the books in Nashua -- many of which are in deplorable condition.
JPMorgan Chase's better-than-expected results and a drop in the number of initial unemployment claims were among the developments boosting stocks Thursday morning.
Foreclosure activity skyrocketed in March and the first quarter of 2009 to their highest levels on record as banks lifted moratoria on filings.
Suffering from one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation, Rhode Island is getting nearly $20 million from Washington to rehabilitate neighborhoods most affected by the mortgage meltdown.
The problem of mortgage-rescue fraud has ballooned as scammers have reacted to the Obama administration's stepped-up efforts to help borrowers in need. From Web ads to late-night TV spots, companies are soliciting struggling homebuyers and fraudulently promising to help them avoid foreclosure.
When mortgage borrowers fall behind on payments and run the risk of losing their homes, they sometimes grab the first lifeline tossed their direction. Often that lifeline is a TV or Internet advertisement making grand promises - and has more than one string attached.
Sales of existing homes unexpectedly rose in February, recovering from a sharp drop in the previous month, according to an industry report released Monday.
Crashing home prices have led to the most affordable housing market in at least five years, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index released Thursday.
The foreclosure picture suddenly darkened again in February.
Home prices declined at a record pace around the nation in the final three months of 2008, according to an industry report released Tuesday.
More than 11% of all mortgages are either delinquent or in foreclosure, according to an industry report released Thursday.
What a turnaround for the American Dream!
Sales of existing homes fell in January to their lowest levels in nearly 12 years, with a real estate group saying buyers delayed purchases in anticipation of government programs to boost the housing market.
A tide of foreclosed properties has been sweeping into the beleaguered housing market, bringing down property values, dislocating families, and sending municipal governments scrambling to manage the crisis. But some buyers see a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in the gloomy headlines; they are buying up foreclosed properties at ultra-low prices.
In Mesa, Ariz., President Obama picked an appropriate place to talk about the mortgage-default crisis: More than half the homes for sale in this sprawling suburban town are distressed properties.
JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup Inc. announced plans Friday to temporarily halt foreclosures as the government works to finalize the details of a financial rescue package that could include billions of dollars in aid for struggling homeowners.
Home prices fell 12.4% during the fourth quarter of 2008, the largest year-over-year decline since the National Association of Realtors began keeping comprehensive records in 1979.
The frantic pace of foreclosures eased in January, according to a monthly report released Thursday.
A day after Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said it would be a few weeks before he unveils a solution for the housing crisis, regulators and lawmakers pressed financial institutions to suspend foreclosures until the plan comes out.
With Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner set to unveil a new plan to help banks and homeowners Tuesday, and the Senate tentatively prepared to vote on a $780 billion stimulus bill that day as well, this will a busy week in Washington.
Plunging home prices and low mortgage rates pushed homebuying activity higher in December, according to a regular industry report released on Tuesday.
Real estate values around the nation have collapsed, and sales of foreclosed and "underwater" homes now dominate many housing markets, according to a report released Tuesday.
As the economic stimulus package moves to the Senate, the drumbeat is growing louder for new provisions that directly address the housing crisis.
Sales of newly constructed homes plunged in December to the lowest level on record, going back to 1963, according to a government report released Thursday.
The number of existing homes sold in December rose 6.5% from the previous month, according to a report released Monday, as bargain hunters took advantage of plummeting prices.
Housing might be in worse shape than we think.
Home prices continued to plunge in November, according to a new government report released Thursday.
Housing permits and starts both tumbled to record lows in December, according to a government report released Thursday.
U.S. foreclosure filings spiked by more than 81% in 2008, a record, according to a report released Thursday, and they're up 225% compared with 2006.
There are many ways to spend $800 billion to revive the economy. In recent days, President-elect Barack Obama has ticked off many of them: invest in infrastructure projects, help states pay for Medicaid, cut taxes on the middle class, expand use of renewable energy.
Citigroup reached an agreement with Democratic lawmakers Thursday on legislation that would allow judges to reduce mortgage debt for individuals who have filed for bankruptcy.
The number of homes under contract to be sold fell 4% in November, according to a report released Tuesday.
If you dare to look out your window at houses for sale, you might be surprised at what you can buy and with how little money. Prices are falling, and inventory is plentiful; it's a buyers' market.
Home prices posted another record decline in October, falling 18% compared with a year earlier, according to a closely watched report released Tuesday.
The number of existing homes sold during November plummeted 8.6% as prices plunged by record amounts, according to a closely watched housing industry report issued Tuesday.
If you want to mark the moment when real estate morphed from every American's dream investment into every American's nightmare, try the third quarter of 2007. That's when the foreclosure rate, which had been slowly creeping upward for three decades and was flat all spring, suddenly leaped 32%, from .59% to .78% of all mortgages.
Homebuilders' confidence remained at an all-time low in December as worsening economic conditions weighed on the housing market, a trade group said Monday.
Foreclosure filings dropped 7% from October to November, according a report released Thursday. But don't break out the bubbly. The tide of foreclosures may be ebbing now, but the flood isn't over yet.
A record 1.35 million homes were in foreclosure in the third quarter, driving the foreclosure rate up to 2.97%, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Friday.
Reducing mortgage rates to a historically low 4.5% may entice some homebuyers out of the shadows, but it won't be enough to really spur housing sales, experts said.
The government finally realizes that it has to address the problems in the housing market. Unfortunately, it seems officials are considering going at it the wrong way.
Selling a home in this market is hard enough. Competing in a neighborhood flooded with foreclosed homes that are heavily discounted is nearly impossible.
Sales of newly constructed homes slumped in October to an annual rate not seen since 1991, according to government figures released Wednesday.
Sales of existing homes fell in October and prices continued to decline as potential buyers remain sidelined by the weak economy, according to a real estate group's report issued Monday.
Forget the old saw that all real estate is local. What's pummeling housing prices in your nabe is the same thing that's hurting them around the country: the credit crisis.
As government and industry scrambled to stem the housing crisis, another 84,868 homes were lost to foreclosure in October, according to a report released Thursday.
The United States is suffering the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. The nation's reliance on the rest of the world to support its rampant spending is increasing and across the nation Americans are losing their jobs.
It's supposedly a "buyer's market," but many of the buyers are frustrated
Three weeks ago, several hundred residents of Bonita Springs, Fla., received letters containing a word that no homeowner wants to see: foreclosure. But the property in danger didn't belong to them.
Sales of existing homes rose in September, but prices continued to drop, according to the latest reading on the battered housing market by an industry trade group released Friday.
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