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By AaronBlaine
RISMEDIA, Monday, September 29, 2014— Nearly two out of three applications for mortgages to buy a home were approved in August, a new high for purchase loan approvals.
The closing rate is a new high for Ellie Mae’s monthly Origination Insights reports, which began in late 2011. Since November 2011, the purchase loan average closing rate has risen 9.9 percent. However, refi closing rates have risen further, making the combine closing rate increase for both loan types 14 percent, according to Ellie Mae, the mortgage software program that processes about 3.5 million mortgages a year.
In August, the closing rate for purchase loans was 65.1 percent, or about two out of every three applications. Two years ago the rate was 61.0 percent. Only 27 percent of those who got mortgages to buy houses were first-time buyers. First-timers, vital players in the housing economy, are dangerously few. Younger, with lower incomes and less established credit, many saddled with student debt, first-timers have lost 25 percent or more market share in home sales, largely because of their difficulty getting credit.
REALTORS® report that despite the slow progress, access to credit is continuing to constrain the housing recovery. About 18 percent reported having clients who could not obtain financing in August 2014, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.
That the vast majority of mortgage applicants applications today are not the “no doc” and “pulse loan” borrowers who existed ten years ago. Rather, a large number are pre-qualified or pre-approved by lenders who know what they are up against. They have worked hard to get their credit, debt and paperwork in order. About 50 percent of survey respondents who provided credit score information to NAR’s monthly REALTOR® Confidence Index survey reported FICO credit scores of 740 and above. Only about 2 percent of REALTORS® reported a purchase by a buyer with a credit score of less than 620.
For more information, visit www.RealEstateEconomyWatch.com.
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By AaronBlaine
Hey guys I am a licensed Realtor for Coach here on long island. If anyone has any questions related to Real Estate in NY then feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer all of your questions!
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By AaronBlaine
By Robert Dietz RISMEDIA, Saturday, September 27, 2014— The August increase of the pace of new home sales pushed the months’ supply measure of inventory to its lowest level in more than a year.
According to estimates from the Census Bureau and HUD, on a non-seasonally adjusted basis the inventory of for-sale newly built homes stood at 206,000 in August. This was a slight increase from the July estimate of 202,000.
Of this total, 48,000 homes were completed, ready-to-occupy residences. Another 37,000 were for-sale units that had not yet begun construction. The largest component of inventory, homes under construction, came in at 121,000 in August.
In August, the median months-for-sale time for new single-family homes fell to 3.3 months. This is higher than the 2.9 months registered a year ago.
In terms of months’ supply (the time required for the existing inventory to be sold at the current pace of sales), the inventory of new single-family sales fell to 4.8 months (on a seasonally adjusted basis). Due to the increase in the August rate of sales, this is a notable drop from the 5.6 months’ supply reported in July and is the lowest measure of supply since June 2013.
These numbers counter claims made last week that home builders are constructing new homes faster than they can be occupied. Single-family construction is occurring at a pace about half of the normal, sustainable rate determined by population growth and the need for replacement of older housing.
While vacancy rates for some kinds of single-family housing remain elevated, newly built homes offer multiple benefits over older housing, including lower maintenance and upkeep costs and cost saving green and energy efficiency features. Comparing new homes with vacant, older homes, likely in need of repair/modernization or located in areas with lower levels of job creation, is comparing apples with aging bananas.
View this original post on the NAHB blog, Eye on Housing.
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By AaronBlaine
RISMEDIA, Thursday, September 25, 2014— REALTORS® are showing tremendous interest and enthusiasm for new drone (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) technologies that could help them market listings in an efficient and environmentally sensible manner. But for now, the Federal Aviation Administration does not permit the use of UAVs for commercial purposes such as the marketing of real estate.
Recently, the National Association of REALTORS® responded to the FAA’s prohibition on the use of UAVs by calling on the agency to quickly come up with a framework for commercial use of UAV technology that addresses safety and privacy concerns, but permits a commercial UAV industry to flourish.
The letter outlines the following points:
- The potential of using UAV technology to collect images is also a game-changer for the real estate industry.
- UAV-obtained images are a cost-effective way to get more information to the consumer. The cost is very small compared to existing methods, such as driving around a property or using a private helicopter or airplane.
- Just like online listings and 360 degree virtual tours, UAV-obtained imagery is a further advancement of technology that puts brokers and agents in a better position to serve their clients, and the consumers in a better place to make an informed decision.
- NAR supports regulation that is appropriate for real-world use of UAV technology; regulation that permits businesses to use UAV technology while maintaining safety in the NAS and privacy of citizens.
- NAR looks forward to working with the FAA to support mutual education about the realities of UAV use from both the REALTOR® and FAA perspectives. NAR is excited to create materials and resources that will inform REALTORS® about safe and responsible use of UAV technology. NAR is committed to fostering an environment for safe and responsible UAV operation.
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By AaronBlaine
RISMEDIA, Wednesday, September 24, 2014— (MCT)—There’s been lots of debate lately in housing circles about the impact of student debt on home ownership.
Now there’s a new study out that attempts to put a number on that impact: 414,000.
That’s how many home sales will not happen this year because of high levels of student loan debt, according to a report from John Burns Consulting, an Irvine, Calif.-based firm that advises home builders. That’s equal to about 8 percent of all home sales, and enough to dent the housing industry by $83 billion a year.
The report estimates that the number of households under age 40 that owe $250 or more each month in student loans has nearly tripled since 2005, to 5.9 million. And it projects that every $250 in monthly student loan payments decreases home borrowing and purchasing power by $44,000. Figure a typical sale price of $200,000, throw all that together, and you get $83 billion in lost sales.
“We actually think it’s pretty conservative,” says Rick Palacios, director of research at John Burns Consulting. “We’re only looking at people age 20 to 40. We know there’s a big chunk of households over age 40 who have student debt, too.”
The report is the latest in a growing pile of research that links rising student debt levels — overall student loan debt has nearly tripled since 2005 to $1.1 trillion — with sluggish home sales, especially among young adults.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has found that young people with student debt are now less likely to hold a mortgage (and own a house) than people who never attended college, a reversal from long-held trends that link higher education with higher earnings and home ownership. Trade groups such as the National Association of Realtors have pointed to student debt as a key factor in the lower-than-normal rates of first-time home buyers. And it has become a growing concern for builders, which is why Palacios decided to try to put a number on it.
Other studies have suggested the effect of student loans on housing may be overblown. A report by the Brookings Institute in May points out that most people who carry student debt have relatively modest monthly payments. And while the Burns report notes that 35 percent of young adults now have monthly payments topping $250, that means 65 percent have payments of less than that.
There are two things nearly everyone agrees on: Student debt keeps growing. And as it does, its effect on the housing market will need more study.
“We’re hoping to look more into it,” Palacios says. “It’s scary how much debt there is out there.”
©2014 Los Angeles Times
Distributed by MCT Information Services
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