Rates Went Down in Iowa for the 3rd Straight Week

January 25, 2010

Since shedding 300 basis points in December, mortgage bond pricing has recovered a bit more than half of those losses. It’s helping with home affordability and opening new refinance opportunities around the country. This week, though, mortgage rates could rise back up. There’s a lot going on.

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Builder’s Confidence Rises; Housing Permits Up for the Second Straight Month

January 22, 2010

After posting a 7 percent gain in November, permits rose by another 8 percent in December. It’s a signal that housing is in recovery. More permits mean that builders plan to bring more homes on the market for what’s expected to be a very busy spring home-shopping season.

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New FHA Guidelines Coming This Spring

January 21, 2010

In a statement issued Wednesday, the Federal Housing Authority outlined policy changes to its mortgage assistance program. The shift is meant to both reduce the government group’s portfolio risk while strengthening its overall financials. For consumers, the changes mean higher costs.

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Time is Running Out to Claim the Home Buyer Tax Credit

January 20, 2010

November 6, 2009, Congress voted to extend and expand the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit program. There’s 100 days left to claim it.

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Expect More Positive Momentum in Rates this Week

January 19, 2010

Another Holiday-Shortened Trading Week This week, in holiday-shortened trading and with little economic data set for release, expect mortgage rates to again move on momentum. The biggest report of the week is Wednesday’s Producer Price Index. Producer Price Index is important to mortgage rates because of its role in inflation.  PPI is akin to a […]

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Momentum was Positive Last Week for Mortgage Rates

January 19, 2010

Mortgage markets showed little conviction last week, carving out just a narrow trading channel. There was very little data on which for markets to move, leaving mortgage rates momentum-bound. Luckily for rate shoppers, mortgage rate momentum was favorable.

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Listings in Des Moines Should Increase with the Temperature

January 15, 2010

What’s The Real Estate Market Doing? Do you ever wonder how our real estate market is here in Des Moines? Unfortunately, we spend a lot of time listening to how rough things are in other cities around the country, but too often we don’t really consider what our real estate climate is like. I’m a […]

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Mortgage Rates Drop as a Result of Retail Sales from December

January 14, 2010

Mortgage rates are dropping this morning on weaker-than-expected Retail Sales data from December. Lower rates means more bang for your home-buying buck.

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Most States Dipped Below Old National Averages of Foreclosure Activity in 2009

January 14, 2010

Versus 2008, foreclosures are up 21 percent nationwide and that’s a big number, but a deeper look at RealtyTrac’s annual reports reveals a more positive undertone on the housing market.

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Expect a lot of Back-and-Forth Action in Rates in the Coming Months

January 12, 2010

Despite the headlines, it’s important to remember that December’s jobs report wasn’t all bad news. There’s two sides to every economic coin.

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