ORLANDO, Fla. – May 27, 2009 – Florida’s existing home sales rose in April – the eighth consecutive month that sales activity increased in the year-to-year comparison, according to the latest housing data released by the Florida Association of Realtors® (FAR). April’s statewide sales showed gains over the previous month’s sales level in both the existing home and existing condominium markets.
Existing home sales rose 18 percent last month with a total of 13,111 homes sold statewide c... Read Full Story
TAMPA, Fla. – May 18, 2009 – Ray White thought now was the perfect time to help his daughter buy her first home.
Home prices are more affordable than they have been in years, interest rates are low, there are plenty of homes on the market, and the federal government is offering an $8,000 tax credit.
But because of one problem after another, every house they find seems out of her reach – even though she’s approved for a loan and has a downpayment.
“The... Read Full Story
Historically high housing affordability and low mortgage interest rates, combined with buyer opportunities in the distressed sales market, have increased home sales in many areas of the country. “There has never been a better time to buy,” said National Association of Realtors Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, who presented NAR’s economic outlook at the Economic Issues and Residential Real Estate Business Trends Forum that took place during the Realtors Midyear ... Read Full Story
ORLANDO, Fla. – May 12, 2009 – Sales of existing single-family homes in Florida rose 25 percent in first quarter 2009 compared to the same period a year earlier, according to the latest housing statistics from the Florida Association of Realtors® (FAR). A total of 31,412 existing homes sold statewide in 1Q 2009; during the same period the year before, a total of 25,071 existing homes sold. It marks the third consecutive quarter that Florida has reported higher existing h... Read Full Story
(May 11, 2009 – Orlando, FL) Members of the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association in April sold nearly seven times more homes in the lower-price range categories than in the upper categories, which according to economists is typical of a rebounding market.
“Orlando’s housing market appears to be following a recognized healing pattern — from the bottom up — as evidenced by the greater number of sales in the lower-price categories,” explains ORRA Pr... Read Full Story
Feds plan ‘surge’ in mortgage fraud cases
TAMPA, Fla. – May 8, 2009 – Faced with rampant mortgage fraud that has helped pull the economy into a ditch, federal authorities are in the midst of a “surge” in investigations that they expect will increase prosecutions tenfold in the next year.
“The problem is so large that we could do nothing but mortgage fraud for the next year,” said U.S. Attorney Brian Albritton, whose office is helping coord... Read Full Story
By Julie Haviv
NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. mortgage applications rose last week even as interest rates jumped to their highest levels since mid-March, data from an industry group showed on Wednesday.
Demand for home purchase loans, an indicator of home sales, far outweighed that for refinancing. The increase may help gauge how the hard-hit U.S. housing market is faring this spring, the peak home buying season.
The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjuste... Read Full Story
WASHINGTON – May 4, 2009 – Pending home sales rose in March with many first-time buyers taking advantage of historically good housing affordability conditions, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR).
The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in March, increased 3.2 percent to 84.6 from a level of 82.0 in February, and it’s 1.1 percent higher than March 2008’s 83.7.
“This increase could be t... Read Full Story
A record level of foreclosure activity in March spurred third-quarter foreclosure filings 46% higher than the same period last year.
The number of homeowners facing foreclosure surged in March as lenders lifted temporary moratoriums and resumed legal actions against delinquent mortgage holders.
Foreclosure filings — default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions — were reported on 341,180 properties in March, 46% more than a year ago and 17% more than February’s... Read Full Story
