Mortgage Rates forecast to rise 1% by end of 2013
In my November 27 article Refinancing – don’t make just the minimum payment I wrote: “Don’t assume that rates will either go lower still or that they will necessarily stay this low for as long as the Federal Reserve is currently saying. If the economy does strengthen from here, interest rates my move up sooner than expected.”
The Mortgage Bankers Association has just issued a forecast that mortgage rates will increase gradually as the economy improves and finish around 4.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013.
MBA_December_Commentary_82991
More reason to consider buying NOW!
Massachusetts pending home sales up 25% in 2012
Another indication of the recovery in the housing market in 2012 comes with the release of pending sales for Massachusetts. For the year pending sales of single family homes rose 25% and of condos 26%.
December was the 20th consecutive month of year over year increases.
Massachusetts Association of Realtors January 8, 2013
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Fannie Mae Housing Survey shows expectations of rise in home prices and mortgage rates in 2013
Consumer confidence in the housing sector grew last month, marked by continued positive attitudes toward home price, rental price, and mortgage rate expectations, according to Fannie Mae’s December National Housing Survey results. The growing belief held by Americans that these housing indicators will climb in 2013 may inspire a boost in home purchase activity during the coming months.
Listen to a podcast:Fannie Mae housing-survey-podcast-010713
or read the surveyFannie Mae December 2012 national housing survey
Good news, bad news for North Shore condo market in 2012
First, the good news: sales were up 23% in 2012.
Now the bad news: sales are still 47% below the peak in 2005.
Unlike SFHs which are, for the most part, built singly, condo developments often bring a large number of new units to the market, causing a spike in sales, followed by a sharp decline. Look at the figures for (more…)
Marblehead SFH and condo sales 2012
SFH sales in MHD in 2012 reached 229, the highest level since 2004, which was an exceptional year.
MHD_SFH_Sales_Moving_Average
Condo sales remain well below the levels of earlier in the century for the reasons outlined in my December 8 post:
Condo_Sales_Moving_Ave
Foreclosures and Short Sales for all North Shore cities and towns in 2012
Foreclosures and short sales have many variables. The process varies from State to State, while Federal attempts to halt the epidemic also influence and change underlying tendencies. With those caveats, I have put together a table that shows the number of foreclosed properties and short sales that actually closed in 2012 for SFHS and condo for each of the 17 North Shore communities.
Lynn saw the highest percentage of FC/SS sales at 34% of total sales, while (more…)
Twenty Questions with Marblehead’s Assessor
The FY2013 tax rate has been set at $10.85, up from $10.52 in FY2012. The median single family assessment declined 2.4% to $476,000, and the median single family tax bill increased 0.6%, or $31, to $5,165. The commercial rate has once again been set at the same rate as the residential rate.
Marblehead’s 2013 tax rate will be the third lowest of the 17 North Shore cities and towns and also the third lowest of 34 Essex County communities.
Real-estate assessments for Fiscal Year 2013 have just been mailed. Assistant Assessor Mike Tumulty answered questions about the process. (more…)
November Pending Home Sales rise for 19th straight month
The NAR estimates that sales should increase 8-9% in 2013 to about 5.1 million, with the median price rising 4%.
National Association of Realtors December 28, 2012
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November home sales in MASS highest since 2005
Sales of SFHs increased 38% over a year ago in November. Condo sales were up 33%.
The SFH median price increased 2%, while for the condos the figure was 7%.
Median prices were the same – $275,000 – for both SFHs and condos.
Data comes from the Warren Group
Jennifer McKim boston.com December 27, 2012
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Case-Shiller: prices rose 4.3% in year to October, above estimates
It is clear that the housing recovery is gathering strength.
Last week’s final revision to third quarter GDP growth showed that housing represented 10% of the
growth while accounting for less than 3% of GDP.
S&P/Case-Shiller December 26, 2012
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November Existing-Home Sales and Prices Maintain Uptrend
Existing home sales in November were up 14.% from a year ago and reached the highest level since November 2009.
The median price rose rose for the 9th consecutive month and is up 10.1% from a year ago.
Housing inventory fell to 4.8 months of supply, the lowest level since September 2005.
National Association of Realtors, December 20, 2012
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Essex County “8th healthiest housing market in country for 2013”
The healthy markets that made the list have strong job growth (Bureau of Labor Statistics), which bodes well for housing demand; low vacancy rates (U.S. Postal Service)–low enough to encourage new construction, but not so low that inventory and sales are restrained; and low foreclosure inventory (RealtyTrac), since foreclosures tend to hold back recovery.
Jed Kolko, Chief Economist, Trulia December 21, 2012
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Improving Housing Trends likely to continue into 2013.
A combination of factors, including declining time-on-market, a drop in distressed properties and rising average home prices, are all pointing to a strengthening housing market in the months ahead.
Campbell/InsideMortgage Housing Pulse, December 21, 2012
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Foreclosures drop 28% in year, lowest since December 2006
The latest data offers “more evidence that we are past the worst of the foreclosure problem brought about by the housing bubble bursting six years ago,” says Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac
National Association of Realtors, December 13, 2012
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Housing starts decline slightly in November because of Sandy, but rise 21.6% from year ago.
November starts were 861,000. The recession low was 478,000 in April 2009, but the current level is still well below the 1.5 million considered to reflect a healthy market.
89.3 KPCC December 19,2012
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