Marion Skubi 
Mortgage rates fell in the past week to the latest in a series of record lows amid concerns about the state of the U.S. economy, according to a survey released on Thursday by Freddie Mac, the second-largest U.S. mortgage finance company.
Rock-bottom rates should continue to spur demand for home loan refinancing, putting extra cash into consumers’ hands that they can save, use to pay off existing debt or funnel into the economy through extra spending.
From RealTrends.com: The trend in firming home prices solidified in the second quarter with more metropolitan areas showing increases from a year ago, aided by a surge in home sales driven by the home buyer tax credit, according to the latest survey by the National Association of REALTORS®. In the second quarter, 100 out of … Read more
From RealTrends.com: In the second quarter of 2010, 22 percent of homeowners who refinanced their first-lien home mortgage lowered their principal balance by paying in additional money at the closing table. This ties the record for the third highest cash-in share since Freddie Mac began keeping records on refinancing patterns in 1985. The revised cash-in share in the first quarter was 19 percent.
From RealTrends.com: In the first quarter of 2010, U.S. single-family home prices rose an average of 2 percent over the year-ago quarter, the first year-over-year national gain since 2006, according to Fiserv Case-Shiller Indexes. Despite the gain in the national average, prices were actually lower in 303 of the 384 metro areas compared to the … Read more
July 2010 Sales YTD Avg List Price Avg Sale Price 2009 Sales Value of the Month Las Campanas 15 1,144,733 1,007,153 27 Northwest County 54 657,870 620,843 40 Northeast City 81 725,693 674,994 68 Tesuque 9 1,066,211 1,018,778 2 Santa Fe City 721 458,444 430,552 624 Santa Fe County 769 447,889 420,661 650 Go In-Depth … Read more
From RealTrends.com: Home prices in the United States increased in May, the fourth-consecutive month showing a year-over-year increase, according to CoreLogic’s Home Price Index. According to the Index, national home prices, including distressed sales, increased by 2.9 percent in May 2010 compared to May 2009 and increased by 3.5 percent in April 2010 compared to April 2009. Excluding distressed sales, year-over-year prices only increased by 0.9 percent in May, and April’s non-distressed HPI increased by 0.4 percent.
The real estate downturn has turned some very popular retirement destinations into bargains. To determine where the prices are most attractive, U.S. News & World Report examined price-to-income data for 384 metropolitan statistical areas. This expresses the relationship between owner income and home values. Here are 10 retirement havens where homes are most affordable by … Read more
From RealTrends.com: International homebuyers are increasingly attracted to property in the United States, according to the National Association of Realtors®’ 2010 Profile of International Home Buying Activity. Several factors, including the strength of the dollar, the value and desirability of U.S. real estate, and the emerging economic recovery, continue to drive international interest in owning a home in this country.
June 2010 Sales YTD Avg List Price Avg Sale Price 2009 Sales Value of the Month Las Campanas 12 1,170,667 1,029,441 20 Northwest County 49 653,349 622,582 31 Northeast City 68 716,935 668,419 55 Tesuque 8 1,118,863 1,067,375 1 Santa Fe City 623 454,651 427,860 498 Santa Fe County 668 443,524 417,365 520 Go In-Depth … Read more
From RealTrends.com: Loan modifications and refinancings by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac increased significantly in the first quarter as the volume of permanent modifications under the Administration’s Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) tripled, and refinancings steadily grew under the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP). Loans 60-plus-days delinquent also declined for the first time in two years, according to the FHFA’s First Quarter 2010 Foreclosure Prevention & Refinance report:
