News

Despite talk of the rural-urban divide, new data shows that Americans seem to share the same sentiments about homeownership regardless of their location. In a recent survey, residents in rural, suburban, and urban areas all shared largely similar thoughts on homeownership and its role in the American Dream. The only place the three groups diverged was in the intended length of stay; only 35 percent of urban buyers plan to stay seven years or more.

There are few more concrete examples of supply-and-demand economics in action than the housing market. A new report looking at April numbers shows a spike in demand and a corresponding spike in median prices. The B-side, of course, is that while demand rises, inventory shrinks, fueling the current sellers’ market.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan signed a fast-track foreclosure law that will expedite the foreclosure process with the intent to reduce community blight, following the footsteps of a similar bill in Ohio. This bill could be the push other states need to move forward with their own fast track foreclosure bills. We hear from industry experts on the impact this bill may have.

According to a new report, the average FICO score of an American mortgage borrower has hit its lowest point since 2008. Currently, the average borrower has a FICO score of just 729. Broken down by lender type, borrowers of bank-originated loans have an average FICO score of 743, while borrowers of independent, non-bank loans have an average score of 719.

Existing home sales took a drop in April as prospective buyers and middle-income homeowners faced problems in the current housing market. Tightening supply continues to drive up prices. Properties, on average, stayed on the market for a month.

New analysis shows that buyers in Pittsburgh need just $31K to purchase a median-priced home in the area. Cleveland and Cincinnati also require low salaries, while San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles buyers need the highest salaries in the nation. San Fran buyers need salaries of $161K in order to buy.

The Court of Appeals rehearing of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) took place Wednesday to determine the constitutionality of CFPB’s leadership structure. Previously brought by PHH Corporation in October, the initial decision by the court determined the CFPB was, in fact, unconstitutional. Wednesday’s hearing was an “en banc” review, previously agreed upon in February.

Quarterly house prices were up for the 23rd time in a row, according to the FHFA’s Q1 House Price Index report. They were also up year-over-year for the 21st time in a row. But Q1’s rate of growth nationally was a lightweight compared to quarterly growth rates of the past few years.

The Federal Reserve will release the minutes of its April meeting on Wednesday afternoon, and if industry experts are on track, they could point to another rate hike on the horizon. Regional Federal Reserve Presidents Neel Kashkari, Robert Kaplan and James Bullard have all weighed in on the issue. The Fed previously raised rates from 0.75 points to 1 in March.

Freddie Mac’s latest summary report reveals an increase in both its total mortgage portfolio and its mortgage-related securities. Its mortgage portfolio rose 0.5 percent over the year, while its mortgage-related securities and guarantees jumped by 2.1 percent. The government-sponsored enterprise has funded $127 billion mortgages year-to-date.