02 Apr 2013
By Mark Feder
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Home Prices Accelerate In 2013 WIth Double Digit Growth

Housing Analysis
Last week, the S&P/Case-Shiller Index showed home prices gaining 8.1 percent during the 12-month period ending January 2013, marking the largest year-over-year increases since the summer of 2006. The Case-Shiller Index measures changes in home prices by tracking same-home sales throughout 20 housing markets nationwide; and the change in sales price from sale-to-sale. Detached, single-family residences are used in the Case-Shiller Index methodology and data is for closed purchase transactions only. All 20 Case Shiller Index Markets Show Growth Between December 2012 and January 2013, home values rose in all 20 Case-Shiller Index markets, with previously-hard hit areas such as…
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27 Mar 2013
By Mark Feder
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Rising Sales Prices Are Excellent News For Homeowners Across America

Housing Analysis
The National Association of REALTORS® released its monthly Existing Home Sales report on March 21 and gave investors and home sellers something to cheer about.  While February sales of existing homes didn't meet investor forecasts of 5.00 million homes sold on a seasonally adjusted annual basis, the actual number of existing (previously owned) homes came close at 4.98 million homes sold. This number surpassed January's revised reading of 4.94 million homes sold by 0.8 percent. Sales of existing homes comprise approximately 85 to 90 percent of homes sold in the U.S. Investors watch existing home sales for evaluating housing markets…
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20 Mar 2013
By Mark Feder
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NAHB Housing Market Index Shows Builder Confidence Slip In March

Housing Analysis
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released its NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index for March on Monday. The HMI measures builder confidence in the market for newly constructed single family homes. A reading of 50 for the NAHB Housing Market Index (HMI) indicates that more builders are confident of housing market conditions for new single family homes than those who are not confident. Home builder confidence fell for the third consecutive month with a two-point drop to a reading of 44 in March. Several Factors Create New Home Bottleneck An NAHB leader noted that several situations are causing a…
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13 Mar 2013
By Mark Feder
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Surprisingly Strong Jobs Report May Affect Mortgage Rates

Housing Analysis
Last week's jobs report -- a combination of the Department of Labor's Non-farm Payrolls Report and Unemployment Rate -- provided investors and job seekers with unexpected good news. Job growth for February handily exceeded most economists expectations of 160,000 by adding 236,000 new jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment increased in business and professional services, construction and healthcare: Business and professional services added 73,000 jobs Construction added 48,000 jobs. Of these, 17,000 jobs were for residential construction. Healthcare added 32,000 jobs Since September, construction employment has risen by 151,000. This increase in construction jobs may point to…
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