Mortgage Industry Blog

  Reporting on a two-month lag, the government said home values rose 0.7 percent in November.  National home prices are at their highest point since February 2009. But before we look too much into the FHFA's Home Price Index, it's important that we're cognizant of its shortcomings; the most impor...

The Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate within its target range of 0.000-0.250 percent. In its press release, the FOMC noted that the U.S. economy "has continued to strengthen", that the jobs markets is getting better, and that financial markets are supportive of growt...

Just one month after from blowing away Wall Street, December's Existing Home Sales hit the skids, shedding nearly 17 percent and falling to a 4-month low. Don't be alarmed, though. The plunge was expected. And not just because Pending Home Sales cratered last month. When November's Existing Home ...

Conforming and FHA mortgage rates improved last week on the combination of weaker-than-expected economic data and new anti-banking rhetoric from the White House. The S&P 500 shed nearly 4 percent in its worst weekly showing since October 2009 as all 10 sectors fell. As the money left stock market...

Fair Isaac Corp. (FIC: 0.00 N/A) introduced Wednesday a new FICO industry score, BEACON Mortgage Score, specifically designed to help mortgage lenders make the best possible risk decisions when addressing both current homeowners and those aspiring to own, the company said in a press release. Equi...

A "Housing Start" is a privately-owned home on which construction has started. It's an important gauge of housing health because it tracks new housing stock nationwide. In December 2009, starts fell by nearly 7 percent. The news is mildly disappointing but not too bad. The likely cause for the Ho...

  $8,000 Tax Credit Extended and Expanded With tax season approaching, we decided to focus this edition of our quarterly newsletter on a few tax incentives we think you'll definitely want to discuss with your tax professional. Feel free to share this newsletter with your friends and loved ones a...

Proactive or Reactive?It's up to You   Everyone makes choices. Their outlook on life, whether at home, at work, behind the wheel or at the theater, directly correlates to the decision to be either positive or negative. In essence, it's as simple as whether you see the glass half full or half emp...

Securing an FHA mortgage in South Carolina is about to get more expensive. In a statement issued Wednesday, the Federal Housing Authority outlined policy changes to its mortgage assistance program. The shift is meant to both reduce the government group's portfolio risk while strengthening its ove...

Mortgage markets showed little conviction last week, carving out just a narrow trading channel. There was very little data on which for markets to move, leaving mortgage rates momentum-bound. Luckily for rate shoppers, mortgage rate momentum was favorable. Rates were slightly lower Monday through...