October 2013 National Housing Report
10/18/2013
Oct. 17, 2013 – Government-backed mortgages with Fannie Mae will soon undergo new changes through Desktop Underwriter (DU), an automatic program that follows strict guidelines without input from lenders. The new changes will increase flexibility for certain borrowers, but they’ll make it harder f
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10/17/2013
Oct. 16, 2013 – Fla. students pursuing a real estate career can apply for $1,500 to $2,500 in scholarship money from the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC). Interested students must follow the rules, however. The first one: The online application process opens Oct. 21, 2013, and ends Nov. 8 at
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10/16/2013
Oct. 16, 2013 – Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have stepped up their program to collect unpaid mortgage debt from “strategic defaulters” – underwater homeowners who skipped out on their mortgage even though they had the ability to pay. Read Full Story
10/16/2013
Oct. 15, 2013 – With home sales starting to slow, builders are giving buyers more incentives to purchase. Some are going so far as to offer tens of thousands of dollars in cash incentives as well as free home upgrades. Read Full Story
10/15/2013
Oct. 14, 2013 – The Mortgage Bankers Association’ (MBA) Builder Application Survey (BAS) for September 2013 found that mortgage applications for new home purchases in the U.S. decreased by 1 percent relative to the previous month, though the numbers aren’t adjusted to compensate for seasonal vari
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10/14/2013
Oct. 14, 2013 – Deploying police detectives from nine local cities to bolster homestead fraud investigations in Miami-Dade County is reaping fast results, according to the property appraiser. Read Full Story
10/14/2013
Oct. 11, 2013 – Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages were little changed this week, staying near their lowest levels in three months. Read Full Story
10/11/2013
Oct. 10, 2013 – After riding a swift updraft earlier this year, mortgage rates have steadied at around 4.5 percent for a 30-year fixed loan. But there’s a good chance they’ll resume their upward path. That’s one of a number of things borrowers need to know now to get the best loan. Read Full Story
10/10/2013
Rule effective Jan. 1 say banks can't charge more than 3% in mortgage fees. But that makes a $160K home loan almost unprofitable for many mortgage brokers. Read more.
10/09/2013
