After several quarters of slackening growth, home improvement spending is projected to pick-up pace moving into next year, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity from the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
Category: News and Trends

Report: Underwater Home Rate ‘Stagnant’ in One-Third of U.S. Counties
The Center for American Progress, Washington, D.C. released a study showing nearly 1,000 U.S. counties continue to present “increasing or stagnating” percentages of homes with negative equity.

Black Knight: Florida No Longer ‘Foreclosure Capital of U.S.’
Black Knight Financial Services, Jacksonville, Fla., said after eight years, Florida relinquished its title, if not perception, as the “Foreclosure Capital of the U.S.”

House Bill Would Force FHFA Withdrawal of FHLB Rule on Membership
Four members of the House introduced a bill last week that would require withdrawal and study of the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s proposed rule on Federal Home Loan Bank membership.

HOPE NOW: Foreclosure Sales at 8-Year Low
HOPE NOW said foreclosure sales activity reached its lowest level since 2007, while delinquencies fell by nearly half from five years ago.

Cyber Crime: Mortgage Industry ‘Target for the Bad Guys’
SAN DIEGO–Sometimes the biggest threat to your firm’s reputation–and its finances–comes from factors that you cannot see.

MBA Projects 10% Increase in 2016 Purchase Originations
SAN DIEGO–The Mortgage Bankers Association projects $905 million in purchase mortgage originations in 2016, a 10 percent increase from 2015.

White House: No GSE Recap and Release
SAN DIEGO–The American people deserve a better, more responsive mortgage finance system, said White House Senior Policy Advisor Michael Stegman. But, he said, that will not come from recapitalizing and releasing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from conservatorship.

CoreLogic: Foreclosures Down 69% From 2010 Peak
CoreLogic, Irvine, Calif., reported 36,000 completed foreclosures in August, virtually unchanged from July; down by 20 percent from a year ago; and down by nearly 70 percent from its 2010 peak.

Veros: Home Valuation Forecast ‘Strongest in Two Years’
Veros Real Estate Solutions, Santa Ana, Calif., said residential market values should continue in a positive trajectory over the next 12 months, with overall annual appreciation rising to +3.6 percent from its Q2 forecast of 3.1 percent.