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RISMEDIA, August 4, 2011—Freddie Mac released the results of its second quarter refinance analysis showing homeowners who refinance continue to strengthen their fiscal house.

RISMEDIA, August 4, 2011—Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev., issued the following statement regarding the proposed debt ceiling agreement announced by President Obama

RISMEDIA, August 4, 2011—The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) sent a letter urging the regulatory agencies to re-propose the onerous Credit Risk Retention rule, which includes a proposed definition of qualified residential mortgage. ICBA stated that the regulatory agencies should re-propose the rule in a manner that will not so severely restrict credit, yet foster sound underwriting. Regulation must strike the right balance. Unfortunately, the proposed Credit Risk Retention rule does not. It over-regulates to the point of choking off the flow of credit.

RISMEDIA, August 3, 2011—A proposed rule by federal regulators to impose a minimum 20 percent down payment, stringent debt-to-income ratio requirements and rigid credit standards will deny millions of Americans access to safe, low-cost mortgages, according to the National Association of Realtors®. In a comment letter submitted recently, NAR expressed dissatisfaction over the unduly narrow definition of qualified residential mortgages (QRM) that would be exempt from risk retention requirements. Non-QRM mortgages will have higher interest rates and fees, making home ownership more expensive or unattainable for many of today’s aspiring home owners.

RISMEDIA, August 3, 2011—The Alliance to Save Energy recently hailed a newly released model building energy code upgrade that will improve energy use in commercial and residential buildings in the United States by as much as 30%.

RISMEDIA, Aug 2, 2011—Although conditions in the real estate market point to the continued existence of a buyers’ market, home buyers indicate they are less satisfied with real estate company services, compared with 2010, while home-seller satisfaction has improved during the same time period, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Home Buyer/Seller StudySM released recently.

RISMEDIA, Aug 2, 2011—Recently, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced the availability of $95 million to support sustainable local initiatives through the FY 2011 Regional Planning and Community Challenge Planning

RISMEDIA, July 30, 2011—(MCT)—The majority of jobs being created in this economic recovery are lower-paying ones, while higher-paying positions have been slow to return, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Employment Law Project. Lower-wage occupations such as sales and office clerks, cashiers and food preparation workers grew 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2011 from a year earlier, the report said. In contrast, higher-wage jobs such as registered nurses, engineers and finance workers declined by 1.2 percent. Mid-wage positions such as paralegals, customer service representatives and machinists grew by 1.2 percent.

RISMEDIA, August 1, 2011—Pending home sales increased in June following a wide swing down in April and then up in May, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Activity increased in the West and South but declined in the Midwest and Northeast; all regions show strong double-digit gains from a ...

RISMEDIA, August 1, 2011—Foreclosure activity decreased in 85 percent of the nation’s metropolitan areas in the first half of the year and all top 10 metro areas with the highest foreclosure rates posted decreasing foreclosure activity. ...

RISMEDIA, July 29, 2011—(MCT)—Home prices in major U.S. cities increased in May for the second consecutive month, according to a closely watched index, although experts dismissed the uptick as seasonal while separate reports provided fresh evidence of a weak housing market. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index of home prices in 20 metropolitan areas rose 1 percent from April to May when left unadjusted for seasonal variations. Prices often rise in spring because of changes in the types of homes selling: Foreclosures make up a higher proportion of sales during the winter as families take a break from home shopping and cash-rich investors dominate the market. Higher sales volumes also push up prices.

RISMEDIA, July 29, 2011— The Federal Housing Finance Agency recently reported that the National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders, used as an index in some ARM contracts, was 4.62 percent based on loans closed in June. This is a decrease of 0.12 percent from the previous month. The average interest rate on conventional, 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage loans of $417,000 or less decreased 13 basis points to 4.79 percent in June. These rates are calculated from the FHFA’s Monthly Interest Rate Survey of purchase-money mortgages. These results reflect loans closed during the June 24-30 period. Typically, the interest rate is determined 30 to 45 days before the loan is closed. Thus, the reported rates depict market conditions prevailing in mid- to late-May.

RISMEDIA, July 29, 2011—Prices of “normal” homes—those that aren’t foreclosures or short sales—are stabilizing and the numbers of future foreclosures are falling. That “sliver of good news for consumer spending” was included in CoreLogic’s July report on housing and market trends.

RISMEDIA, July 28, 2011—The Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation (PenFed Foundation), a nationally recognized nonprofit organization working to meet the unmet needs of military personnel and their families, is offering financial help to eligible first-time home buyers through its Dream Makers program. Active duty personnel, veterans and retired members of the military, as well as employees of the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security, qualify for a grant up to $5,000 to use on down payments and closing costs when buying their first home.

RISMEDIA, July 27, 2011—Mortgage applications increased 15.5 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending July 15, 2011.