http://memphisminute.com The Pulse of the Memphis Real Estate and Mortage Market Tue, 08 Jun 2010 04:03:32 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Link to source Demand for loans to buy U.S. homes fell last week for the fourth straight week, holding 13-year lows, as the housing market adjusted to a selling environment without the federal tax credits that had stoked April sales, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday. Home buying ran out of ... http://memphisminute.com/us-home-buying-loan-demand-falls-for-4th-week Link to source The U.S. economy grew at a slower pace than previously estimated in the first quarter as businesses investment slackened, while hard-hit state and local governments curbed spending at the steepest rate since 1981, a government report showed on Thursday. Gross domestic product expanded at a 3.0 percent annual rate, ... http://memphisminute.com/growth-slower-than-thought-as-business-spending-slows Link to source WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - May 26, 2010) - Vacancy rates continue to rise in most commercial sectors and are not expected to level out in most markets until the end of this year or early 2011, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said ... http://memphisminute.com/commercial-real-estate-vacancies-to-peak-near-early-2011 Link to source NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A dubious distinction was reached during the first three months of 2010: More than 10% of all mortgage borrowers are now behind on their payments. The delinquency rate hit a record of 10.06% in the first quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The seasonally ... http://memphisminute.com/mortgage-delinquencies-hit-10 Link to source Foreclosure rates among outstanding mortgage loans in Memphis increased in March to 2.19 percent, up from 1.57 percent in March 2009, according to CoreLogic, a company that provides real estate data. Still, Memphis was below the national foreclosure rate of 3.23 percent for March. The rate of Memphis homeowners late ... http://memphisminute.com/memphis-foreclosure-and-delinquency-rates-higher-in-march Link to source Signed contracts to buy homes surge 5.3 percent in March as buyers seized on gov't incentives. WASHINGTON (AP) -- The number of buyers who signed contracts to purchase homes surged more than expected in March, another sign that government incentives are propelling the housing market this spring. The National Association ... http://memphisminute.com/pending-home-sales-rise-5-3-percent-in-march Link to source NEW YORK, April 8 (Reuters) - Rising bond yields sent U.S. 30-year mortgage rates to the highest level in eight months on the brink of the important spring sales season, data from home funding company Freddie Mac showed on Thursday. Higher borrowing costs, combined with the end of some ... http://memphisminute.com/us-30-year-mortgage-rates-jump-to-8-month-high Link to source MEMPHIS, TN – Shelby county homeowners facing foreclosure might get a little relief. Mediators may help them negotiate with banks. That's the idea behind a bill pending in the Tennessee legislature. "A professionally trained mediator would mediate between the lending institution and the homeowner and try to work out ... http://memphisminute.com/shelby-county-homeowners-may-get-mortgage-help Link to source The US housing market will face another retreat while mortgage-backed securities and Treasurys are likely to go through a "material" correction, Meredith Whitney, CEO of Meredith Whitney Advisory Group, told CNBC Tuesday. "The housing market surely will double dip," Whitney told "Worldwide Exchange." Government programs to support housing have been ... http://memphisminute.com/housing-market-surely-to-double-dip-whitney Link to source Standard 30-year fixed loan is now 4.95 percent, down from 4.97 percent. Mortgage rates held below the 5 percent threshold for the second straight week, a report said Thursday, weeks before a government program that has been keeping rates low is scheduled to expire. The average rate on a ... http://memphisminute.com/mortgage-rates-hold-below-the-5-percent-mark