According to the University of Michigan’s preliminary Sentiment Index for September, U.S. consumer sentiment increased more than expected reaching a six-month high as more Americans were upbeat about the economy’s prospects.
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Study Examines COVID-19 Pandemics Impact on Homeowners Vs. Renters
A recently released report from Clever Real Estate sought to discover the impact of COVID-19 on homeowners vs. renters. The report found that COVID-19 pandemic has and continues to cause housing payment – owned or rented – delinquencies.
FEA’s Weekly Order Survey Participants Report Season Sales Volumes
Dealers who responded to this week’s Builder Activity Survey continue to report that their sales volumes are close to seasonal norms. Participants along the Gulf Coast, who are dealing with flooding rains and in the West where wildfires continue to burn, are somewhat less enthusiastic than participants in other areas of the country.
Mortgage Rates Creep Higher in Week Ending September 24th, 2020
Freddie Mac has released its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) for the week ending September 24th, 2020. The PMMS shows that 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 2.90% with an average 0.8 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.87%.
New Home Sales Increase 4.8% in August
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the sales of new single-family houses in August 2020 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,011,000. This is 4.8% above the revised July rate of 965,000 and is 43.2% above the August 2019 estimate of 706,000.
Weekly Jobless Claims Inch Higher for the Week Ending September 19th, 2020
The U.S. Department of Labor is reporting that an additional 870,000 Americans made their initial filing for unemployment benefits during the week ending on Saturday, September 19th. An increase of 4,000 from the previous week’s revised level.
U.S. Home Prices Increase in July 2020
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Home Price Index (HPI) reports that U.S. house prices rose 6.5% from July 2019 to July 2020 and were up 1% for the month.
Mortgage Banker Associations Reports The Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Drops to 6.3% for Week Ending September 13th, 2020
The latest Mortgage Banker Association’s Forbearance and Call Survey reports that the total number of loans in forbearance decreased by 9 basis points from 7.01% of servicers’ portfolio volume in the prior week to 6.93% as of September 13th, 2020.
U.S. Census Bureau Reports COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Absorption Rate of Rental Units and Condos
The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Market Absorption (SOMA) reveals that the absorption rate of unfurnished and unsubsidized apartments (the share rented out in the first three months following completion) fell to 45% in Q1 of 2020, down from 53% in Q1 2019.
Existing Home Sales in August Hit Highest Level Since December 2006
The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) has reported that total existing-home sales in August, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 2.47% above July, to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 6.00 million in August.