St Louis Real Estate News - Page 78 of 109 - Daily St. Louis real estate news, market analysis, home prices, and mortgage rate updates from local industry professionals.

What’s The Difference Between A Single Family, Second Home and Investment Property?; St. Louis Mortgage rate update

By Robert Fishel, on June 21st, 2012

When applying for a mortgage, a borrower’s “Occupancy Type” is a major factor in determining maximum loan-to-value (equity), loan program available and mortgage interest rate. An Owner Occupied property will have better terms (less down payment, better rates) than a Non-Owner Occupied property.

Three Types of Occupancy:

Owner Occupied / Primary Residence -According to HUD, a principal residence is a property that will be occupied by the borrower for the majority of the calendar year. At least one borrower must occupy the property and sign the security instrument and the mortgage note for the property to be considered owner-occupied.

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Mortgage defaults fall to lowest level in 5 years

By Dennis Norman, on June 21st, 2012

According to a report just released by S&P Experian, the first mortgage default rate fell by more than a quarter of a percent (26 basis points) in May compared to April and is the lowest rate since May 2007. The second mortgage rate also fell during the month, by 5 basis points, and is at a seven year low.

Mortgage defaults and delinquencies are the pre-cursor to foreclosures and foreclosures are the enemy of home prices so this is good news and a trend that, if it continues, should point the way to a housing recovery.

New home construction in May is up significantly from a year ago

By Dennis Norman, on June 19th, 2012

The U.S. Census Bureau and US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued their report on New Residential Construction for May 2012 showing an increase in single-family home building permits from the year before of 19.9 percent and a 26.2 percent increase in new home starts for the same period. Continue Reading →

Inventory of homes for sale in St. Louis drops almost 20 percent from year ago

By Dennis Norman, on June 18th, 2012

According to a report released by Realtor.com, the inventory of homes, condominiums, townhouses and co-ops for sale in St. Louis dropped by almost 20 percent (19.79%) in May 2012 compared to a year ago Continue Reading →

Shadow inventory falls back to 2008 levels

By Dennis Norman, on June 15th, 2012

Yesterday, CoreLogic released their shadow inventory report which showed that the current residential shadow inventory (as of April 2012) had fallen to 1.5 million units, representing a supply of four months which is a 14.8 percent decline from a year ago when shadow inventory stood at 1.8 million units, or a six-months’ supply. Continue Reading →

St Louis Foreclosure Activity Increases In May

By Dennis Norman, on June 14th, 2012

This morning, RealtyTrac released their U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for May 2012 which shows that foreclosure filings (default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions) we’re reported on 1,872 properties in St. Louis during the month, a 4.41 percent increase from the previous month and an increase of 16.71 percent from May 2011. During the month, 1 out of every 667 homes in St. Louis had a foreclosure filing. Continue Reading →

St. Louis Real Estate Market and Home Prices Update; May 2012

By Dennis Norman, on June 13th, 2012

Below is a video update on the St. Louis Real Estate Market that I prepare monthly. In this video I do a quick recap of the news in the St Louis real estate market for the month as well as an overview of the St Louis housing market itself. The update includes charts with up to the date data on the St Louis housing market including St Louis home prices, average time to sell a home in the St Louis area as well as other data and charts to show where the St Louis real estate market is and where it is headed. (Check out all our market update videos on our YouTube Channel – click here. Continue Reading →

St. Louis Mortgage Rate Update; Housing Scorecard Finds Promise in Recent Market Data

By Robert Fishel, on June 13th, 2012

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of the Treasury released their May Housing Scorecard, which collects key market data and tracks the administration’s recovery efforts. According to the May scorecard, recent market data contains a number of promising indicators and increasing signs of stability. In April, sales of existing homes increased in every region of the country and the number of new homes rose for the first time since 2007. Continue Reading →

Top 100 web sites for do it yourself home improvement

By Chase Gentry, on June 12th, 2012

Are you ready to tackle that bathroom renovation you’ve been putting off? Before you pick up the phone and hire a contractor, why not save some cash and try your hand at it. Considering the cost of renovations for homeowners, DIY has gained popularity. The following list, created by Construction Management Degree.com, contains 100 of the top DIY websites to help guide your home improvement projects, in no particular order. We arrived at this list through our own research, and for the benefit of our readers. The list is organized by area of the home including; General Remodeling, Interior Decorating, Kitchen and Bathroom, Office and Workspaces, Landscaping and Exterior, Basement, Storage, and Closets. Continue Reading →

Report shows U.S. Home Prices have "Turned the Corner"

By Dennis Norman, on June 8th, 2012

This week Clear Capital® released its Home Data Index™ (HDI) Market Report with data through May 2012 which showed home prices in the U.S. grew both on a quarterly and yearly basis for the first time since August 2010. At the regional level home prices improved on a quarterly and yearly basis as well in all regions except for the Midwest which saw declines in home prices but not as large of declines as in the previous month. Continue Reading →

Looking for a bargain vacation home near the beach?

By Dennis Norman, on June 7th, 2012

My family is definitely a beach-loving family! Most of the trips and vacations our family has been on over the years have included beaches and both of our children’s first trips as infants were to the beach. So, I guess it is safe to say our family loves beaches and we are not alone! Even though beach property has suffered during the real estate bust, there seems to always be demand for homes in beach communities. Some areas, like Sarasota, Florida, are already seeing prices increase on homes located on or near the beach. Did you wait too late to buy that second home or vacation home in a beach community? Well, according to a report just released by RealtyTrac, there are still some bargains to be found out there! Continue Reading →

Report shows U.S. home prices rose in April; predicts 2 percent increase in next month

By Dennis Norman, on June 7th, 2012

CoreLogic released its April Home Price Index (HPI) report showing home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased on a year-over-year basis by 1.1 percent in April 2012 compared to April 2011. This is the second consecutive month with year-over-year increases, and the first time two consecutive increases have occurred since June 2010. On a month-over-month basis, home prices, including distressed sales, increased by 2.2 percent in April 2012. This marks the second consecutive month-over-month increase this year. Continue Reading →

St. Louis Mortgage Rate Update; Jumping through hoops to get a mortgage

By Robert Fishel, on June 6th, 2012

A common complaint that consumers have regarding today’s mortgage loan origination process has to do with all of the hoops they have to jump through in order to get a loan. Continue Reading →

Home Prices Flat in May After Three Straight Months of Increases, as Foreclosure Prices Decline

By News Desk, on June 4th, 2012

Trulia today released the latest findings from the Trulia Price Monitor and the Trulia Rent Monitor, the earliest leading indicators available of trends in home prices and rents. Based on the for-sale homes and rentalslisted on Trulia, these monitors take into account changes in the mix of listed homes and reflect trends in prices and rents for similar homes in similar neighborhoods through May 31, 2012. Continue Reading →

One in four St Louis Metro home sales are foreclosures; One in three in the City of St Louis

By Dennis Norman, on May 31st, 2012

This morning RealtyTrac® released its U.S. Foreclosure Sales Report™ for the first quarter of 2012, which shows that sales of homes that were in some stage of foreclosure or bank owned accounted for 24 percent of all St. Louis metro area home sales during the first quarter — up from 17 percent of all St Louis home sales in the fourth quarter and the same as the first quarter of 2011. The report also shows that, during the quarter, over 10 percent (10.36) of St Louis metro home sales were short-sales, an increase from 5.85 percent the previous quarter and an increase from 7.46 percent from the first quarter of 2011. Continue Reading →

St. Louis Mortgage Rate Update; Rates hit new record low

By Robert Fishel, on May 30th, 2012

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates fell to yet another new survey low last week. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances fell to 3.91 percent from 3.93 percent the week before. Despite the drop, mortgage loan demand was relatively flat. The Refinance Index dropped 1.5 percent from the previous week and the Purchase Index slipped 0.6 percent. The Market Composite Index, which measures total mortgage loan application volume, fell 1.3 percent from the week before. The refinance share of all mortgage activity was unchanged at 76.6 percent. Continue Reading →

How to apply for independent foreclosure review

By Dennis Norman, on May 29th, 2012

If you feel you were a victim of an improper foreclosure process in 2009 or 2010 by one of the companies below, you may apply for an independent foreclosure review and receive compensation if the independent review finds evidence of direct financial injury to you due to servicer error. Time is running out however as the deadline to apply is July 31, 2012. To make it easier to understand the process, the fed’s have produced a video on how to apply which I have included below. Continue Reading →

St Louis home values fall in April; St. Louis rents on the rise

By News Desk, on May 27th, 2012

Rents Rise in Three-Quarters of Markets, According to April Zillow Real Estate Market Reports National home values rose for the second month in a row, climbing 0.7 percent from March to a Zillow Home Value Index of $147,300. This is the largest monthly increase in home values since January 2006, when they rose 0.8 percent, according to the April Zillow® Real Estate Market Reports. Rents also rose from March to April, increasing 1.6 percent, according to the Zillow Rent Index. Rents rose in 78 percent of the 178 markets covered by Zillow. Continue Reading →

Despite Home Value Gains, Underwater Homeowners Owe $1.2 Trillion More than Homes’ Worth

By News Desk, on May 25th, 2012

But Negative Equity is a Paper Loss for Most, As 90% of Underwater Homeowners Pay Mortgage on Time Nearly one-third (31.4 percent) of U.S. homeowners with mortgages – or 15.7 million – were underwater on their mortgage in the first quarter of 2012, despite rising home values, according to the first quarter Zillow® Negative Equity Report[1]. Collectively, underwater homeowners owed $1.2 trillion more than their homes were worth. Negative equity rose slightly from 31.1 percent in the fourth quarter, and declined from 32.4 percent one year ago. Continue Reading →

New home sales and prices on the rise in April

By Dennis Norman, on May 25th, 2012

Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Census Bureau released new home sales data for April 2012 showing an increase of 3.3 percent from the month before, and an increase of 9.9 percent from a year ago. The seasonally-adjusted new home sales rate for April was 343,000 homes, up from a revised rate of 332,000 homes the month before. The supply of new homes on the market decreased to a 5.1 month supply from a revised 5.2 months the month before. The median new home price increased slightly to $235,700 from a revised median price of $234,000 the month before and increased 4.4 percent from a year ago when the median new home price was $224,700. Continue Reading →

St. Louis Mortgage Rate Update; Fannie Mae’s Latest Housing Survey

By Robert Fishel, on May 23rd, 2012

Fannie Mae’s April 2012 National Housing Survey indicates consumer attitudes toward homeownership, the economy, personal finances, and home prices continuing to improve. Continue Reading →

Existing home sales and prices increase in April; Housing recovery is underway

By Dennis Norman, on May 22nd, 2012

Today’s existing home sales report from the National Association of REALTORS® shows existing home sales in April were at at a seasonally adjusted-annual rate of 4.62 million units which is a increase of 3.4 percent from the month before and an increase of 10.0 percent from a year ago. The actual number of homes sold in April was 400,000 which is an increase of 11.1 percent from the month before and an increase of 6.7 percent from a year ago when there were 375,000 homes sold. Continue Reading →

Mortgage delinquencies increase in April; first increase in nine months

By Dennis Norman, on May 22nd, 2012

The mortgage delinquency rate (the percentage of home loans 30 or more days past due) increased in April 0.4 percent from the month before according to the latest “First Watch Report” from Lenders Processing Services (LPS). While this is a modest increase, it temporarily reverses the trend we have seen for the past 9 months of declining mortgage delinquency rates. The mortgage delinquency rate in April, at 7.12 percent of all loans, is down 10.6 percent from a year ago however. The foreclosure rate for April was 4.14 percent, the same as the month before as well as the year before so, at least the foreclosure rate is remaining flat and not increasing. Continue Reading →

Fannie mae sets new 30 day deadline to respond to short sales

By Dennis Norman, on May 21st, 2012

By now almost everyone has probably heard a story about (or experienced themselves) the laborious, time-consuming and mind numbing process of trying to buy (or sell) a home on a short sale or, in other words, for less than is owed on the home with the lenders blessing. Unfortunately the lenders blessing, in many cases, has taken many weeks or even many months to get causing many buyers and sellers to give up along the way. Now though, thanks to a recent rule change by Fannie Mae, this process will be improved greatly and happen within 30 days in most instances. Continue Reading →

Weather, not jobs, motivating long-distance house hunters

By Dennis Norman, on May 18th, 2012

motivation for the move is warmer weather, not a job. Wow, I can relate to that….. In fact, according to the report, most long distance house hunters are looking in markets with higher unemployment and slower job growth than where they currently live. Fro example, as you can see in the chart below, 3 times as many people in Minneaplolis – St Paul (with 6.2 percent unemployment) are looking for homes in Phoenix (where unemployment is 8.5) than vice versa. Continue Reading →

St. Louis Real Estate Market and St. Louis Home Prices Update; May 2012

By Dennis Norman, on May 18th, 2012

The St. Louis real estate market has increased activity and is showing signs of St Louis home prices stabilizing. Get this and much more up to date information on St Louis Real Estate from an experienced St Louis Realtor in this informative video update. Continue Reading →

St Louis Foreclosures in April up almost 29 percent from year ago

By Dennis Norman, on May 17th, 2012

This morning, RealtyTrac released their U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for April 2012 which shows that foreclosure filings (default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions) we’re reported on 1,793 properties in St. Louis during the month, a 0.33 percent decrease from the previous month and an increase of 28.53 percent from April 2011. During the month, 1 out of every 696 homes in St. Louis had a foreclosure filing. Continue Reading →

Report says housing market recovery to be led by demand by investors for rental property

By Dennis Norman, on May 16th, 2012

According to a new report, The Shifting Nature of U.S. Housing Demand, by The Demand Institute, average home prices will increase by up to 1 percent in the second half of 2012. By 2014, home prices will increase by as much as 2.5 percent. From 2015 to 2017, the study projects annual increases between 3 and 4 percent. This recovery will not be uniform across the country, and the strongest markets could capture average gains of 5 percent or more in the coming years. Continue Reading →

New home construction continues to show modest improvement

By Dennis Norman, on May 16th, 2012

The U.S. Census Bureau and US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued their report on New Residential Construction for April 2012 showing an increase in single-family home building permits from the month before of 1.9 percent and a 18.5 percent increase in new home starts compared to the year before. Continue Reading →

St. Louis Mortgage Rate Update; How does amortization work?

By Robert Fishel, on May 16th, 2012

By committing to a mortgage loan, the borrower is entering into a financial agreement with a lender to pay back the mortgage money, with interest, over a set period of time. The borrower’s monthly mortgage payment may change over time depending on the type of loan (Fixed, ARM, Interest Only, etc.). However, for this article, we will address the typical 30 year fixed Principal and Interest loan program. So… Continue Reading →