Monthly Archives: December 2013

Not all rainbows and butterflies in Rentville

Posted on December 9, 2013 by grim

From the Boston Globe: Do renters have it tougher? Home buyers and owners have certainly faced their share of misery over the past decade. And the return of escalating home prices is fast undoing any minor increase in affordability created … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Economics, National Real Estate | 146 Comments

Thinking FHA? You may be overpaying for your loan.

Posted on December 7, 2013 by grim

From the NYT: The Downside to F.H.A. Loans Mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration are the go-to product for borrowers who don’t have much cash for a down payment. But the required mortgage insurance premiums have become so costly … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Mortgages, National Real Estate, Property Taxes | 62 Comments

Prediction time came early this year

Posted on December 6, 2013 by grim

From Zillow: Real Estate Predictions & the Hottest Housing Markets for 2014 Discuss: Four Bold Housing Predictions for 2014 1. U.S. home values will increase by 3 percent 2. Mortgage rates will reach 5 percent by the end of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Housing Recovery, National Real Estate | 114 Comments

Help Borrowers? Does Not Compute.

Posted on December 5, 2013 by grim

From the NYT: Banks Fail to Comply With Parts of Mortgage Settlement, Report Says Three of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders are still failing to comply with key requirements of a national settlement over mortgage abuses, according to a new … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreclosures, Mortgages, Politics | 82 Comments

A new side of Laurence Yun

Posted on December 4, 2013 by grim

From HousingWire: Sellers no longer sitting pretty As more inventory hits the housing market and buyers rebel against rising home prices, the real estate market is likely to shift from seller dominance to one that is more counterbalanced by buyer … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Housing Recovery, National Real Estate | 68 Comments

North Jersey Contracts – November 2013

Posted on December 3, 2013 by grim

Here it is! The first look at pending home sales (contracts) for Northern NJ. (Source GSMLS, except Bergen- NJMLS) November Pending Home Sales (Contracts) ——————————- Bergen County November 2011 – 523 November 2012 – 543 November 2013 – 627 (Up … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Housing Recovery, New Jersey Real Estate, North Jersey Real Estate | 109 Comments

The Global Echo Bubble

Posted on December 2, 2013 by grim

From Business Insider: Nouriel Roubini Just Identified A Ton Of Housing Markets That Look Like Bubbles To Him Economist Nouriel Roubini is sounding a big warning about global housing bubbles. In a new piece for Project Syndicate, he identifies at … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Housing Bubble | 91 Comments

Even the wealthy can be financial idiots

Posted on December 1, 2013 by grim

From the Record: Even wealthy hit by foreclosures Nine years after spending millions to build their dream home in Franklin Lakes, Kevin and Cheri Schmidt lost it recently to foreclosure. The Schmidts have sued their bank, saying it’s to blame … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, New Development, New Jersey Real Estate | 46 Comments