Monthly Archives: July 2013

Texas Mortgage Market Update - For the week of July 29, 2013 - It was certainly important to understand the details of last week's Existing Home Sales report. The headline numbers showed June Existing Home Sales were down a disappointing 1.2%, to a 5.08 million annual rate. But other details were encouraging. Existing Home Sales are up 15.2% over a year ago. The median price of an existing home rose and is now up 13.5% from a year ago. Sales are near their highest levels since November 2009, when they were spiked by the big home buyer tax credit. Existing home sales remain above the 5 million a year threshold, a very decent place to be.

Texas Mortgage Market Update - For the week of July 15, 2013 - Some see the recent rise in mortgage rates as a difficulty, but the latest Fannie Mae National Housing Survey posits a different point of view. Their chief economist says: "The spike in mortgage rate expectations this month...may increase housing activity in the near term by driving urgency to buy." He explains: "Consumers may recognize that today's still favorable mortgage rates and homeownership affordability levels will recede over time.... More prospective homebuyers may be deciding that now is the time to get off the fence."