ru - Residential Update

February 2022

State Attorneys General Target FHA Loan Violations

Attorneys general from 20 states have accused mortgage servicers employed by Federal Housing Administration-approved lenders of failing to properly implement loan modification options, including options to reduce principal and interest, that the agency introduced in July, according to a Dec. 21 letter sent to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, HousingWire reported Jan. 5.

February 2022

Las Vegas and Austin, Texas, Lead December Housing Frenzy: Realtor.com Report

Nationwide home listing prices jumped 10% in December compared with the same point a year ago, led by Las Vegas (up 32.4%) and Austin, Texas, (up 28.8%), Realtor.com reported Jan. 6 in its Monthly Housing Report. The increase was partly driven by buyers looking to lock in deals ahead of projected mortgage rate increases.

February 2022

Housing Market, Economy to Reach ‘New Normal’ This Year, Fannie Mae Predicts

The housing market and overall economy are expected to reach a “new normal” this year as market disturbances and policy responses stemming from the coronavirus pandemic subside, Fannie Mae reported Jan. 19 in its newest Economic Outlook. Home sales and house price growth should reach a more sustainable pace, and home price appreciation is expected to rise 7.6%.

February 2022

Vacation Home Demand is 77% Higher than Pre-pandemic Levels, According to Redfin

Demand for vacation homes in December was 77% higher than pre-pandemic levels as people continue to work remotely and are able to take advantage of low interest rates, Redfin reported Jan. 6. While December demand was high, it was lower than the demand recorded in November and last January.

February 2022

Consumers Says Now is a Good Time to Sell a Home, Bad Time to Buy One: Fannie Mae

Seventy-six percent of consumers said they believe it’s a good time to sell a home, but only 26% said it’s the right time to buy one, Fannie Mae reported Jan. 7 in its latest Home Purchase Sentiment Index. At this point last year, 52% favored selling, while 50% wanted to buy. The shift may foretell a softening of the housing market.

February 2022

Home Prices Up Nearly 20% Year-over-year: CoreLogic

Home prices in November were up 18.1% year-over-year and are forecast to rise another 2.8% through December 2022, CoreLogic reported Jan. 4 in its Home Price Insights report. However, rising inflation could lead to higher mortgage rates, which could dampen the housing market.

February 2022

Manchester, New Hampshire, Again Tops List of Hottest Housing Markets: Realtor.com

Manchester, New Hampshire, returned to the top of the list of hottest U.S. housing markets in December, having claimed the top spot 10 times since August 2020, Realtor.com reported Jan. 20. Burlington, North Carolina, landed second on the list and is one of four North Carolina markets in the top 20.

January 2022

White House Mulls Restrictions on All-cash Property Sales

The U.S. Department of the Treasury will start to develop regulations that could expand reporting requirements for all-cash real estate purchases, Bloomberg reported Dec. 6. The effort aims to reduce global corruption, and could mandate that title insurance companies turn over information about cash purchases made through shell companies.

January 2022

Residential Appraisals Shouldn’t Reference Neighborhood Demographics: FHFA

The Federal Housing Finance Agency on Dec. 14 reported that its analysis of millions of property valuations found many residential appraisal reports that contained improper references to a neighborhood’s racial demographics. Examples include the percentages of an area's racial and ethnic makeup; the languages spoken in an area; and amenities specifically geared to a race, ethnic, or religious group.

January 2022

NAR Expects Slower Home Price Appreciation in 2022, Reveals ‘Hidden’ Housing Markets

Home price appreciation will slow in 2022, inflation will ease and interest rates will see multiple increases, the National Association of Realtors reported Dec. 15 in its year-end real estate forecast. NAR also revealed housing markets it considers “hidden gems,” including Dallas-Fort Worth in Texas; the Daphne-Fairhope-Farley area in Alabama; and the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers region straddling the Arkansas and Missouri state line.