Max Leaman Austin Mortgage

Texas Mortgage Market Update - For the week of March 25, 2013 - The U.S. real estate market is certainly putting some boldness into its recovery, as indicated by recent reports. February Existing Home Sales shot up 10.2% from a year ago, the fastest sales pace since the homebuyer tax credit boost in November 2009. The median existing home price is UP 11.6% versus a year ago and has now posted year-over-year increases 12 months in a row! And the FHFA index of prices for homes financed with conforming mortgages is UP 6.5% the past year.

Texas Mortgage Market Update - For the week of March 18, 2013 - Americans currently have bright and happy expectations about housing, according to Fannie Mae's latest National Housing Survey. Their chief economist commented, "Despite fiscal headwinds and political uncertainty, consumer sentiment toward housing is robust and continues to gather strength." Specifically, 48% of survey respondents believe home prices will go up in the next 12 months, a high for the survey begun in June 2010. Only 10% of respondents believe home prices will go down, a survey low.

Texas Mortgage Market Update - For the week of March 11, 2013 - Those of us who haven't been discouraged by the housing market these past few years, can now see the progress we helped to achieve. Last week, more good news came regarding home prices. A leading data aggregator reported national home prices were UP 9.7% in January versus a year ago, the biggest annual increase since April 2006. And the 0.7% monthly advance they posted was their 11th in a row. Many observers feel these price gains will likely boost home sales during the first half of the year.

Texas Mortgage Market Update - For the week of February 18, 2013 - There is more and more evidence that the door of opportunity is opening in the housing market. On Valentine's Day Freddie Mac showed us some love in their Housing Market Outlook, which projected starts UP 22% this year, to a 950,000 unit annual rate. Their chief economist commented, "Across the nation, most local housing markets have room for sustainable growth.... As the broader economy heals, expect to see more good news, with house prices continuing their recent upward trend, and home sales and housing starts continuing to post strong growth rates."

Texas Mortgage Market Update - For the week of February 11, 2013 - People who are putting their homes on the market appear to be feeling pretty good these days. An online real estate portal reports that the asking prices of homes listed with them were up 5.9% in January from a year ago, in 86 of the 100 largest metros. Those asking prices grew by a seasonally adjusted 0.9% from December, the largest month-over-month boost since March last year.

Texas Mortgage Market Update - For the week of January 28, 2013 - There's not much that's stopping the housing market from steadily moving forward. For 2012, the National Association of Realtors reported existing home sales UP 9.2% to 4.65 million units, flirting with levels not seen since 2007's 5.03 million homes. The median existing home price is UP 11.5% from December a year ago, the tenth month in a row of year-over-year gains. For 2012, the median price was UP 6.3%, the largest annual price gain since 2005! Completing the picture, although down in December, New Home Sales posted a 19.9% annual gain, their first in 7 years. The median sales price for 2012 was UP 7.2% over 2011, while the FHFA index of prices for homes financed with conforming mortgages is UP 5.6% in the past year.

Texas Mortgage Market Update - For the week of January 21, 2013 - INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE... What's doing pretty well is the housing market. Last Monday, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke called housing one positive factor "that's going to help us have, I hope, a better year in 2013 and 2014." Evidence for that came Thursday with an unexpected 12.1% bump in December Housing Starts, to a 954,000 annual rate. Single family starts are up 8.1% for the month and 18.5% over a year ago. New Building permits were up to a 903,000 annual rate, up 27.3% for single-family homes versus a year ago.

Texas Mortgage Market Update - For the week of January 14, 2013 - That's a good thought as we watch the housing market, once doomed to failure, turn into a more successful enterprise. A national online real estate site surveyed more than 100 professional forecasters -- economists, real estate experts, and investment and market strategists. They see growing optimism in the housing market, expecting home prices to rise 3.1% in 2013, after ending 2012 UP more than 4.6%. The site's chief economist commented, "An organic recovery in the housing market really took hold in the latter half of 2012."

Texas Mortgage Market Update - For the week of January 7, 2013 - Our leaders in Washington aren't telling if they've truly resolved to put our fiscal house in order, but at least last week's deal to avert the fiscal cliff left housing a winner on most issues. First, they extended mortgage forgiveness debt relief through 2013. If they hadn't done this, principal balances written off by lenders to help homeowners with underwater mortgages would have been treated as ordinary taxable income. The bill also re-established the deduction for mortgage insurance premiums for 2012 and 2013 for people with adjusted gross income below $110,000.