CFPB: Don’t Let Marketers Tell You How to Age in Place
We often hear that older Americans want to “age in place.” Aging in place means living at home in the community, rather than in an institutional setting, like a nursing facility. This is the choice most people want to make even if they need services and support to do so. With over ten thousand people…
FHFA: House Price Index Up 0.4 Percent in May
Washington, D.C. – U.S. house prices rose in May, up 0.4 percent from the previous month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) seasonally adjusted monthly House Price Index (HPI). The previously reported 0.7 percent increase in April was revised downward to reflect a 0.6 percent increase. The FHFA monthly HPI is calculated using…
CFPB: Buying a Home? Watch out for Mortgage Closing Scams
Summer is a busy homebuying season. If you’re in the market for a new home this year, watch out for email phishing scams. According to reports, the scams target homebuyers who are nearing the closing date on their mortgage loan. The scammers attempt to steal the homebuyer’s closing funds—for example, their down payment and closing…
HUD: $50 Million in Housing Counseling Grants Awarded
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded more than $50 million in housing counseling grants to hundreds of national, regional and local organizations to help families and individuals with their housing needs and to prevent future foreclosures. HUD’s housing counseling grants and the additional funding they leverage will assist…
FHFA: House Price Index Up 0.7 Percent in April 2017
Washington, D.C. – U.S. house prices rose in April, up 0.7 percent from the previous month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) seasonally adjusted monthly House Price Index (HPI). The previously reported 0.6 percent increase in March was revised upward to reflect a 0.7 percent increase. The FHFA monthly HPI is calculated using home…
FHFA: First Quarter 2017 Foreclosure Prevention Report
Washington, D.C. – The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released its first quarter Foreclosure Prevention Report, which shows that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) completed 49,104 foreclosure prevention actions in the first quarter of 2017, bringing the total number of troubled homeowners helped since conservatorships to nearly 3.9 million. Of the foreclosure…
HUD: June is National Healthy Homes Month
WASHINGTON – In an effort to help families keep their kids healthy and to reinforce the connection between a family’s health and their home, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is kicking off the second annual National Healthy Homes Month. Throughout the month, the goal is to raise awareness for what makes…
Federal Reserve: Is The Rent Too High? Aggregate Implications of Local Land-Use Regulation
June 2017 Is the Rent Too High? Aggregate Implications of Local Land-Use Regulation (PDF) Devin Bunten Abstract: Highly productive U.S. cities are characterized by high housing prices, low housing stock growth, and restrictive land-use regulations (e.g., San Francisco). While new residents would benefit from housing stock growth in cities with highly productive firms, existing residents…
HUD: National Homeownership Month Kicks Off
WASHINGTON – The Trump Administration proclaimed June as National Homeownership Month, a time to reflect upon the impact owning a home has on household wealth, neighborhood stability and the nation’s broader economic health. The theme of National Homeownership Month 2017 is “Find Your Place in a New Era of Homeownership.” Read the President’s Homeownership Month Proclamation….
FHFA: Index Shows Mortgage Rates Decreased in April 2017
Washington, DC – Nationally, interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages decreased from March to April, according to several indices of new mortgage contracts. The National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders Index was 3.97 percent for loans closed in late April, down 15 basis points from 4.12…