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The housing market finished 2011 with strength, and is carrying measurable momentum into 2012.  According to data from the National Association of REALTORS®, on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis, December's Existing Home Sales climbed by 120,00 units overall from the month prior on its way to an 11-month high. An "existing home" is a home that's ...

The outlook for the U.S. economy improved last week, taking the mortgage bond market with it. For the first time this year, conforming mortgage rates rose throughout IL from one week to the next. Data was strong across all categories last week. Home Resales :Existing Home Sales rose 5% New Homes : Single-Family Housing ...

When it comes to housing data, sometimes you have to look past the headlines. December's Housing Starts data offers a terrific illustration of why. Each month, the Census Bureau tallies Housing Starts for the month prior. A "housing start" is a home on which construction has started. The Housing Starts report is separated by ...

Homebuilder confidence is soaring. For the fourth straight month, the National Association of Homebuilders reports an increase in its Housing Market Index. The index climbed 4 points to 25 this month -- its second four-point gain since October. With home sales activity increasing across all four regions, the monthly HMI has now nearly doubled in value since June 2011. The ...

Foreclosure filings are fewer these days, according to foreclosure-tracking firm RealtyTrac. In December 2011, the number of foreclosure filings nationwide fell 9 percent from the month prior. Not since November 2007 has foreclosure activity been this sparse across the country. The drop does not appear to be seasonal, either.  Last month's foreclosure filings were ...

Mortgage markets gained last week, picking up momentum into the weekend. Global demand for mortgage-backed bonds helped push mortgage rates to new lows, and closing costs eased somewhat, too. According to Freddie Mac's weekly mortgage rate survey, the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 3.89% nationwide. In order to get access to 3.89% ...

Will your home gain value over the next 12 months? Nobody can know for sure, of course, but should recent housing trends continue, there's concrete cause for optimism. The housing economy has suffered since 2007, knocking home values down nearly 20% nationwide. ...

The Federal Reserve has released the minutes from its most recent Federal Open Market Committee meeting. The Fed Minutes are a detailed meeting recap; the companion piece to the more brief, more well-known press release. As a comparison, the minutes of the last FOMC meeting contained 60 paragraphs and 7,027 words. The post-meeting press release ...

Consumer spending continues to rise nationwide, fueled by jobs growth and a rosier outlook for the U.S. economy. Unfortunately for mortgage rate shoppers |*STATE in % STATE**|, it may also lead to higher mortgage rates later this week. Thursday morning, the Census Bureau will release its U.S. Retail Sales data for December. The report ...

Starting soon, nearly all home buyers and refinancing households throughout IL and nationwide will pay higher mortgage loan fees. Congress has made it law. 13 months ago, as part of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, Congress enacted a one-year cut to FICA payroll taxes. FICA stands for Federal ...