Author name: Ricky Vasquez

Mortgage applications increase, fueled by refinance demand

Mortgage applications rose 2.8% last week as lower borrowing costs spurred a pickup in refinancing activity, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Feb. 13. On an unadjusted basis, the index rose 5% compared with the previous week. Refinance applications led the gain, climbing 7% from the […]

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Wary optimism sparks new-home outlook … but grind may linger

While homebuilder sentiment remains subdued after a 12-month grind that hasn’t quite let up, Robert Dietz, Chief Economist for the National Association of Home Builders, offered “guarded optimism” in his take on housing economics’ complex set of market drivers.  In other words, the worst of the worst may be over, but don’t expect a switch

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The Inflation You Can’t Budget Around: Why Housing Search Must Move From Price to Monthly Payment

Inflation didn’t just make things “more expensive.” It broke household planning—because the largest line item in most budgets, housing, is still shopped with the wrong unit of measure. When families budget by monthly outflow but search by list price, the market becomes inefficient, stress rises, and mobility collapses. The fix is straightforward: make monthly payment

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