ThinkstockEverybody in the business of writing, reporting or talking about stocks and the stock market has highlighted the spectacular run of the housing stocks since the March 2009 low. Every firm on Wall St.…
ThinkstockIn January of this year, the shadow inventory of U.S. homes declined by 18% to 2.2 million units, from 2.6 million units in January 2012. Shadow inventory refers to the number of properties that…
ThinkstockThe National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that the seasonally adjusted annual rate of existing home sales in February rose 0.8% to 4.98 million from an upwardly revised total of 4.94 million in January.…
ThinkstockThe Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) reported this morning that home prices in the United States rose 0.6% month-over-month in January, following a downward revision of the December housing price index to a gain…
ThinkstockKB Home (NYSE: KBH) reported first-quarter 2013 results before markets opened this morning. The home builder posted a quarterly diluted earnings per share (EPS) loss of $0.16 on revenues of $405.2 million. In the…
ThinkstockLennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN) reported fiscal first-quarter results before markets opened this morning. The home builder reported quarterly diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.26 on revenues of $989.9 million. In the same period…
ThinkstockThe Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released its weekly report on mortgage applications this morning, noting a decrease of 7.1% in the group’s seasonally adjusted composite index. That followed a drop of 4.7% for the…
ThinkstockAre Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac really still safe from the bankruptcy chamber? 24/7 Wall St. is looking for a reality check here and we find it surprising that the giant moves here have…
ThinkstockBy now you are likely well aware that the housing crisis is not just over. The housing market is undersupplied and many markets are experiencing huge booms in their pricing. Many economists preach that housing…
Research firm CoreLogic Inc. (NYSE: CLGX) reported today that both the number and total value of residential properties with negative equity declined in the fourth quarter of the 2012. As a percentage of all…
ThinkstockThe U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development reported this morning that new housing starts in February rose to an annual seasonally adjusted rate of 917,000, an increase of 0.8%…
ThinkstockThe National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo housing market index fell by two points in March to 44. The January reading of 47 was the highest for the index since April 2006. An…
ThinkstockOne of the most substantial concerns about the Chinese economy is that inflation in securities, food prices and real estate could create bubbles. The central government has hoped to keep this under control with…
ThinkstockThe home building industry may have been left for dead after the mortgage debacle and recession of 2008, but it continues to help lead markets higher and heal a very anemic economy. Because of…
ThinkstockAlmost all the recent data about home values, sales and construction have pointed to a sharp rebound toward the record levels of 2006. The market still has a great distance to go before it…