There was a development this week in the land of the high-yielding mortgage REITs. Wealthy and income oriented investors have been flocking to these for years because of their high dividends which are often…
The worst part about hurricane season is that one bad hurricane has no impact on whether or not another hurricane, or series of hurricanes, can be coming back down the pipe. If you track…
All 20 major US markets showed year-over-year home price declines during June. The drop was led by Minneapolis where prices fell 10.4%. Prices in Portland were off 9.6%. In Phoenix they fell 9.3%. Price…
Even as the value of residential real estate around the developed world continued its multi-year plunge in the second quarter, some countries bucked the trend. In seven national markets, housing values rose by more…
The National Association of Realtors is out with yet one more dangerous piece of news for the housing sector, news which leaves many wondering if housing will ever return. Pending home sales declined in…
Will Hurricane Irene cost the United States $10 billion? $15 billion? Or even more? It really depends upon whom you speak with on this front. The expected damage count is growing now that the…
Any home sale is a good one in the current market, but banks’ sales of foreclosed properties bring down prices. These sales are still a major part of the market. According to RealtyTrac, “sales…
Homebuilder Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE: TOL) reported third fiscal quarter earnings this morning, managing to post EPS of $0.25 on revenue of $394 million. Analysts were expecting EPS of $0.03 on revenue of $404…
Most data about the housing market shows that foreclosures and delinquencies are up. Yet, other information contradicts that. RealtyTrac said foreclosures fell to a multimonth low in July. Its CEO said that is temporary,…
Shares in home improvement store Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) were trading higher by around 3% in the pre-market this morning on news that the company will initiate a $5 billion stock repurchase plan.…
Those who don’t invest in the stock market would like to pretend stock market crashes don’t concern them, but the truth is that they do. It’s not only those who actively trade who lose…
There is a strong indication that home builders have almost ceased activity in several states as demand for newly built homes has dwindled. The slowdown in new home permits is particularly stark when compared…
Investors now have yet one more option to choose from when it comes to investing in mortgage REITs. Van Eck Global has now launched the Market Vectors Mortgage REIT Income ETF (NYSE: MORT) as…
The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE: HD), like its competitor Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW), managed to beat EPS estimates by a bit, but, unlike its competitor, Home Depot also beat on revenues and raised…
Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) reported earnings on Monday morning ahead of the Tuesday report from The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE: HD). When you look at the Lowe’s numbers and when you combine the…