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US Consumer Confidence Stabilizes with First Rise in 4 Months

US consumer confidence rose for the first time in four months in November, aided by more optimistic views about the outlook for the labor market.The Conference Board’s index increased to 102 this month from a downwardly-revised 99.1 in October, data out Tuesday showed. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a reading of 101.A measure of expectations advanced amid a rebound in consumers’ assessme

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Contract Signings at Lowest Level in More Than 20 Years

A turnaround may be insight as mortgage rates retreat from their peak—but another issue is coming into focus for home buyers.As mortgage rates rose to their highest averages in October—nearing 8%—many home buyers backed away from the housing market. As a result, contract signings for existing homes dipped to their lowest number in more than 20 years, the National Association of REALTORS® reported Thursday.NAR’s Pending Home Sales&nb

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FHA, FHFA Announce Higher Conforming Loan Limits in ’24

In line with rising home prices, federally-backed loans will adjust for borrowers in the new year.Conforming loan limits are rising in the new year to keep up with escalating home prices, both the Federal Housing Administration and Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Tuesday.The new conforming loan limit set by the FHFA for 2024 is $766,550 (a hike of $40,350 compared to 2023’s baseline amount of $726,200). FHFA is the regulator of Fannie

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Home Prices Kept Rising even as Mortgage Rates Surged, S&P Case-Shiller Says

Higher mortgage rates appear to be doing very little to cool home prices.Nationally, prices were 3.9% higher in September compared with the same month a year earlier, up from a 2.5% annual gain in August, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index. This occurred as the average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage climbed toward 8%.Of the 20 metropolitan markets highlighted in the report, Detroit saw the biggest annual increase

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Thanksgiving Blessings

This Thanksgiving we give the most appreciation to the ones that give us an opportunity to show you "A Better Way of Living!" along with our loyal members and put trust in our services. Have a delicious and wonderful holiday.

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Mortgage Rates Hit Lowest Level in 2 Months

Requests for purchase loans were up 4% last week compared to the week before, but down 20% from the same time a year ago, Mortgage Bankers Association's weekly survey of lenders finds Applications for purchase mortgages surged last week as mortgage rates hit their lowest levels in two months, with rates continuing to trend down this week as bond market investors digest data that shows inflation cooling.Requests for purchase loans were up by a sea

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Home Sales Slip as Buyers still Face Competitive Market

Existing-home sales fell 4% last month, but the market is not slowing for buyers, who are still seeing plenty of competition.Home sales may have fallen last month, but home sellers still appear to hold the upper hand. Existing-home sales for single-family homes, townhomes, condos and co-ops dropped 4.1% in October and are down nearly 15% compared to one year ago, the National Association of REALTORS® reported Tuesday. Despite slowing sales, buye

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Mortgage Application Rejection Rates Decline in 2023

Consumer credit preferences shift as households anticipate reduced demand for credit cards, mortgages, and auto loans in the coming year.The Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Center for Microeconomic Data revealed Monday that rejection rates for new mortgage applications declined over the past four months. That comes amidst an increase in mortgage credit availability last month.The Survey of Consumer Expectations found that there was a

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More Relief in Mortgage Rates this Week

For the third consecutive week, mortgage rates fell, possibly a sign they’ve now moved past their recent peak. Find out where rates could be heading.Mortgage rates dropped again this week after reaching 20-year highs recently, and economists predict they are likely to continue to decline through the spring homebuying season. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.44% this week, backing further away from its near-8% high, Freddie Mac reports

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Federal Agency’s Plan to Help Home Buyers

‘We’re just looking at every opportunity we have to turn the dial as much as we can to help support homeowners in this difficult market,’ FHA official says Housing affordability hit a 39-year low this year, and the federal government says it’s determined to do something about that.Rising mortgage rates and home prices have made it a lot more expensive to buy a home.For a typical household, buying a median-priced home entails spending near

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