The big local housing story today is a study that was released recently by University of Washington Economics professor Theo Eicher. The thrilling title of the study is “Municipal and Statewide Land Use Regulations and Housing Prices Across 250 Major US Cities,” and it may be found (along with a number of related materials) here….
Category: News
News, current events, etc.
Interest Rate update
I’m seeing via various sources that interest rates are moving up. Today I’m reading that 30 yr fixed rates are around 5.75%. The yield on 10 yr bonds has been increasing lately. Have a good day.
Freddie Mac: 81% 4th Qtr. ’07 Refi’s exceeded original loan by 5% or more.
Frank Nothaft, Vice President and Chief Economist of Freddie Mac: “In the fourth quarter of 2007, 81% of Freddie Mac-owned loans that were refinanced resulted in new mortgages with loan amounts that were at least 5% higher than the original mortgage balances, according to Freddie Mac’s quarterly refinance review. The revised share for the third…
More “Superstar” Nonsense from Lawrence Yun
Apparently the only necessarily qualification for becoming a “world class” or “superstar” city is to keep on repeating that it is so. That’s the message I’m getting from the latest quotes from the Realtor’s spokesman Lawrence Yun, anyway. Seattle-area home prices are manageable for typical workers, according to the chief economist for the National Association…
Time to crank some Foo Fighters: Would you please shop for loans people. Please.
It is important that consumers who are buying homes or refinancing understand that until a fiduciary relationship (one where the loan officer is working in the best interest of the borrower) becomes law, you are on notice that by not shopping you could be paying hundreds of dollars more per month than need be and…