Opalesque Real Estate Briefing » Mortgage http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing Daily global real estate investment news Wed, 15 May 2013 00:49:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en UK housing demand and home prices rise strongly, surveyors say http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=62538 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=62538#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 00:48:35 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=62538 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=62538>Article Link</a> The post-recession recovery of the UK housing market revival is in full swing, an industry survey has shown. New buying inquiries soared last month and home prices continued to rise as property investment sentiment benefitted from government initiatives that give potential buyers greater access to mortgages. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=62538 How 30-year mortgages saved the housing market http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61709 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61709#comments Fri, 03 May 2013 02:22:38 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61709 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61709>Article Link</a> In most of the world, homeownership isn’t seen as a natural step in the progress toward responsible adulthood. Outside the U.S., mortgages are for small amounts, for shorter times, and have adjustable interest rates. The popular U.S. 30-year mortgage with a fixed rate, which makes possible low monthly payments and a more certain future, is an oddity. How did Americans develop such a peculiar financial practice? The New Deal. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=61709 Canada: The real cost of home ownership http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61670 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61670#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 01:48:18 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61670 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61670>Article Link</a> The sucker’s analysis of whether it’s affordable to buy a first home is to compare the cost of rent and a mortgage payment. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=61670 15-year mortgage rate hits record low http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61604 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61604#comments Fri, 26 Apr 2013 02:19:58 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61604 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61604>Article Link</a> The 15-year fixed rate fell to 2.61% this week from 2.64%, The previous record low of 2.63% was set the week of Nov. 21, 2012.An adjustable-rate mortgage, the 5/1 ARM, also bottomed out at 2.58%. The most popular mortgage, the 30-year fixed-rate, came in at 3.4%, 0.09 percentage point above its record low. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=61604 Australians incite bidding wars as rates spur rebound: Mortgages http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61571 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61571#comments Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:01:39 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61571 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61571>Article Link</a> Australians selling properties are increasingly turning to auctions as interest rates matching the lowest in 50 years fuel demand for homes in the country’s largest cities. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=61571 U.S. Real estate: 2013′s mortgage trend http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61537 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61537#comments Tue, 23 Apr 2013 01:45:48 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61537 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61537>Article Link</a> With the economy recovering from its recent downturn, and the spring season coming on, it’s no surprise that many people are curious as to their current prospects for buying a home (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=61537 US regulators see mortgage REITs as source of market vulnerability http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61519 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61519#comments Mon, 22 Apr 2013 02:16:24 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61519 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61519>Article Link</a> In the latest sign of Washington’s growing concern with market bubbles US financial regulators are setting their eyes on mortgage real estate investment trust companies as a potential risk to the country’s financial system, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The Financial Stability Oversight Council is expected to cite mortgage REITs as a point of vulnerability in the real estate market in its annual report next week, according to an inside source quoted by The Journal. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=61519 EU seeks to avoid housing bubbles with mortgage law deal http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61517 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61517#comments Mon, 22 Apr 2013 02:15:51 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61517 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61517>Article Link</a> European Union negotiators are expected to finalize the bloc’s first common rules on mortgage lending on Monday, in an attempt to avoid a repeat of property bubbles that helped fuel the euro zone’s debt crisis. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=61517 Neediest homebuyers in U.S. lifted by Japan: Mortgages http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61424 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61424#comments Mon, 15 Apr 2013 01:01:18 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61424 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61424>Article Link</a> U.S. homebuyers are getting an unexpected boost from the Bank of Japan. As Governor Haruhiko Kuroda’s efforts to spark inflation by doubling the central bank’s bond purchases shrinks the available debt in his country, traders are betting that will bolster demand for U.S-owned Ginnie Mae’s mortgage securities, pushing up prices and lowering yields that guide home-loan rates. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=61424 Can UAE’s new mortgage caps check speculation? http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61307 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61307#comments Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:47:37 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61307 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61307>Article Link</a> If Sultan bin Nasser al Suwaidi has his way, by the end of this year it will be that little bit harder for people in the UAE to buy their own homes. The central bank governor is preparing to impose new limits on the amount that anyone can borrow to buy a house or apartment in an effort to prevent a return to the days of uncontrolled property speculation which proved so damaging in the past. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=61307 Banks report increase in UK mortgage availability http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61264 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61264#comments Thu, 04 Apr 2013 01:37:41 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61264 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61264>Article Link</a> Survey shows more secured loans on offer to individuals, but situation for small and medium businesses remains tight. Banks’ appetite for lending to individuals grew in the first three months of 2013, but the availability of loans to small and medium businesses remained restricted, according to the Bank of England’s latest credit conditions survey. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=61264 Europe’s CMBS pipeline begins to flow http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61106 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61106#comments Thu, 28 Mar 2013 02:53:38 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61106 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61106>Article Link</a> Unloved and tarnished – Europe’s crisis-hit market for assets backed by commercial mortgages is now only a fraction of its 2006 peak. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=61106 UK: Mortgage scheme ‘risks driving up prices’ http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61058 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61058#comments Wed, 27 Mar 2013 01:44:14 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61058 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61058>Article Link</a> Britain’s fiscal watchdog has challenged chancellor George Osborne’s claims that his new mortgage guarantee scheme, the centrepiece of last week’s Budget, will trigger a spate of housebuilding. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=61058 Fannie and Freddie no model for UK housing http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61013 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61013#comments Tue, 26 Mar 2013 01:44:26 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61013 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61013>Article Link</a> Much is often made of how shrewd the US has been in bringing its financial system through the crisis relatively smoothly, even turning a profit on its bailouts. While UK taxpayers are still sitting on tens of billions of pounds of losses after rescuing the likes of Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds and Northern Rock, the US Treasury has sold its investments in nearly everything it bailed out, making money for taxpayers into the bargain. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=61013 Bubble set to form at low end of Thai market http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61001 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61001#comments Tue, 26 Mar 2013 01:40:52 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61001 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=61001>Article Link</a> Mortgages are to set a new record of 21 to 22 percent of Thailand’s gross domestic product (GDP) over the next two years, reported Live Trading News. The majority of these mortgages are at the low end of the market and increase the risk of a bubble forming in that segment. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=61001 Saudi King gifting land undercuts homebuilding promises http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60991 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60991#comments Mon, 25 Mar 2013 01:25:34 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60991 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60991>Article Link</a> Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah is paying the price for his own generosity as past land giveaways undermine his plans to build half a million homes and open up the country’s mortgage market. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=60991 Freddie Mac failing homeowners, watchdog says http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60509 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60509#comments Fri, 22 Mar 2013 03:36:18 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60509 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60509>Article Link</a> Freddie Mac and its regulator are not doing a good enough job bird-dogging complaints by homeowners about the companies handling their mortgages, a federal oversight official said Thursday. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=60509 Number of ‘underwater’ homes drops in U.S. http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60451 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60451#comments Wed, 20 Mar 2013 01:25:32 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60451 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60451>Article Link</a> With property values rising, more than 200,000 homeowners in the United States returned to positive equity in their homes in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to a new study by CoreLogic. The number of homeowners that are still “underwater,” with negative equity in their homes, now stands at 10.4 million, or 21.5 percent of all residential properties with mortgages, down from 10.6 million at the end of the third quarter, the firm says. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=60451 Why higher mortgage rates will help the housing market http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60386 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60386#comments Tue, 19 Mar 2013 01:18:31 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60386 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60386>Article Link</a> Mortgage interest rates have been rising on signs that the U.S. economy is improving. Last week, the 30-year fixed rate reached the highest level in more than six months, climbing to an average of 3.63%, compared with 3.52% the previous week and 3.92% a year earlier. The current rate is the highest it’s been since the week of Aug. 23 when the 30-year fixed rate averaged 3.63%, according to Freddie Mac. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=60386 What is an underwater mortgage? http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60294 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60294#comments Fri, 15 Mar 2013 01:45:27 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60294 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60294>Article Link</a> What is an underwater mortgage? A mortgage is considered “underwater” when the amount of the mortgage is greater than the current value of the home. Another term for this is “negative equity.” For example, a person decides to buy a home for $200,000. They put 20 percent down, or $40,000, and then get a mortgage for the remaining $160,000. Usually home prices rise, but let’s say prices begin to fall and the home is now valued at $150,000. The mortgage is “underwater” by $10,000. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=60294 U.S. mortgage refi program gains traction as home prices rise http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60253 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60253#comments Thu, 14 Mar 2013 01:06:41 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60253 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60253>Article Link</a> A U.S. government effort to help struggling homeowners refinance into cheaper loans gained traction last year, helped by rising home prices and changes to the program that made more borrowers eligible for relief, a report released on Wednesday showed. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=60253 HSBC boosts mortgage rates as Hong Kong cools property market http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60237 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60237#comments Thu, 14 Mar 2013 01:00:41 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60237 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60237>Article Link</a> HSBC Holdings Plc increased Hong Kong mortgage rates for the first time in 18 months after the city’s banking regulator tightened risk rules on concern a property bubble may undermine financial stability. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=60237 Canada: What first-time buyers really need: affordable housing prices http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60190 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60190#comments Wed, 13 Mar 2013 01:09:25 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60190 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60190>Article Link</a> While mortgage brokers are pressing the federal government to bring back 30-year mortgages and give first-time buyers a bigger tax break, Globe and Mail readers are not convinced that easing mortgage rules is the answer to the problem. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=60190 Netherlands weighs national mortgage bank http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60182 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60182#comments Wed, 13 Mar 2013 01:07:14 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60182 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60182>Article Link</a> The Netherlands is looking at creating a national mortgage bank, in an effort to spare its battered banking sector and give a boost to a sluggish housing market. Dutch banks are wrestling with the legacy of a housing bubble that has left them with around €650 billion ($848 billion) of mortgage debt on their books. A peculiar feature of the Netherlands’ financial system is causing another headache. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=60182 Boomerang buyers return to market after foreclosure http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60130 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60130#comments Tue, 12 Mar 2013 01:21:48 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60130 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60130>Article Link</a> Borrowers who lost homes to foreclosure during the housing bust are starting to buy again. Since the housing bubble burst, 4.8 million borrowers have lost their homes to foreclosure, and another 2.2 million gave them up in short sales, according to RealtyTrac. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=60130 Top 10 places to buy a foreclosed home http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60062 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60062#comments Mon, 11 Mar 2013 03:27:10 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60062 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=60062>Article Link</a> The demand for foreclosed homes is so high that investors have picked clean some of the most obvious markets – Phoenix and Las Vegas, for example. But there are still deals if you look in other metropolitan areas in the United States, according to RealtyTrac, an online marketplace for foreclosure properties based in Irvine, Calif. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=60062 20 most expensive and cheapest markets for foreclosures http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59709 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59709#comments Wed, 06 Mar 2013 01:04:28 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59709 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59709>Article Link</a> There’s a reason it’s often the privileged who are flitting off to beach homes along the sandy coast of California: It’s really expensive to own a home near the ocean. (Location, location, location comes with a high price, after all.) So you think you’d be able to afford the same lifestyle if you bought a beachside foreclosure instead? Well, sure, it’d be cheaper — but it’ll still cost you double or more the national median home price. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=59709 Don’t rush into housing market just for a low mortgage rate http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59691 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59691#comments Tue, 05 Mar 2013 01:31:13 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59691 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59691>Article Link</a> The sucker’s bet on housing is to pounce on that five-year, 2.99-per-cent mortgage deal offered so controversially by Bank of Montreal. Oh, it’s a great rate. There’s next to no chance over the next five years that you’ll kick yourself for having chosen to lock in such a historically low cost of borrowing. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=59691 China tightens mortgage rules as home prices keep rising http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59440 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59440#comments Mon, 04 Mar 2013 02:57:37 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59440 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59440>Article Link</a> China called for higher down payments and interest rates for second-home mortgages in cities with “excessively fast” price gains and ordered stricter enforcement of taxes on sales as authorities step up a three- year campaign to cool the property market. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=59440 Fitch warns on US housing finance reform http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59126 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59126#comments Fri, 01 Mar 2013 03:35:30 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59126 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59126>Article Link</a> The profitability and dominance enjoyed by US-backed mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will limit policy makers’ motivation for winding them down, Fitch Ratings has said. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=59126 Jumbo mortgages make comeback in U.S. as real estate revival takes hold http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59106 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59106#comments Thu, 28 Feb 2013 02:09:07 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59106 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=59106>Article Link</a> Home sales and prices are rising briskly in those neighborhoods where the well-heeled like to plant their mailboxes: along Chicago’s north shore, in the San Francisco Bay area and in the haute Hamptons. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=59106 Riyadh completes regulations for new mortgage law http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58940 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58940#comments Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:58:59 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58940 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58940>Article Link</a> Saudi Arabia issued final regulations on real estate financing, leasing and supervision of financial firms as the kingdom works to ease a housing shortage by opening up its mortgage market and enacting the country’s first home-loans law. The regulations outlining three of the five laws that make up the package of changes were posted Sunday on the website of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=58940 Israel sets new mortgage restrictions after home prices jump 5pct http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58746 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58746#comments Wed, 20 Feb 2013 01:33:21 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58746 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58746>Article Link</a> On mortgages covering 45% to 60% of the property value, banks will need to set aside 50% in capital instead of 35%, while for those covering more than 60% banks will have to set aside 75%. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=58746 China housing slaves helping property rebound: Mortgages http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58742 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58742#comments Wed, 20 Feb 2013 01:31:52 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58742 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58742>Article Link</a> China’s growing middle class reaching for homeownership helped property prices rebound starting in the second half of last year. They rose 1 percent in January from December, the biggest gain in two years, according to real estate website SouFun Holdings Ltd. Home prices in Beijing and Shanghai each rose 2.3 percent from December. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=58742 Switzerland combats real estate market overheating http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58701 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58701#comments Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:03:36 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58701 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58701>Article Link</a> Switzerland’s Federal Council is taking action against an excessive rise in prices in the real estate market and exorbitant mortgage debt. At a recent meeting, the Federal Council decided to accept the application of the Swiss National Bank (SNB) and to partially activate the countercyclical buffer. This means that from September 30, 2013, banks will be obliged to hold additional capital for residential mortgages. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=58701 Housing industry hopes Obama line will soften mortgage rule http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58561 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58561#comments Fri, 15 Feb 2013 01:20:33 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58561 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58561>Article Link</a> U.S. Realtors and mortgage bankers say they hope President Barack Obama’s call for streamlined mortgage rules in his State of the Union speech will help them persuade regulators not to set a strict minimum down payment for home loans. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=58561 UK home repossessions fall to five-year low http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58556 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58556#comments Fri, 15 Feb 2013 01:19:02 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58556 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58556>Article Link</a> Home repossessions in the UK last year fell to their lowest level since 2007, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) reported. Over the course of the year a total of 33,900 homes were seized by residential mortgage lenders, a decrease from 37,300 in 2011. As a result, the rate of repossession fell to 0.30% in 2012 from 0.33% a year earlier. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=58556 Housing industry pins hopes on Obama to soften down-payment rule http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58300 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58300#comments Thu, 14 Feb 2013 03:02:02 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58300 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58300>Article Link</a> U.S. Realtors and mortgage bankers say they’re hoping President Barack Obama’s call for streamlining mortgage rules will lend new momentum to efforts to prevent imposing a strict minimum down payment for home loans. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=58300 Housing market still needs Fannie Mae, says chief economist Doug Duncan http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58023 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58023#comments Fri, 08 Feb 2013 00:58:45 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58023 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=58023>Article Link</a> No matter what indicator you look at, the housing market is improving. New and existing home sales are rising. So are home prices. Even foreclosures are declining. In the latest housing data release, the National Association of Home Builders Wednesday reported that the housing recovery has spread to 70% of the 361 metro markets tracked by an NAHB/First American index compared to just 3% in September 2011. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=58023 UAE mortgage caps postponed http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57966 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57966#comments Thu, 07 Feb 2013 01:38:04 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57966 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57966>Article Link</a> The proposed mortgage cap in the UAE has been postponed while discussions of the plans take place. The limit on lending to foreigners at a maximum of 50 per cent of a property’s value, along with a cap on loans at 70 per cent for citizens, was announced at the end of last year, following 12 months of strong growth. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=57966 Australia’s mortgage blackspots, according to Fitch Ratings http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57922 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57922#comments Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:21:01 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57922 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57922>Article Link</a> Rate cuts have helped ease the number of mortgage delinquencies across Australia but many postcodes have retained their dubious title of repayment blackspots. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=57922 U.S. property market had 767,000 completed foreclosures in 2012; Foreclosure inventory fell 19.5pct http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57893 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57893#comments Tue, 05 Feb 2013 01:14:49 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57893 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57893>Article Link</a> According to CoreLogic’s latest National Foreclosure Report, which provides data on completed U.S. foreclosures and the overall foreclosure inventory, there were 56,000 completed foreclosures in the U.S. in December 2012. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=57893 Australian homebuilders can’t give them away: Mortgages http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57882 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57882#comments Tue, 05 Feb 2013 01:11:08 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57882 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57882>Article Link</a> Australian homebuilders are resorting to discounts, gift cards and help with mortgage payments to compete for dwindling buyers as home sales slow. Stockland (SGP), Australia’s biggest residential developer, is giving rebates and gift cards of as much as A$30,000 ($31,300) in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales states. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=57882 Foreclosure activity increased in 54pct of U.S. markets in 2012 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57786 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57786#comments Fri, 01 Feb 2013 01:41:34 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57786 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57786>Article Link</a> According to RealtyTrac’s 2012 Year-End Metropolitan Foreclosure Market Report, foreclosure activity increased from 2011 in 120 (57 percent) out of the nation’s 212 metropolitan statistical areas with a population of 200,000 or more. Foreclosure activity during the year decreased from 2010 — when foreclosures peaked in most markets — in 181 out of the 212 markets tracked in the report (85 percent). (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=57786 Koreans tapping inheritances with reverse loans: Mortgage http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57723 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57723#comments Thu, 31 Jan 2013 02:52:48 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57723 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57723>Article Link</a> Applications for reverse mortgages, which are typically taken out by elderly or retired homeowners who borrow money in the form of monthly payments against the equity in their homes, are surging to the highest in six years. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=57723 Fix home lending before the next bubble http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57670 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57670#comments Wed, 30 Jan 2013 01:08:27 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57670 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57670>Article Link</a> It’s odd that President Barack Obama didn’t mention housing in his second inaugural address. After all, he spent his first term in the shadow of a housing meltdown, and remaking federal housing policy remains a central piece of unfinished business. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=57670 10 worst cities for potential mortgage fraud http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57650 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57650#comments Tue, 29 Jan 2013 03:06:20 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57650 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57650>Article Link</a> The housing market has been improving significantly for nearly a year at this point, but with those upticks in activity across the board in the last several months, it seems that instances of potential fraud also increased. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=57650 Germany real estate tiptoes on a weak mortgage structure? http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57401 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57401#comments Thu, 24 Jan 2013 01:36:03 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57401 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57401>Article Link</a> Germany’s real estate sector is still considered as a safe haven of investments for 2013, but property market analysts are wary of the current mortgage borrowing rules that should be addressed by monetary authorities. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=57401 Russia’s PIK says mass-market housing market strong http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57398 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57398#comments Thu, 24 Jan 2013 01:35:18 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57398 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57398>Article Link</a> PIK Group, one of Russia’s largest homebuilders, said on Wednesday the residential housing mass market remains strong as it reported a 31 percent rise in new sales contracts during the fourth quarter. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=57398 UAE mortgage rule confusion see housing market boom http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57396 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57396#comments Thu, 24 Jan 2013 01:34:46 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57396 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57396>Article Link</a> Amid confusion and speculation over upcoming changes in the rules governing mortgages [in the UAE], nationals and expats are rushing to buy homes in the strongest property market since 2006. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=57396 10 great foreclosure deals http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57269 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57269#comments Mon, 21 Jan 2013 03:56:31 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57269 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57269>Article Link</a> Repossessed homes are selling at bargain prices in these hardest-hit zip codes for foreclosures. It’s a dubious distinction: Zip code 30045 in Lawrenceville, Ga., has the highest foreclosure rate of any neighborhood in the nation. A whopping 12.7% of its 11,232 housing units were hit with a notice of default, auction notice, bank repossession or other filing in 2012. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=57269 Recovery in U.S. saving 8 mln underwater homeowners http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57013 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57013#comments Wed, 16 Jan 2013 01:03:33 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57013 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57013>Article Link</a> The housing market is rebounding faster than anyone thought possible, according to Blackstone Group LP (BX)’s global head of real estate Jonathan Gray, as the Federal Reserve buys mortgage bonds to keep rates near record lows and investors sop up a diminishing supply of properties for sale. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=57013 Real estate poised to lead Brazil’s credit market again http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57011 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57011#comments Wed, 16 Jan 2013 01:02:31 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57011 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57011>Article Link</a> A more stable economy–complete with the historically low interest rates that prove it–will help make mortgage lending the Brazilian credit market leader again in 2013. The total volume of mortgage lending will likely surpass all other credit categories this year for the first time in more than a decade, according to a study this week by consumer credit rating bureau Serasa Experian. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=57011 Bank Of England to control UK real estate boom http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57008 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57008#comments Wed, 16 Jan 2013 01:01:24 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57008 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=57008>Article Link</a> In the wake of a struggling real estate market and a recession hit economy, financial institutions and banks of U.K. have been trying to come up with generous schemes and lending formats that could risk a sudden upsurge in the housing market of the country. To control the boom, British Parliament has given regulating powers to the Financial Policy Committee (FPC) of The Bank of England. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=57008 New mortgage rules may stifle U.A.E. property recovery http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56773 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56773#comments Tue, 15 Jan 2013 01:24:57 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56773 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56773>Article Link</a> Expatriates in the United Arab Emirates will have to make down payments of at least half the value of properties they buy if new central bank rules on mortgages go into force. This may dampen demand from foreign buyers and stifle the country’s tentative real estate recovery. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=56773 Ten questions on the new mortgage rules http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56765 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56765#comments Mon, 14 Jan 2013 01:35:10 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56765 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56765>Article Link</a> Regulators issued new mortgage rules on Thursday designed to prevent a return to lending practices that cratered the housing market and brought the financial system to its knees during the past decade. Here’s a look at some frequently asked questions: (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=56765 Consumer groups criticize new mortgage rules http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56764 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56764#comments Mon, 14 Jan 2013 01:34:56 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56764 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56764>Article Link</a> New rules from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau aim to make mortgages safer for borrowers, but consumer groups argue that the rules offer more protection for lenders than benefits for borrowers. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=56764 30pct of U.S. homeowners are mortgage-free, Zillow says http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56659 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56659#comments Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:41:25 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56659 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56659>Article Link</a> Media coverage of the real estate market has focused so much on the mortgage woes of homeowners over the past five years, you might be excused for believing that only a small minority of homeowners actually, well, own their homes — mortgage-free. But you’d be mistaken, a report released by listing service Zillow suggests. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=56659 Fears of real estate crash remain as housing starts slow in December http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56605 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56605#comments Thu, 10 Jan 2013 01:36:26 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56605 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56605>Article Link</a> Housing starts declined for the fourth consecutive month in December, but remained well above sustainable levels, leading to further fears the economically important sector could be headed for a hard landing. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=56605 Banks said to ask for 30-day delay on U.A.E. mortgage loan caps http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56503 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56503#comments Mon, 07 Jan 2013 01:29:30 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56503 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=56503>Article Link</a> Banks in the United Arab Emirates plan to ask the central bank to delay by 30 days implementing new caps on mortgage lending that were announced at the end of last year, according to two bankers familiar with the plan. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=56503