Welcome to the FREEandCLEAR Blog! Our blog offers unique insights on the latest mortgage market news and trends. We also use our blog to shine a spotlight on important topics that are shaping the real estate and mortgage markets including housing affordability, socioeconomic developments and financial literacy. We are always adding interesting features to the FREEandCLEAR Blog so sign up below to receive our Mortgage Market Update and other posts or check back frequently.
Mortgage Apps Continue SlidePOSTED: Wednesday June 03, 2015
At FREEandCLEAR, we follow the Mortgage Bankers’ Association (MBA) mortgage applications index which measures both purchase and refinance applications for mortgage lenders across the country. An increase in the MBA applications index reflects an increase in mortgage applications while a decrease in the index reflects a decline in mortgage applications. Despite a dip in […]
Pending Home Sales Continue to ImpressPOSTED: Thursday May 28, 2015
The National Association of Realtors pending home sales index tracks the number of existing homes that went into contract to be sold. When a home seller and buyer agree to the price and terms of a home sale, they sign a contract that outlines the transaction details and the property is said to be “under […]
Rising Rates Slow Mortgage AppsPOSTED: Wednesday May 27, 2015
At FREEandCLEAR, we follow the Mortgage Bankers’ Association (MBA) mortgage applications index which measures both purchase and refinance applications for mortgage lenders across the country. An increase in the MBA applications index reflects an increase in mortgage applications while a decrease in the index reflects a decline in mortgage applications. The slow increase in […]
New Home Sales Pick UpPOSTED: Tuesday May 26, 2015
In our effort to cover important trends that affect the mortgage market, FREEandCLEAR keeps a close eye on new home sales, which is the number of newly constructed housing units that are sold in a month. The new home sales figure is reported separately from the existing home sales figure, which is the number of […]
Home Prices Move HigherPOSTED: Tuesday May 26, 2015
There are two primary measures of housing prices that we track at FREEandCLEAR: the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, which uses certain nationwide mortgage activity to track home prices and the S&P / Case-Shiller Home Price Index, which tracks home prices in 20 U.S. metropolitan markets. Both indices are reported on a […]
Fed Chair Hints at Rate HikePOSTED: Friday May 22, 2015
Janet Yellen, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, the body that determines interest rates in the United States, gave a speech today in which she indicated that the Federal Reserve is likely to raise interest rates later this year. Although there are other factors involved, an increase in interest rates by the Federal Reserve typically […]
Existing Home Sales DipPOSTED: Thursday May 21, 2015
In our effort to cover important trends that affect the mortgage market, FREEandCLEAR keeps a close eye on existing home sales, which is the number of previously constructed housing units that are sold in a month. The existing home sales figure is reported separately from the new home sales figure, which is the number of […]
Mortgage Apps Cool for Second WeekPOSTED: Wednesday May 20, 2015
At FREEandCLEAR, we follow the Mortgage Bankers’ Association (MBA) mortgage applications index which measures both purchase and refinance applications for mortgage lenders across the country. An increase in the MBA applications index reflects an increase in mortgage applications while a decrease in the index reflects a decline in mortgage applications. Purchase mortgage applications cooled […]