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.
Housing Index Takes Two Steps BackPOSTED: Monday March 16, 2015
The National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index is one of the key housing market statistics that we track at FREEandCLEAR. The Housing Market Index incorporates factors such as current and expected new home sales and interest level from potential new home buyers. It is important to highlight that the index focuses on new […]
Mortgage Applications Fail to Spring ForwardPOSTED: Wednesday March 11, 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. For the week ending […]
Mortgage Applications Stuck in the MudPOSTED: Wednesday March 04, 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 composite mortgage application […]
Pending Home Sales Inch UpPOSTED: Friday February 27, 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 […]
Home Price Indices Climb Higher to Close out 2015POSTED: Thursday February 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 […]
Purchase Applications Snap Losing StreakPOSTED: Wednesday February 25, 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. Although composite mortgage application […]
New Home Sales Rock SteadyPOSTED: Wednesday February 25, 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 […]
Fed Chair Signals No Rate Changes Until JunePOSTED: Tuesday February 24, 2015
In her semi-annual testimony to the Senate Banking Committee, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen expressed uncertainty about the labor and housing markets and indicated that any increase in interest rates would be indicated well in advance of a rate change. Based on Ms. Yellen’s statement, industry analysts predicted that the earliest that the Federal Reserve […]