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.
Purchase Mortgage Applications Show Signs of LifePOSTED: Wednesday November 05, 2014
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 ended October […]
First-Time Home Buyers Decline to New LowPOSTED: Monday November 03, 2014
According to a study released by the National Association of Realtors, first-time home buyers represented only 33% of the primary residence home purchase market for the twelve months ended June 2014. The 33% figure for first-time home buyers is the lowest since 1987 and represents a decrease as compared to 38% in 2013 and 39% […]
Mortgage Applications Take a BreatherPOSTED: Wednesday October 29, 2014
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. After three consecutive weeks of […]
Home Prices Indices Show Mixed ResultsPOSTED: Tuesday October 28, 2014
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 […]
Pending Home Sales Inch UpPOSTED: Monday October 27, 2014
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 […]
New Mortgage Regulations Benefit BorrowersPOSTED: Friday October 24, 2014
The federal agencies that regulate the mortgage market agreed to a new set of rules that could could make it easier for borrowers to get mortgages in the future. The new regulations are more noteworthy for the rules that were excluded rather than for the rules that were included. The initial draft of the regulations […]
New Home Sales Show Continued StrengthPOSTED: Friday October 24, 2014
In our effort to cover important trends that affect the mortgage market, the 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 […]
Refinance Applications JumpPOSTED: Wednesday October 22, 2014
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. Driven by a significant significant […]