We have a bit of a fascination with real estate price indices. This is simply because of the disparity in different measurements. At Market IQ, we tend not to like average prices since averages are sensitive to outliers. However, when we go out with buyers and look for homes, we tend to "feel" the average more than any other number so it does have its utility in describing the market. Medians are useful but imperfect as well since like averages, they are affected by the changing mix of home sold in each s... read more

While most of us thought mortgage interest rates would head higher after the Fed completed its program of buying MBS, rates have actually gone in the opposite direction. Well, our expectation was logical but what we did not expect was the Sovereign problems in Europe. A flight of monies out of European bonds has found itself in U.S treasuries. The mortgage market, while subject to it's own considerations such as risk pricing and supply/demand, is linked to treasuries in a second hand way. The result is a decli... read more

? Rising mortgage rates have made home buying a challenge over the past few years, but there's good news—rates are starting to drop in 2024. According to Freddie Mac (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation), rates recently hit their lowest point this year, offering hope for potential buyers. So, what can you expect moving forward?  ? Mortgage Rate Forecasts for 2024   Experts predict that mortgage rates will continue to trend downward ... read more

Via: NerdWallet

REIT's have been on a tear in the past year and apartment REIT’s have been doing particularly well. NAREIT finds that apartment REITs had a return of 47% compared to 15.06% for the S&P 500[i]. Actually I found even the S&P returns to be better than I expected as we headed into 2010. I still don’t believe in a lot of public earnings but then again, I am a real estate analyst rather than a securities analyst. The REIT returns have been even more shocking. Why is the apartment sector faring better... read more