Category Archives: Real Estate Law

Annamaria Andriotis reported last week at The Wall Street Journal Online that, “Demand for mortgages fell substantially during the last three months of 2016 after rates spiked by more than half a percentage point in the wake of Donald Trump’s election. Total mortgage applications dropped 21% from the third quarter, led by demand for refinances… Continue Reading

Steven Russolillo reported in Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal that, “By one measure, the housing market’s lost decade is finally a thing of the past. In real terms, it is far from over. “U.S. home values in September topped their previous peak from a decade ago, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-City Home Price Index. New data… Continue Reading

Bloomberg writer Michelle Jamrisko reported today that, “Purchases of new U.S. homes increased in November to the second-fastest pace in almost nine years as the beginning of a spike in mortgage rates persuaded buyers to quickly sign contracts. “Sales rose 5.2 percent to a four-month high of a 592,000 annualized pace, Commerce Department data showed Friday…. Continue Reading

Kathy Orton reported in today’s Washington Post that, “House hunters might need to start adjusting their expectations as the days of ultra-low mortgage rates could finally be winding down. “With homeownership hovering around a 50-year low, the American dream of owning a home seems like an unattainable goal to some, as prices are rising, supply… Continue Reading

Chris Kirkham reported in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal that, “U.S. unemployment is hovering near the lowest level in a decade, jobless claims have reached a 43-year low and home prices have surged to records. But in this eighth year of economic expansion, the number of single-family homes under construction remains at recessionary levels. “Housing starts… Continue Reading

Laura Kusisto reported on the front page of today’s Wall Street Journal that, “U.S. home prices have climbed back above the record reached more than a decade ago, bringing to a close the worst period for the housing market since the Great Depression and stoking optimism for a more sustainable expansion. “The average home price… Continue Reading

Patricia Cohen and Conor Dougherty reported in Thursday’s New York Times that, “When Jared Rutledge called his mortgage broker one morning last week after putting in an offer on a home in Glendale, Ariz., just west of Phoenix, he discovered that the 3.8 percent rate he had been quoted a couple of months ago had… Continue Reading

Annamaria Andriotis reported this week at The Wall Street Journal Online that, “So much for that refi. “Rates are well above 4% for the typical 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. The average hit 4.125% on Friday—the highest since July 2015, according to MortgageNewsDaily.com. That is more than half a percentage point higher from the average on Election… Continue Reading