Mortgage Volume Up 7.5%, Rates Down
Home loan demand rose during the week ended Aug. 29. Refinancing requests made up 34 percent of all application volume.
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Police Arrest Couple in CraigsList Rental Scam
A Las Vegas man and a female assistant have been jailed for renting out vacant homes belonging to seasonal residents.
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Atlanta Named Best City for Singles
To determine which U.S. cities are most comfortable for soloists, Forbes magazine ranked the 40 largest metro areas in seven categories.
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Falling Home Prices Curb Divorce Rate
When there’s less home equity to split, couples are less likely to divorce, says research by U.K.-based real estate company Savills.
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And They Could Call It Frannie
Although it’s unlikely Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will merge, such a move could reduce operating costs by about $1.2 billion a year.
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Toll Bros. CEO Scared About NYC Market
Many potential buyers of Toll’s upscale Murray Hill condo project in New York are employed in the troubled financial services industry.
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Commerce Dept.: New Home Sales Rose in July
“The biggest declines, they’re all behind us now,” says Nigel Gault, chief domestic economist at Global Insight, a research firm.
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Key Rate May Rise, Fed Report Suggests
The Fed is unlikely to raise rates until next year, according to most economists, with the timetable determined by the pace of economic growth and inflation.
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Mortgage Demand Up Slightly Last Week
The volume of applications inched up as interest rates declined, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey.
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Builders Worry About Impact of Housing Bill
Under the bill, the minimum down payment for FHA-insured loans rises 3.5 percent from 3 percent, and charitable down payment assistance is no longer allowed.
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10 Cities Where Jobs, Home Prices Are Growing
Forbes magazine identified cities that aren’t overbuilt and have an ample supply of good-paying jobs. Albuquerque, N.M., tops the list.
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Good Neighbor Finalist: Mary Bacon
Bacon, a sales associate with Bob Parks Realty, took matters into her own hands after a local food shelter lost its lease.
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