Home Builders Applaud Menendez Bill to Restore the Flow of Credit for Home Building - NAHB (Washington DC)

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today commended Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) for introducing the Home Building Lending Improvement Act of 2012 (S. 2078), legislation to help restore the flow of credit for new housing production in order to create jobs, meet rising housing demand and bolster the economic expansion.

Builder Confidence for the 55+ Housing Market Ends Q4 on an Upswing - NAHB (Washington DC)

Builder confidence in the 55+ housing market for single-family homes rose four points to 18 compared to the same period a year ago, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) 55+ Housing Market Index (HMI) released today.

“We are seeing increased optimism from builders in the 55+ housing segment,” said NAHB Chairman Bob Nielsen, a home builder from Reno, Nev. “However, the market still remains weak as many people in the mature-market sector are hesitant to buy. They are concerned about selling their existing home at a fair price, due to low appraisals, an abundance of foreclosures and tighter mortgage lending criteria.”

Refinance Activity Increases as Rates Hit Survey Lows - MBA (Washington DC)

Mortgage applications increased 7.5 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending February 3, 2012.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 7.5 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 8.7 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 9.4 percent from the previous week. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 0.1 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index increased 6 percent compared with the previous week and was 4.1 percent lower than the same week one year ago.

2011 Q4 Commercial/Multifamily Mortgage Originations Up 13 Percent from 2010 Q4; 2011 Total Up 64 Percent from 2010 Total - NAR (Atlanta, GA)

Commercial/multifamily originations during the fourth quarter of 2011 were up 13 percent over the fourth quarter of 2010, but fell 7 percent from the third quarter of 2011, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Quarterly Survey of Commercial/Multifamily Mortgage Bankers Originations.