Mortgage Refinancings Soar to Highest Level Since May 2009
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The Mortgage Bankers Association said Wednesday its refinancing index jumped 17% to 4676.70 in the week to Wednesday, soaring to the highest since May 2009. The four-week average increase rose to 3.2%. This abrupt spike is a sign that mortgage rates have fallen far enough to incentivize a new wave of refinancing from homeowners. According for Freddie Mac, the average rate for a 30- year home loan dropped to 4.4A% last week.
This wave could also be a great sign for the U.S. economy as a whole, not just the housing market. Morgan Stanley estimates that if 50% of mortgages in mortgage-backed bonds are refinanced, it would free up $46 billion a year for consumers. $46 billion is more money than the last extension of unemployment benefits.
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Lenders Cushion Loan Pricing After Spike in Refinance Demand
August 20, 2010 by admin
Filed under Positive Real Estate
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Los Angeles, Calif. (VOCUS)
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released its results to its Weekly Survey. This survey covers over 50% of all U.S. residential mortgage loan applications taken by retail mortgage bankers, commercial banks, and thrifts. This extremely accurate data gives economists a great look into the consumer demand for mortgage loans. This trend of increasing refinance applications implies consumers are seeking out a lower monthly payment, a fairly predictable assessment. But, the long term effects of this action paint a better picture.
If these consumers are actually able to reduce their monthly mortgage payments they will increase their disposable income, or their “spending money”, giving them the opportunity to spend that spending money which would in turn revitalize the economy. This would create more consumer spending or even allow debtors to pay down personal liabilities like credit cards. This effect could spiral to astronomical proportions because as the more people spend their surplus disposable income, the better the economy gets and the lower the mortgage payments are, creating the effect all over again.
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Middlefield Banc Corp. Reports Strong Second Quarter Earnings and Continued Asset Growth
August 4, 2010 by admin
Filed under Positive Real Estate, Positive Real Estate Brokerages, Real Estate Articles
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Midfield banc Corp announced some positive numbers today. First of all, net income has risen 55.1% up to 715,000 dollars. Total assets have increased to 12.9 million dollars while net loans grew to 4.5 million dollars. “In the second quarter, Middlefield Banc Corp. again delivered a strong financial performance in an economic environment that continues to be extremely challenging,” stated Thomas G. Caldwell, President and Chief Executive Officer, “The results for the quarter continued to demonstrate solid performance on many fronts, including continued core deposit growth, an expanded net interest margin, and additions to our capital base.” He went on to explain “Our focus remains sharply on sound, fundamental banking practices designed to deliver excellence in customer service. By so doing, we will work to ensure an increase in value to our shareholders.”
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Lender Processing Services, Inc. Reports Strong Second Quarter Earnings
July 23, 2010 by admin
Filed under Positive Real Estate, Positive Real Estate Brokerages, Real Estate Articles
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Lender Processing Services, a leader in integrated technology and services of the mortgage and real estate industries, reported gains from 78 cents per diluted share this time last year to 89 cents per diluted share currently. Jeff Carbiener, President and CEO of LPS said, “Our Mortgage Processing business delivered another strong quarter and while our Loan Facilitation and Default Services businesses were both impacted by sluggish industry trends, we continued to expand market share in both areas,”.
