Today’s News Synopsis:

Amazon is looking for a second North American HQ.  Fannie Mae reported housing confidence increased 1.2 points to 88 in their latest Home Purchase Sentiment Index.  The percentage of co-borrowers applying for single family home purchase loans in the second quarter was 23%.

In The News:

Realty Trac – “Co-Borrowers Account For 23 Percent of Single Family Home Purchase Loans in Q2 2017” (9-7-2017)

“ATTOM Data Solutions, curator of the nation’s largest multi-sourced property database, today released its Q2 2017 U.S. Residential Property Loan Origination Report, which shows that more than 2 million (2,033,296) loans were originated on U.S. residential properties (1 to 4 units) in the second quarter of 2017, up 27 percent from a three-year low in the previous quarter but still down 12 percent from Q2 2016.”

Bloomberg – “U.S. Jobless Claims Soar by Most Since 2012” (9-7-2017)

“U.S. jobless claims surged last week by the most since November 2012 as tens of thousands of Texans displaced by Hurricane Harvey filed applications to collect benefits, according to Labor Department figures Thursday.”

Fannie Mae – “Overall Housing Confidence Up as Rising Home Prices Influence Increasingly Divergent Home Buying and Selling Sentiment” (9-7-2017)

“The Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) increased 1.2 points in August to 88.0, just below the all-time high set in June.”

The Real Deal – “Will the Historic Bel Air grocery building become luxury condos?” (9-7-2017)

“The commercial building that houses Bel Air Foods has hit the market for the first time since 1952 — without an asking price.”

David Stevens – “Thoughts on the Intersection of Washington, DC and the Industry by David H. Stevens, President and CEO” (9-7-2017)

“Nine years ago this week, in the midst of the financial meltdown, regulators were forced to put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the GSEs) in government conservatorship, or face the very real probability that two pillars of the housing finance system would fail.”

Bloomberg – “Amazon Is Choosing a Second Home.  What Are Its Options?” (9-7-2017)

“Amazon.com Inc. is looking for a North American city to build a massive second headquarters. Dubbed “HQ2,”  the site will probably cost more than $5 billion, take up to two decades to develop and employ 50,000 people.”

NAHB Now – “‘Connected’ Homes: Trends and Key Legal Issues” (9-7-2017)

“For most home shoppers, owning a smart home is no longer a dream — it’s an expectation. Particularly among younger generations who have lived most of their lives in the digital era, staying connected is a way of life.”

CNBC – “The end of Facebook’s golden era for real estate?” (9-7-2017)

“Over the last five years, Barry Jenkins has used Facebook advertising to grow his real estate business from a solo operation into a 16-agent team.”