Today’s News Synopsis:

Foreclosure filings decreased to their lowest in 10 years last year according to the latest ATTOM Data Solutions report.  Mortgage rates decreased again for the second week in a row with 30-year rates at 4.12% and 15-year rates at 3.37%.  Dr. Ben Carson told the Senate Banking Committee his plans today for running HUD.

In The News:

Realty Trac – “U.S. Foreclosure Activity Drops to 10-Year Low in 2016” (1-12-17)

“ATTOM Data Solutions, curator of the nation’s largest fused property database, today released its Year-End 2016 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions — were reported on 933,045 U.S. properties in 2016, down 14 percent from 2015 to the lowest level since 2006, when there were 717,522 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings.”

NAHB – “Buyers Willing to Trade Square Footage for Amenities, Survey Results Show” (1-12-17)

“The average size of newly built homes decreased in 2016 – a sign that the home building industry is preparing for the coming wave of first-time buyers as Millennials begin to dip their toes into the market, according to research and survey results released today by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).”

Mortgage Bankers Association – “December New Home Purchase Mortgage Applications Increase 2 Percent Year over Year” (1-12-17)

“The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Builder Applications Survey (BAS) data for December 2016 shows mortgage applications for new home purchases increased 2 percent relative to December 2015.”

Freddie Mac – “Mortgage Rates Lower Again” (1-12-17)

“Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS^®), showing average mortgage rates moving lower for the second consecutive week.”

Bloomberg – “A Divided America: How We Die Depends on Where We Live” (1-12-17)

“As lawmakers prepare for a showdown over health insurance legislation, a new report finds that for rural Americans, a lack of coverage is just one of many reasons they are more vulnerable to early death than their urban counterparts.”

REIT.com – “Real Estate Executives Favor Industrial, Infrastructure, Multifamily Sectors in 2017” (1-12-17)

“Commercial real estate executives are upbeat on industrial, infrastructure and multifamily asset classes for 2017, according to the 2017 Real Confidence Executive Index from Altus Group, in partnership with NAREIT and the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF).”

Yahoo Finance – “Real Estate Tech Leaders Raised Over $336M in 2016” (1-12-17)

“The Swanepoel Power 200 (SP200), the definitive ranking of residential real estate’s 200 most powerful leaders from the Swanepoel T3 Group, holds a mirror up to the industry, reflecting its makeup, its leaders and its trajectory.”

DS News – “Carson Spells Out Plans for Leading HUD” (1-12-17)

“HUD Secretary-Designate Dr. Ben Carson calmly answered questions for nearly three hours before the Senate Banking Committee in his confirmation hearing on Thursday, saying that he wanted to run HUD in order to ‘heal America’s divisiveness.'”

Freddie Mac – “Freddie Mac Prices New $3 Billion Three-Year Reference Notes Security” (1-12-17)

“Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) announced today that it priced its new 1.5% three-year USD Reference Notes^® security due on Jan. 17, 2020.”