Hundreds of Millions of Dollars

Seventy percent of U.S. adults are unaware of down-payment assistance programs available for middle-income homebuyers in their community, according to findings from the second annual America at Home survey commissioned by NeighborWorks America.
There are hundreds of millions of dollars available for down-payment assistance. -- Trey Garrison in HousingWire http://www.housingwire.com/articles/32250-fully-70-of-homebuyers-dont-know-about-down-payment-assistance
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"Home value appreciation will continue to cool down, from roughly six percent now to around 2.5 percent by the end of 2015,” he said. “But rents will see no such slowdown, and will continue to grow around 3.5 percent annually throughout 2015. As renters' costs keep going up, I expect the allure of fixed mortgage payments and a more stable housing market will entice many more otherwise content renters into the housing market.” -- Phill Hall in Nationa Mortgage Professional
http://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news69666/zillow-prediction-millennials-sparks-debate?
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Shared by Nhu Phuong Pham, taken by Joseph Kim, Eze Village, France

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Homeowners who had short sales in 2014 may not be facing massive tax bills after all, after the House of Representatives passed a one-year extension of the Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act on Wednesday. -- Ben Lane in HousingWire http://www.housingwire.com/articles/32265-short-sale-tax-break-passes-in-house
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The City of Angels is on its way to become the “City of Unaffordable Housing,” according to statistics released by several real estate data sources.
Last month, Interest.com rated Los Angeles with an “F” in a grading on housing affordability, with a median home price of $420,300. Interest.com ranked Los Angeles third for the nation’s most expensive housing markets, following San Francisco and San Diego. -- Phill Hall in National Mortgage Professional
http://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news70103/los-angeles-housing-becoming-completely-unaffordable?
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Shared and taken by Norbert Metz

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Both government-sponsored enterprises (Fannie and Freddie) officially announced their individual 97% loan-to-value products, in the government’s latest attempt to expand the credit box for first-time homeowners. -- Brena Swanson in HousingWire http://www.housingwire.com/articles/32269-fannie-and-freddie-officially-announce-3-down-payments
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In New York, real estate developer Zhang Xin’s Soho China Ltd. shared, with a Middle Eastern developer, the purchase of a forty-percent stake in the General Motors Building, a Manhattan landmark, each paying $1.4 billion. -- Roland Flamini in World Affairs
http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/article/beijing-inc-chinese-aren%E2%80%99t-coming%E2%80%94they%E2%80%99re-here
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Shared and taken by Xalima Miriel,  San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa

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Home prices rose 6.1% in October from a year earlier, representing 32 consecutive months of appreciation, according to data released Tuesday by CoreLogic. -- Kristin Broughton in National Mortgage Professional http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/news/origination/home-prices-rise-for-32nd-month-core-logic-1043260-1.html?
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The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage was 3.89%, down from 3.97% last week, Freddie Mac said in a statement today. That was the lowest since May 2013. The average 15-year rate dropped to 3.1% from 3.17%, the McLean, Va.-based mortgage-finance company said. -- Bloomberg News http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/news/origination/mortgage-rates-fall-to-18-month-low-with-30-year-at-389-1043273-1.html?
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Shared and taken by John Brody, NYC NY

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It’s been a year of American and international bankers dying under mysterious circumstances, or taking their lives in tragic or questionable ways, and now ZeroHedge has the story of the 36th victim of the year. -- Trey Garrison in HousingWire
http://www.housingwire.com/articles/32271-death-of-banker-under-mysterious-circumstances-makes-36-in-2014
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