A commercial real estate index maintained by the National Association of Realtors rose slightly in the first quarter to the highest level on record, though its rise has decelerated over the past year, according to the NAR.The Commercial Leading Indicator for Brokerage Activity stood at 120.3 in the first quarter, up 0.2% from 120.1 in the fourth quarter and 0.8% from 119.3 a year earlier, the association reported. "Rising industrial production, a rise in the REIT price index, growth in commercial jobs, rising income, and gains in wholesale sales contributed to the rise in our leading indicator," said NAR senior economist Lawrence Yun. "On the other hand, deteriorating economic conditions have been a drag -- specifically, a marked decline in durable goods shipments, a decline in return on commercial investment, and an increase in the number of people filing for unemployment insurance." The association can be found online at http://www.realtor.org.
-
The new Financial Stability Oversight Council report also recommends an expanded Ginnie Mae PTAP facility and an industry-funded liquidity resource.
2h ago -
The publicly traded title holding companies all had stronger earnings as the mortgage market improved from one year prior.
3h ago -
One in every 37 residential properties nationwide had a loan-to-value ratio of 125% or greater to begin the year, according to a new report.
4h ago -
There's temporary leeway on formal compliance with replacement-cost value requirements in order to sort out insurer concerns with a recent re-emphasis on them.
5h ago -
Max Levchin, CEO of the buy now/pay later lender, said recent tests show young adults prefer interacting with intelligent chatbots over phone-based agents, but the company doesn't foresee major cost savings from generative AI for a few more years.
6h ago -
Test your knowledge of the biggest mortgage headlines of the week. No. 2 pencil not required!
May 10