Home Values, Mortgage Applications, Volkswagon
September 23, 2015
Wednesday – September 23
A recent study showed that the number of homes losing value monthly tripled in the past year. The report went on to say that a majority of the homes are still gaining value, however, the national trend is lower. Weiss Residential Research CEO Allan Weiss said, “In this environment buyers and investors should be careful to avoid buying properties that are losing value by reviewing metro and zip code maps on Owners.com that show hyper-local trends in changing value.”
Mortgage application volume rose in the latest week as rates continue to hover just above historical lows. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) attributed the rise to significant rate volatility last week surrounding the Federal Open Market Committee meeting as rates edged lower. The MBA’s Market Composite Index, a measure of total loan application volume, rose nearly 14%, while the refinance index surged nearly 18% and the purchase index saw a 9% increase.
The recent problems at Volkswagen surrounding the German car company’s attempt to cheat on federal emission standards has cast a dark cloud over the entire car making industry across the globe. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration now says it will question everything when it comes to self-certified testing at auto makers. As the lawsuits mount up at Volkswagen, most of the major companies have also endured harsh penalties. General Motors agreed to a $900 million settlement over faulty ignition switches linked to over 100 deaths, Fiat Chrysler coughed up $105 million for failing to live up to safety regulations, while Toyota paid a $1.2 billion fine to settle a criminal investigation.
