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Housing Wire: Financial News For The Mortgage Market

Consumer confidence rose in April after losing ground the month before, according to the Conference Board survey conducted by the Nielsen Company.

The board’s index increased to 65.4 in April up from 63.8 in March. While the increase does mark an improvement, it makes up only a piece of last months’ fall from a 72 index score for February.

The latest data show consumer’s short-term outlook improved slightly this month, easing the uncertainty seen in March. Even expectations for inflation, which spiked last month, retreated in April.

“Although confidence remains weak, consumers’ assessment of current conditions gained ground for the seventh straight month, a sign that the economic recovery continues,” said Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board consumer research center.

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For more information on financial news and home mortgages feel free to contact one of the Beverly-Hanks Mortgage Service loan officers. Each officer is exceptionally well qualified to help you interpret financial news such as consumer confidence and its impact on the mortgage markets.

Harry Redfearn, Vice-President of Beverly-Hanks Community Marketing Group, recommended this newsletter. It contains timely and detailed information from some of the industry’s leading experts on the master planned and resort/vacation community development industries. While the report is incredibly detailed and full of insight the first two pages are more generic in nature and discuss the housing market as a whole.

Bowden’s Market Barometer

Buoyed by a bull stock market that has increased the fortunes of the top 5% to 10% of American households over the last year or so, the development segment appears to be the first to see some serious momentum. While this is good news, the momentum created by move-up and first-time second homebuyers remains sluggish due to an absence of home ownership equity and/or an inordinate amount of resale competition.

In his most recent letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, Warren Buffett made a relevant comment. “Money will always flow toward opportunity, and there is an abundance of that in America. The media talk about uncertainty today like it’s something new. It isn’t. Only our perception of it is.” Buffett is enthusiastic about the housing Industry citing consumer interest and current conditions as catalysts for recovery: “Home ownership makes sense for most Americans, particularly at today’s lower prices and bargain interest rates.”

Complete article at: Bowdens Market Barometer March/April

There is no doubt the luxury home bath continues to evolve from utilitarian space to a treasured refuge. The previous decade saw the incorporation of many spa-like elements into the residential bathroom, and the trend continues today as these indispensible havens now contain bold statements with architecture and design elements. This design direction is reflected in some of our favorite modern options for bathroom essentials and structural features.

Homeowners are looking to be more connected to and reminded of the serene natural world in their modern baths, and components such as stone sinks and rich wood paneling and shelving have become popular items. Many homeowners are also increasingly installing bathroom skylights to let the outside in. VELUX is a leader in natural lighting solutions and provides a way to infuse the bath with natural illumination and frame the environment above - perfect for gazing while lying back in the tub.

The view overhead can be beautiful, and the comfort of the floor underfoot is also vital. Stone, ceramic, slate and travertine floors can provide a pleasing look; however they can also be cold - literally. Though not a new trend, electric radiant in-floor heating continues to grow in popularity and become more advanced.

To read the complete article: CLICK HERE or if you would like to receive a complimentary subscription to Luxury Portfolio’s monthly Luxetrends, please contact your Beverly-Hanks agent.

Luxury Portfolio International ^TM is the luxury face of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® the largest global network of premier locally branded companies dominated by many of the world’s most powerful independent luxury brokerages.

Posted by Shawn Tully, senior editor-at-large

Forget stocks. Don’t bet on gold. After four years of plunging home prices, the most attractive asset class in America is housing.

From his wide-rimmed cowboy hat to his roper boots, Mike Castleman fits moviedom’s image of the lanky Texas rancher. On a recent March evening, Castleman is feeding cattle biscuits to his two pet longhorn steers, Big Buddy and Little Buddy, on his 460-acre Bar Ten Creek Ranch in Dripping Springs, a hamlet outside Austin in the Texas Hill Country. The spread is a medley of meandering streams, craggy cliffs, and centuries-old oaks. But even in this pastoral setting, his mind keeps returning to a subject he knows as well as any expert around: the housing market. “I’m a dirt-road economist who sees what’s happening on the ground, and in 35 years I’ve never seen a shortage of new construction like the one I’m seeing today,” declares Castleman, 70, now offering a biscuit to his miniature donkey Thumper. “The talking heads who are down on real estate will hate to hear this, but America needs to build a lot more houses. And in most markets the price of new homes is fixin’ to rise, not fall.”

To read the entire article: CLICK HERE