Mortgages

The of owning a home is still very much alive, but it will be no more than a dream for a growing number of people over the next five years. That’s bad news for home builders, who already have big troubles, as June’s reports on housing starts, existing-home sales, building permits and unsold-home inventories showed. But it is good news for anyone renting out a home, apartment or condo, or any real-estate investment trust specializing in residential rental properties.

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Mortgage rates have sunk to the lowest level in more than five decades, but consumers aren’t rushing to refinance their loans or buy homes.

Mortgage company Freddie Mac said Thursday the average rate for 30-year fixed loans sank to 4.58 percent this week.
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This morning executives at Bank of America rolled out their new “Principal Reduction Enhancement” program, which is an earned principal forgiveness plan for borrowers behind on their mortgages and whose loans are at least 20 percent underwater in value.
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The average rate on a 30-year loan has increased from about 5 percent to more than 5.3 percent in just the past week. As mortgages get more expensive, more would-be homeowners are priced out of the market — a threat to the fragile recovery in the housing market.
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Mortgage loan applications in the U.S. rose last week as purchases increased to the highest level since October, indicating buyers may be re-emerging to take advantage of the extended federal tax credit.
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