Economy Watch: FHFA Not Focusing on GSE Wind Down
The new director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Melvin L. Watt, used his first major speech at the Brookings Institution to emphasize a change in focus for his agency, which is the conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, currently the linchpins of the nation’s residential property finance.
Economy Watch: Retail Sales Eke Out Small April Gain
Retail sales barely budged in April compared with March, according to the Census Bureau.
‘Economy Watch’ Podcast with Dees Stribling: The Economy is Crawling Back
The economy is still crawling back to its previous health.
Economy Watch: Federal Deficit Continues to Drop
The federal government’s budget deficit dropped sharply in the first seven months of fiscal 2014 (beginning Oct. 1, 2013), according to a report by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Economy Watch: Americans Remain Pessimistic About Economy
The Pew Research Center reported that despite falling unemployment and various other improving economic metrics, a recent survey of Americans found that most people are still relatively pessimistic about the state of the U.S. economy, a belief that tends to depress consumer activity.
Economy Watch: Seniors Housing Builders More Optimistic
The state of the housing market’s been getting some worried attention lately but the National Association of Home Builders offered a small but hopeful note.
Economy Watch: More Purchase Mortgages Than Refi, First Time in Years
The Mortgage Bankers Association reports the rate of U.S. mortgage applications each week, and it goes up and down according to the vagaries of the economy and interest rates.
Economy Watch: Investment in Real Estate Still Lags
The Bureau of Economic Analysis released the real estate-related components of the government’s latest estimate for U.S. GDP growth.
Economy Watch: Number of Underwater Mortgages Drops
Black Knight (formerly LPS) released its Mortgage Monitor report, reporting that 5.52 percent of U.S. residential mortgages were delinquent for the month, down from 5.97 percent in February (more than 30 days late, but not in foreclosure).
Economy Watch: April Job Increases Broad-Based
Recent employment numbers came in better than expected, posting the largest employment rise in about two years, though it isn’t clear yet whether the increase is a one-off surge or the start of a longer-term pattern of healthy job creation—something that’s been a long time in coming