News & Press

• The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index Edges Up

• Author: The Conference Board
• The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had declined in October, increased slightly in November. The Index now stands at 49.5 (1985=100), up from 48.7 in October. The Present Situation Index was virtually unchanged at 21.0 versus 21.1 last month. The Expectations Index increased to 68....
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• October Home Sales Rise 10.1% From September

• Author: The Associated Press
• Home sales surged for the second month in a row in October, climbing to the highest level in 2 1/2 years as first-time buyers rushed to take advantage of an expiring tax credit.
  
  Home sales nationwide are now up nearly 37 percent from their bottom in January, data showed, though they are s...
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• Loan Ceiling Extended

• Author: Bob Tedeschi, The New York Times
• Buyers of homes in high-priced markets have some reason to cheer: the federal government recently extended through 2010 the maximum dollar amount for “conforming loans.” This will probably mean better options for borrowers who might otherwise have had to take out “jumbo” mort...
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• Rates On 30-year Mortgages Remain Below 5%

• Author: The Associated Press
• Rates on 30-year mortgages stayed below 5 percent this week but remained above the record set earlier this year, Freddie Mac said Thursday.
  
  The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 4.83 percent, down from 4.91 percent last week, the mortgage company said. Last year at this ti...
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