On Friday, January 11, Fannie Mae released monthly loan-level disclosure data for its Single-Family mortgage-backed securities (MBS) as part of its loan-level disclosures initiative. The data will be updated monthly and will be provided for MBS beginning with an issue date of April 1, 2003.

“We believe that releasing monthly loan-level data is a significant step toward meeting investors’ desires for enhanced transparency,” says Renee Schultz, Senior Vice President of Single-Family Products.

This document is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any Fannie Mae security. Investors considering purchasing a Fannie Mae security should read the prospectus and prospectus supplement pursuant to which such security is offered and consult their own financial and legal advisors for information about such security, the risks and investment considerations arising from an investment in such security, the appropriate tools to analyze such investment, and the suitability of such investment in each investor's particular circumstances.

For more information, visit www.fanniemae.com.

2012 did it! It was the lowest listing inventory ever in more than five years. Recently, there have been lots of positive signs coming out of the real estate market. Foreclosure rates are down, housing starts are up, and homes have appreciated in value in some markets for the first time since 2006.

The total U.S. for-sale inventory of single family homes, condos, townhomes and co-ops (SFH/CTHCOPS) in December dropped to its lowest point since Realtor.com has been collecting these data. There had been different data presented and so much programs are opened to help get out of this mess. But It’s hard to gauge which, if any, of these programs will make much of a difference in the housing market. Considering the staggering amount of distressed homes and shadow-inventory properties around the country, there really is no quick-fix solution — and likely, no way that housing prices are going to rebound substantially in the near future.

In fact, according to  Steve Berkowitz, chief executive of Move Inc., which operates Realtor.com. "“It’s been a buyers’ market for a while. Sellers have been reluctant to put their homes on the market". January and February, he says, “are going to be an interesting time to watch” because they’ll provide early clues about buyer traffic and sellers’ expectations. Already, online search demand is up from one year ago. “The demand side is showing signs of good things to come,”

Good news for housing: The first indicator of builders’ sentiment for 2013 held steady at 47, the same level as December 2012. The three subcomponents of the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index changed in every direction possible; the current sales index remained the same at 51, the index for future sales fell one point to 49, and the index for traffic rose one point to 37.

Builders and buyers took a breath in December as the political agenda remained cloudy up to January 2nd. In addition, builders’ confidence has been rising steadily for eight consecutive months and the uncertainty of taxes, government spending, potential cuts to housing tax incentives and the on-going weak economy had to finally slow the advancing builder index. While the survey took place after Congress agreed to a tax regime, the uncertainty damage had already done a job on consumers’ confidence and the builders’ pause is the result.

Regional indexes smoothed with a three-month moving average increased for all regions. The Northeast and Midwest increased two points to 36 and 50 respectively. The South index rose 3 points to 49 and the West was up four points to 51. This is the first three-month moving average regional index at or above 50 since 2006 and the first time for the Midwest since 2005.

Extremely low mortgage rates, recovering house prices in most markets and pent up demand will provide forward movement in home building and home buying in 2013. NAHB expects housing starts to rise about 20 percent in 2013 over the likely end result of 775,000 starts in 2012.

View this original article on the NAHB blog, Eye on Housing.

Hilton Head Island Area Market Stats (MLS)*

• Closed Sales YTD: 3,305 (+21.6%)
• Pending Sales YTD: 3,502 (+18.7%)
• Median Price - Area wide YTD: -1.0%
• Average Price - Area wide YTD: -2.7%
• Median Price - Hilton Head Island Villas/Condos YTD: +13.8%
• Median Price - Hilton Head Island Detached Homes YTD: -2.6%
• Median Price - Mainland Detached & Villas/Condos YTD: +3.0%
• Housing Inventory: 2,366 Homes for Sale - 8.1 Months Supply (-32.4%, trending down)

      *Current as of December 2012. Next update for January to be released mid- to late-February

To see both reports in full, complete with graphs, click on

• Monthly Indicators
• Housing Supply Overview

Monthly Indicators

It was largely a year of recovery for housing across our nation. Markets resolved to shed their excess weight, appeal to both existing homeowners and renters alike, and learn to play nicer with banks. Hey, three for three isn't too bad. But there's more work to be done. Here's how the final month of 2012 finished up.

New Listings in the Hilton Head region decreased 11.6 percent to 258. Pending Sales were down 2.2 percent to 219. Inventory levels shrank 19.8 percent to 2,366 units.

Prices rallied higher. The Median Sales Price increased 3.6 percent to $238,070. Days on Market was down 18.6 percent to 115 days. Absorption rates improved as Months Supply of Inventory was down 32.4 percent to 8.1 months.

Economic growth is on an upward trend and several prominent housing indices continue to showcase market turnaround. Momentum is on our side, though it won't necessarily be fast, consistent or universal. But after five or six challenging years, it's a welcomed change of pace. Plenty of opportunity lies ahead. Here's to a healthy and prosperous year!

House Supply Overview

Most markets are on better footing now than a year ago. We saw many signs of market recovery throughout 2012. Assuming interest rates and job growth cooperate, 2013 should be another positive year for housing. For the 12-month period spanning January 2012 through December 2012, Pending Sales in the Hilton Head region were up 18.7 percent overall. The price range with the largest gain in sales was the $100,001 to $225,000 range, where they increased 27.2 percent.

The overall Median Sales Price was down 1.0 percent to $226,055. The property type with the largest price gain was the Condo segment, where prices increased 13.8 percent to $159,950. The price range that tended to sell the quickest was the $100,000 and Below range at 86 days; the price range that tended to sell the slowest was the $650,001 and Above range at 190 days.

Market-wide, inventory levels were down 19.8 percent. The property type that lost the least inventory was the Single-Family segment, where it decreased 19.0 percent. That amounts to 7.8 months supply for Single-Family homes and 8.7 months supply for Condos.

To see both reports in full, complete with graphs, click on

• Monthly Indicators
• Housing Supply Overview

(All data provided by Multiple Listing Service of Hilton Head Island - powered by 10K Research and Marketing and sponsored by the South Carolina Association of REALTORS.)

Buyers who have delayed purchasing a home due to concerns about what might happen to the tax laws affecting home ownership should feel comfortable about getting back in the market. The recent legislation passed by Congress and signed by the President continues to value homes as a favored investment.

For a summary of specific real estate provisions in the "Fiscal Cliff" bill, click here.

Whether the delayed purchase is for a home to live in as your principal residence or to use as rental property, taking action sooner is better than later.

Reasons to buy now:

1. The house payment with taxes and insurance is probably cheaper than the rent.
2. Rents will continue to rise making the difference even greater in the future.
3. Lock-in the principal & interest payment with a fixed-rate mortgage.
4. 30 year mortgage terms are available to most borrowers.
5. The mortgage interest deduction is intact for the majority of taxpayers.
6. The capital gain exclusion for principal residences up to $500,000 remains in place.
7. Prices are going up due to lower inventories and several years of low housing starts.

Contact me about any specific questions you have or information you need.

Rents still getting higher despite the rise of apartment construction for one simple reason: Supply And Demand!

"The surge in apartment rents since the downturn has sparked development across the country. But tenants pinched by rising rents shouldn't expect relief soon from the new apartments for a simple reason: Demand is likely to outpace supply for some time."

Read More Here... online.wsj.com

Many of our clientele are facing increased property tax bills, even though their houses are worth less than they paid just a few short years ago.

"It's almost like we have a little 'fiscal cliff' of our own because (so much) is still unknown," county assessor Ed Hughes said this week. What’s at stake? Who Pays? How Much? And Will They Stick?

See more of this : islandpacket.com

Refinance your mortgage now, rather than later... Mortgage forecasters are predicting that mortgage rates will rise over the course of 2013.

"Expect mortgage rates to be higher at the end of 2013 than at the beginning of the year. That's the consensus among mortgage experts whose opinions were solicited at the end of 2012 by Bankrate.com."

Read more here foxbusiness.com