This week in housing & finance… 1/18/10.

For the week of January 18, 2010.

INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE Our hearts go out to the people of Haiti recovering from the terrible tragedy of last Tuesday’s earthquake. We know everyone’s thoughts are with the Haitians. It has been inspiring to see the American people support the relief efforts in so many ways.

Last week, housing market news was thin on the ground. It was good to see that fixed-rate mortgage rates dropped again, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly survey of conforming mortgages, which came out Thursday. The report was accompanied by encouraging words from Freddie Mac’s chief economist Frank Nothaft, who said: “The Federal Reserve recently reported positive news in both the housing market and the overall state of the economy in its January 13 regional economic report….Economic activity improved in 10 of its 12 districts. Home sales…increased due in part to the home-buyer tax credit and house prices appeared to have changed little since its last report.” The bottom in home pricing appears to have formed in many areas of the country.

The preceding is courtesy Inside Lending Newsletter from Tom Lasswell with Guild Mortgage.