Incremental Improvement Continues for U.S. Mortgages

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on March 28, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) just released its report on mortgage performance for the fourth quarter of 2012. It is a story of mortgages that continue to … Read more

Poor Canadian Employment Numbers Bring Real Estate Back In Focus

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on April 5, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) {snip} This decline in USD/CAD abruptly ended today with a very poor Canadian employment report that was well below expectations. The unemployment rate ticked up from 7.0 to 7.2% as the … Read more

Supply/Demand Imbalances Continue Building in the Housing Market

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on February 24, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) There were a lot of interesting nuggets in the January existing home sales report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). The continuing decline in housing inventory has really caught my … Read more

It Only Takes 5 Million Dollars To Buy A Home

This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on February 5, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) {snip} In previous pieces on the real estate market, I have referenced how cash buyers and buyers with very high credit scores have provided the main buying power in the housing … Read more

One Eye On Higher Interest Rates As Strong Housing Data Continue

This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on February 4, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) Long-term interest rates are moving higher. Although it can be difficult to interpret the meaning of interest rate movements given the Federal Reserve is an active player in manipulating rates, I … Read more

Settlement By Lender Processing Services Clears Major Overhang

This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on February 3, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) On January 31st, Lender Processing Services (LPS) announced the company has settled with the attorneys general of 46 states and the District of Columbia over accusations of fraudulent practices in its … Read more

Homebuilding At the Crossroads Of Changing Demographics

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on January 21, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) On January 17th, NPR’s All Things Considered ran a story called “Homebuilding Is Booming, But Skilled Workers Are Scarce.” It was yet another story adding to the evidence that the tightness … Read more

Homebuilder 2013 Pricing Outlook Remains Murky Even As The “McMansion” Lives On

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on December 31, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) On Friday, December 28, 2012, Nightly Business Report interviewed Martin Connor, the CFO of luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers (TOL). I am on the lookout for 2013 guidance from homebuilders, so this … Read more

On the Frontlines, the Housing Recovery Is Visible But Needlessly Slow

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on December 14, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) Nine months ago, I wrote about Vertical Capital Income Fund as a way to participate in the bottoming of housing through an investment in mortgages. On November 28th, I checked in … Read more

Post-Earnings Selling Sets Up Opportunity In Lender Processing Services

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on November 26, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) I have followed Lender Processing Services (LPS) for a little over two years. It all started soon after LPS sold off swiftly in the wake of disclosures regarding “foreclosuregate” in late … Read more