Lots of housing news today, here's what caught my eye:
- More than half of all home sales during 2012 and so far this year were bought with cash, according to a new report from Goldman Sachs Group. Prior to the crash, only 20 percent of all deals were made with cash.
- U.S. foreclosure filings during July rose 2 percent after a 6-percent increase in foreclosure starts, according to a new report from RealtyTrac. That was the first increase after rates fell to a 78-month low.
- With new home selling and demand on the rise, builder confidence in the U.S. rose to the highest level since August 2005.
- The average 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage this week was unchanged from last week, according to several weekly rate surveys. Freddie Mac, for example, said that the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 4.4 percent, unchanged from the previous week.
- What's coming in the Sunday paper: I'll have an interview with Ron Elwood, the Legal Aid attorney who shepherded a new foreclosure relief bill through the legislature. He'll explain what it means to consumers.
Jim Buchta
