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5/5/2020

Obama Administration Releases June Housing Scorecard

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Press Center

Obama Administration Releases June Housing Scorecard
7/11/2014

WASHINGTON- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury today
released the June edition of the Obama Administration's Housing Scorecard – a comprehensive report on the nation’s housing market.
The latest data show progress among key indicators, including growing equity and a rebound in the sale of new and existing homes. While
this scorecard notes positive overall trends in the housing market, officials caution that more work needs to be done as the economy
recovers from the Great Recession. The full Housing Scorecard is available online at www.hud.gov/scorecard.
“The June Housing Scorecard shows the housing market continues to make progress as we move into the summer months,” said HUD
Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research Katherine O’Regan. “Sales of new and existing homes are up, equity continues
to grow, and foreclosures starts continue trending down. While these are all signs of a healthy recovery, given the severity of the housing
crisis, we must stay committed to helping homeowners.”
“Although the housing market continues to improve, Treasury remains committed to helping homeowners who are still struggling to make
their mortgage payments,” said Treasury Acting Assistant Secretary Tim Bowler. “To date, more than 1.3 million homeowners have
received a permanent modification through the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), saving an estimated $28.2 billion in
mortgage payments.”
The June Housing Scorecard features key data on the health of the housing market and the impact of the Administration’s foreclosure
prevention programs, including:

·

Purchases of new homes surged by 18.6 percent in May. New home sales rebounded to a seasonally adjusted annual rate
(SAAR) of 504,000 in May, following sales of 425,000 in April, and were up 16.9 percent from one year ago. Purchases of new
homes rose in May by the biggest monthly gain in 22 years (since January 1992) and to the highest level since May 2008, indicating
that home sales are rebounding from a severe-weather induced lull during the previous two quarters. (Source: HUD and Census
Bureau).

·

Sales of previously owned (existing) homes rose again in May after a lackluster performance in the previous two quarters.
The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) reported that existing homes—including single-family homes, townhomes,
condominiums, and cooperatives—sold at a pace of 4.89 million (SAAR) in May, up 4.9 percent from April but remain 5.0 percent
below the 5.15 million pace a year-earlier.

·

Foreclosure starts continue their downward trend. Lenders started the public foreclosure process on 49,240 U.S. properties in
May, down 10 percent from the previous month and down 32 percent from one year ago to the lowest level since December 2005—a
101-month low (although foreclosure starts were up from a year ago in 12 states). (Source: Realty Trac)

·

Foreclosure completions also fell in May. Lenders completed the foreclosure process (bank repossessions or REOs) on 28,373
U.S. properties in May, down 6 percent from the previous month and down 27 percent from one year ago to the lowest level since
July 2007—an 82-month low (although bank repossessions were up from a year ago in 14 states). (Source: Realty Trac)

·

The Administration's foreclosure mitigation programs continue to provide relief for millions of homeowners as the
recovery from the housing crisis continues. In all, more than 8.5 million mortgage modification and other forms of mortgage
assistance arrangements were completed between April 2009 and the end of May 2014. Nearly 2.1 million homeowner assistance
actions have taken place through the Making Home Affordable Program, including nearly 1.4 million permanent modifications
through the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), while the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has offered more than
2.3 million loss mitigation and early delinquency interventions through May. The Administration’s programs continue to encourage
improved standards and processes in the industry, with HOPE Now lenders offering families and individuals more than 4.1 million
proprietary modifications through April (data are reported with a 2-month lag).
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Obama Administration Releases June Housing Scorecard

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