Market Data

Over the next few weeks, “The Breakdown” is going to sum up some of the most interesting numbers for each state from the 2012 Demotech Performance of Title Insurance Companies for our subscribers, to provide an across-the-country snapshot of the title insurance business. We’re going alphabetically, so part one features Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida and Georgia.

Which underwriters lock down the markets in which states? Which states saw the most losses? Over the next few weeks, we will give you answers to these questions and more within our “Breakdown” series. Read on for an introduction to this series and an explanation from Paul Osborne concerning the big picture of loss ratios and losses paid.

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes gained five points in May from a downwardly revised reading in the previous month to reach the highest level in the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index since May 2007.

The Applied Analytics Division of Lender Processing Services updated its home price index with residential sales concluded during February 2012, and it is showing an increase in seasonally adjusted prices for the first time since March 2010 — and only the third time in five years.

The Board of Directors of Old Republic International Corp. declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock payable June 15. Read on for more.

Looking for a growth market? How about the 55-plus homebuyer? According to the latest data from the National Association of Home Builders, builders are getting excited about this older demographic.

According to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association, mortgage applications slightly rose from last week, but the results were dragged down mostly by decreases in the government portion of the applications. Read on for more.

Pending home sales increased in March and are well above a year ago, another signal the housing market is recovering, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Read on for more from the report.

Fidelity National Financial (FNF) has been rated below the other top title insurers by Fitch Ratings for a while, but according to a report from Fitch, that’s changed. Read on to see the national underwriter’s new rating and for the rationale behind Fitch’s decision.

The list of housing markets showing measurable and sustained improvement held virtually unchanged in May at 100, down from 101 in April, according to the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI).