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IPFS News Link • Housing

Time To Add Housing To The Bubble List?

• zerohedge.com by John Rubino

Still, the warning signs are spreading. Today's Wall Street Journal, for instance, reports that homeowners are back to using their houses as ATMs:

Homeowners Are Again Pocketing Cash as They Refinance Properties

Americans refinancing their mortgages are taking cash out in the process at levels not seen since the financial crisis.

Nearly half of borrowers who refinanced their homes in the first quarter chose the cash-out option, according to data released this week by Freddie Mac. That is the highest level since the fourth quarter of 2008.

The cash-out level is still well below the almost 90% peak hit in the run-up to the housing meltdown. But it is up sharply from the post-crisis nadir of 12% in the second quarter of 2012.


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