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U.S. House Prices Defy Recovery
IAS360 'Early Detection' House Price Index Slides Again in August
| Source: Integrated Asset Services
DENVER, CO--(Marketwire - October 13, 2009) - Integrated Asset Services®, LLC (IAS®)
(www.iasreo.com), a leader in default management and residential collateral
valuations, today released the latest IAS360™ House Price Index
(HPI). Based on the timeliest data in the industry, the "early-detection"
index for national house prices fell 0.2% in August.
Though slight, the decline marks the second down month in a row for the big
benchmark after a healthy 2.8% rise across the second quarter. With
August's report, the leading U.S. housing benchmark in HPI detection is now
virtually unchanged for the year.
The South and West U.S. census regions weighed heavy on the national index
for the month, with prices slipping 0.1% and 1.2% respectively. The
Northeast and the Midwest both climbed a respectable 0.7% for the month.
Overall, the IAS360 HPI is down 8.0% for the trailing 12 months and a full
16.0% from its high in June 2007.
"Ordinarily, there's nothing ominous about a slowdown at the end of
summer," said Dave McCarthy, president and CEO of Integrated Asset
Services. "But these are hardly ordinary times. We know there's a sizable
inventory of bank-owned homes out there that will be listed at some point,
and that could ignite a new wave of stress in the housing market."
This "shadow inventory," basically foreclosed properties that remain
unlisted and unsold, could cause a great deal of trouble for a potential
recovery. When the shadow supply hits the market, home prices will be
pressured, particularly in markets with large numbers of foreclosures.
According to the IAS360 HPI, which incorporates data from national,
regional, MSA and county levels, several of the nation's hardest-hit areas
may already be feeling the strain. The index reports two of the country's
most distressed counties -- San Joaquin in California (Stockton) and Lee in
Florida (Fort Myers) -- both of which were down nearly 50% from their
high-water marks, falling another 7% in August.
"The IAS360 is designed to be an early-detection tool for the housing
industry," says McCarthy. "It may well be showing us the first signs of a
second wave of downturn."
The IAS360 House Price Index is an "early-detection" housing index tracking
monthly change in the median sales price of detached single-family
residences across the U.S. Based on all arms-length transactions, the
IAS360 HPI tracks data for 15,000 neighborhoods, that roll up to report on
the changes in 360 counties, nine census divisions, four regions, and the
nation overall.
Integrated Asset Services offers full service, end-to-end mortgage service
solutions including valuation and data analytics. The firm's i-Series
collateral valuation platform (http://www.iasreo.com/iseries.html) delivers
a comprehensive combination of collateral valuation services that
individually offer distinct and critical data, and when combined, a
complete view of market volatility, local expert opinions and subject
value. The company's data analytics provide vital data on the U.S.
residential housing market.
Editor's Note: Additional IAS360 HPI data, charts, and interviews are
available upon request. Data for 2008 and since the peak of 2006 are
available at levels from national to MSA to neighborhood.
About Integrated Asset Services, LLC
IAS (www.iasreo.com) is a privately held Colorado-based corporation
specializing in default mortgage services including valuation,
reconciliation and full cycle REO disposition. The Company's advanced
valuation and volatility technology combined with its expert professional
services help its clients reduce exposure while expediting the entire asset
management process. Founded by REO industry experts, IAS provides services
that go beyond industry expectations, from the level of integrity of its
employees to the measurably better service it routinely provides.
This press release contains various forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding
future results of operations and market opportunities that are based on
IntelliReal and IAS' current expectations, assumptions, estimates and
projections about the company and its industry. Investors are cautioned
that actual results could differ materially from those anticipated by the
forward-looking statements as a result of the success of IAS' branding and
consumer awareness campaign and other marketing efforts; competition from
existing and potential competitors; and IAS's ability to continue to
develop and integrate new products, services and technologies. Due to the
timeliness of the data, the IAS360 House Price Index is subject to
revisions on a monthly basis.