Market Matters

Bank of America to pay record $16.65 billion to settle mortgage claims Source: LA Times In what amounts to the largest settlement by a single company in U.S. history, the Justice Department has announced that Bank of America Corp. will pay $16.65 billion to end federal and state investigations into the sale of toxic mortgage securities during the subprime housing boom. California will receive $300 million from the settlement to reimburse the CalPERS and CalSTRS pension funds. Read the full story

3 facts crippling California's housing recovery Source: HousingWire   While California’s job growth and economy continue to improve, major hurdles remain for housing’s recovery. Firstly, affordability is a huge concern as rapid home price increases, mixed with a lack of affordable inventory is leaving little room for first-time borrowers to jump into the market. Tight credit and stagnant incomes are another concern if prices remain high. Read the full story

Housing construction surges in July Source: The Hill During July, housing construction hit its highest level in eight months as the sector shows signs of picking up pace in the second half of the year. After two months of drops, construction jumped 15.7 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.09 million homes, the fastest pace since the 1.11 million posted in November, according to the Commerce Department. Read the full story