Finance - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

Could 3D-Printed Homes Help Affordable Housing?

The evolving capabilities of 3D printing may help the housing industry respond to the affordable-home crisis. Some organizations now believe the process could be the answer to ramping up affordable housing across the globe. And it could do so quickly—you can print a home in just 24 hours.Icon, a construction tech startup in Austin, and a housing nonprofit called New Story unveiled its first two 3D-printed homes that were constructed for lo

Read More

Real Estate Wins in Government Spending Bills

The House on Tuesday passed a federal spending package for fiscal year 2020 that includes several high-priority items for REALTORS®: reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program through Sept. 30; an extension of several tax provisions important to real estate markets, such as mortgage debt forgiveness; and a seven-year reauthorization of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program, a particularly significant victory for commercial real estat

Read More

South, Midwest see Biggest Sales Jumps

Existing-home sales are rising the most in the South and Midwest regions of the country, indicating more people are considering a move there, the National Association of REALTORS® reports. The South’s share of nationwide existing-home sales increased from 36% in 2000 to 43% in October of this year; the Midwest’s share rose from 21% to 24% in the same time period.“While the Midwest region suffered a loss in population during 2000 to 2018, i

Read More

Buyers may have an Easier Time Qualifying for a Mortgage

Credit standards are loosening, a trend that has been consistent over the last three months. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s Mortgage Credit Availability Index rose 2.1% in November, which indicates “loosening credit.” Further, the trade group says it expects the trend to continue in the new year. “Expanding credit availability will continue to support active levels in mortgage lending, even as refinance activity starts to level off,

Read More

Sale of ‘Beverly Hillbillies’ Mansion Breaks Record

The mansion used as the backdrop of the popular 1960s TV show “The Beverly Hillbillies” has sold for about $150 million—a record-setting sale for California and the second most expensive for the U.S.Chartwell EstateThe home in the ritzy Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles is also known as Chartwell. It was once a pocket listing with a price tag of $350 million but sold after a series of price drops and being listed publicly on the MLS.The s

Read More

Average Homeowner Age is at least 50 in Top Metros

Florida is a popular haven for retirees, while Denver and Austin, Texas, have emerged as millennial hot spots. LendingTree used Census data to study the average age of homeowners across the U.S. and ranked the nation’s 50 largest metros based on the average age of its homeowners, from youngest to oldest. The study also includes the home price growth and household income growth for each of the average age of homeowners.The average age of a homeo

Read More

First-Time Buyer Market Shows Signs of Rebounding

More first-time buyers emerged on the market in the third quarter—a modest rise, but one that economists are still upbeat about.First-time buyers purchased 591,000 homes in the third quarter, a year-over-year increase of 1%, Genworth Mortgage Insurance reports. First-time buyers comprised 39% of all buyers in the single-family market, and 55% of purchase mortgages.A large number of millennials are beginning to reach their early 30s. The average

Read More

Inventory Declines just as Millennial Buyer Demand is Rising

The number of homes for sale plunged by nearly 10% annually in November at a time when low interest rates are increasing buyer demand, according to realtor.com®’s November 2019 Housing Trends report. The shortage of homes is accelerating: Inventories in November dropped 9.5% annually compared to 6.9% annually in October.“As millennials—the largest cohort of buyers in U.S. history—embrace homeownership and take advantage of this year’s

Read More

Young Buyers Drive Spike in VA Loans

More than 624,000 military service members and veterans used home loans from the Department of Veterans Affairs this year, with younger buyers accounting for the majority of these borrowers, according to research from Veterans United Home Loans. VA loans were up 43% in 2019 compared to five years ago.Millennial and Generation Z buyers comprised nearly half—45%—of all VA home purchases this year. Further, VA refinance loans rose 44% in 2019 co

Read More

Battle Over Nation’s Homeless Reaches Supreme Court

Recent court rulings have shown that cities across the country are at odds about whether to allow homeless people to sleep on the streets—and the issue is now in the hands of the Supreme Court.The highest court in the nation is considering whether to weigh in on an appeal to Martin v. City of Boise, a 2009 case in which homeless individuals challenge lawmakers in Boise, Idaho, for imposing fines as part of an anti-camping ordinance. Several mun

Read More

This website includes images sourced from third party websites including Adobe, Getty Images, and as otherwise noted.