Real Estate - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

Lower Mortgage Rates Help Thaw Frozen Housing Market

The interest rate for a 30-year loan is nearly a whole percentage point down from a 7.08% peak just two months ago.Affordability woes are still spooking buyers, but another decrease in mortgage rates could bring them back to the market. The interest rate for the 30-year mortgage averaged 6.13% this week, Freddie Mac reports, nearly a whole percentage point drop from a 7.08% peak just two months ago. This could boost homebuyer confidence and help

Read More

The Typical American Renter is Now Rent-Burdened, a Report Says

Moody’s Analytics finds that renters in the U.S. now pay 30 percent of the median income for the average rent.The typical American renter is now rent-burdened — meaning that 30 percent of the median U.S. income is required to pay the average rent, according to a new report from Moody’s Analytics.“This 30 percent is a symbolic threshold, a milestone,” said Thomas LaSalvia, the director of economic research at Moody’s.Reaching this thre

Read More

US Economy Grows at 2.9% Rate to Cap 2022, Heading Off Recession Worries

U.S. economic activity expanded faster than expected in the final three months of 2022, marking a resilient end to a year defined by stubborn inflation, rising interest rates, and battered financial markets.The Bureau of Economic Analysis' advance estimate of Q4 U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) showed the economy grew at an annualized pace of 2.9% during the period, faster than consensus forecasts. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had

Read More

4 Inexpensive Ways to Boost Curb Appeal this Winter

If you’re in a cold-weather climate, don’t let the winter blues bring down your listing’s curb appeal.If you’re in a cold-weather climate, don’t let the winter blues bring down your listing’s curb appeal. Jackie Mosher, co-founder of Dzinly, a company that provides designer-approved digital exterior designs for inspiration, offers a few tips for sprucing up the outside.Brighten the Front Door “Even just a fresh paint coat of the exi

Read More

What Homeowners Can Do with All their Stuff

Whether selling or staying put, most homeowners could benefit from a little decluttering.Decluttering makes moving easier for everyone—and less costly, too. It is also helpful for those who want to live simpler in their current residence. In fact, having less clutter and being more intentional about what homeowners bring into their space is a positive for mental health and financial health.Many saw the wisdom of doing so during the pandemic whe

Read More

Banks, Regulators Push for Mortgage Rule Changes

In separate initiatives, the ABA and CFPB are seeking to add to consumer protection measures related to mortgage lending Mortgage assistance for veterans needs to be updated in light of higher interest rates, according to the American Bankers Association (ABA) and other organizations.The ABA and 18 other groups wrote a joint letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) warning that current loss mitigation protocols for the VA Home

Read More

Existing-Home Sales Dip for 11th Month, but NAR Sees Light Ahead

Existing-home sales fell 1.5% nationally between November and December while plunging 34% from December 2021, according to data released Friday by the National Association of Realtors Existing-home sales fell for the 11th month in a row in December, with sales falling in three out of four U.S. regions tracked.Sales of existing homes fell 1.5 percent nationally between November and December, and dropped 34 percent from December 2021 

Read More

In 2022 it Costed More to Buy than Rent in 95% of US

Last year, it was more expensive to rent than own. High home prices and mortgage rates that doubled in 2022 flipped that, according to a new report from property data firm Attom.People will spend a bigger percentage of their pay buying a home than renting one in 95 percent of the U.S., according to a new report from property data firm Attom.In 210 out of 222 counties analyzed, renting an average three-bedroom home was less expensive than buying o

Read More

10 Ways to Update that Won’t Break the Bank

Whether it’s a brand-new listing or last year’s listing that’s still languishing on the market, these updates will make it look like new This time last year, the market was so lively that many listing agents had only to pop a few photos on the MLS and multiple potential buyers would beat a path to the front door. What a difference a year makes. Now, many markets have cooled down and buyers are more discerning about what they’ll

Read More

Single-Family Housing Starts Leap 11% as Permits and Completions Fall

Overall housing starts clocked in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,382,000, 1.4% below levels recorded in November, according to new data released Thursday by the US Census Bureau Housing starts, permits and completions all posted declines in December with increased production of single-family homes the lone bright spot for the month, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.Housing star

Read More

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