Category: Real Estate
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How Gen Z outpaces past generations in the homeownership rate
Gen Z has taken the lead in the homeownership race. In 2023, the homeownership rate for adult Gen Zers, or those between 19 and 26 years old, was higher than the homeownership rate for millennials and Gen X when they were 24, according to Redfin, a real estate company. The race is close, though. About…
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Mortgage refinance demand is 94% higher than a year ago, as interest rates fall again
File photo Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images Mortgage demand is now heavily skewed toward refinancing, as interest rates declined for the fifth straight week. Total mortgage application volume rose just 1.6% last week, compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. The average contract interest rate…
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JPMorgan economist says China’s housing market crash is still not over
China’s troubled housing market will continue to see softness as a slew of government stimulus and support measures have not been “satisfactory” in propping up the sector, according to a JPMorgan economist. The “housing market crash is still not over yet,” Haibin Zhu, chief China economist at JPMorgan told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” Monday, adding…
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Rupert Murdoch’s property group considers bid for UK’s Rightmove, sending shares 21% higher
Rupert Murdoch, chairman emeritus of media empire News Corp. Axelle/bauer-griffin | Filmmagic | Getty Images LONDON — Rupert Murdoch-owned REA Group said Monday it is contemplating a takeover offer for U.K. property portal Rightmove in a bid to create a global digital real estate business. The Australian property listings company, which is controlled by Murdoch’s…
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Mortgage rates are falling, improving home buying conditions. Here’s what to know before you act
The Good Brigade | Digitalvision | Getty Images Despite being a hallmark of the American Dream, buying a home is less affordable for many these days. Higher mortgage rates and a shortage of houses on the market relative to demand have kept prices elevated and created a financial crunch for many would-be buyers. The median…
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The ‘rent-first’ lifestyle is catching on. From cars to clothes and even caskets, here’s when it makes sense to buy vs. rent
Vm | E+ | Getty Images Owning isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. For many reasons — including affordability — more Americans are choosing to rent everything from cars and apartments to clothing and furniture these days, according to a report by Intuit Credit Karma. Far beyond the traditional tuxedo, the rental industry…
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You can buy mansions in these Mediterranean countries for the price of a studio in New York
The median price per square foot in Manhattan, NY is $1,500, according to My Dolce Casa. Alexander Spatari | Moment | Getty Images Manhattan, New York is infamous for being expensive. The city consistently ranks as one of the world’s most costly places to live in. Purchasing a 500-square-foot condo in New York City can…
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Home prices hit record high in June on S&P Case-Shiller Index
A recent CreditNews Research study ranked the slowest-selling metro areas in the U.S. The Good Brigade | Digitalvision | Getty Images Even as mortgage interest rates were rising, home prices reached the highest level ever on the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index. On a three-month running average ended in June, prices nationally…
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Weekly mortgage demand stalls, even though rates drop to lowest since April 2023
Mortgage rates fell last week for the fourth straight week, but neither current homeowners nor homebuyers seemed particularly impressed. Total mortgage application volume rose just 0.5% last week compared to the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances…
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5 top money moves to consider before the Federal Reserve’s first rate cut since 2020
Last week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell all but confirmed that an interest rate cut is coming soon. “The time has come for policy to adjust,” the central bank leader said in his keynote address at the Fed’s annual retreat in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. For Americans struggling to keep up with sky-high interest charges, a likely…
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Mortgage refinancing surges 35% in one week, as interest rates hit lowest level in over a year
New houses are seen for sale at Woodland Village, built by Lifestyle Homes housing developer, in Cold Springs, Nevada. Andri Tambunan | AFP | Getty Images It appears to have taken a few weeks for current homeowners to realize mortgage rates had dropped dramatically. And when they did, they acted. Applications to refinance a home…
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A U.S. construction boom is sending rents lower and creating perks for renters
Aleksandarnakic | E+ | Getty Images A construction boom in the U.S. has resulted in lower rents and other benefits for renters. Record-construction activity since the pandemic has increased the supply of empty units, meaning more inventory is available for renters. More multi-family units were completed in June than in any month in nearly 50…
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Here’s the inflation breakdown for July 2024 — in one chart
d3sign | Moment | Getty Images Inflation continued to retreat in July, aided by easing price pressures for consumer staples like food and energy and physical goods like new and used cars. The consumer price index, a key inflation gauge, rose 2.9% in July from a year ago, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Wednesday.…
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Op-ed: The case for a 40-year mortgage
Sdi Productions | E+ | Getty Images Homeownership has long symbolized the American Dream, embodying stability, wealth creation, and community investment. Yet, for millions of Americans, especially younger generations and first-time homebuyers, that dream is slipping away. Rising home prices, stagnant wages, and restrictive mortgage terms have made it increasingly difficult to take that crucial…
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How to position yourself to benefit from the Fed’s first rate cut in years, according to financial experts
The Federal Reserve could start lowering interest rates as soon as next month, based on the latest inflation data. “We think that the time is approaching,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said at a press conference after the last Federal Open Market Committee meeting in July. For Americans struggling to keep up with sky-high interest charges, a likely September rate cut may bring some…
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‘Starter home’ tax breaks, aid for first-time buyers: What to know about Harris’ affordable housing proposals
Democratic U.S. presidential candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, speaks at an Aug. 10 campaign rally in Las Vegas. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | Getty Images Affordable housing is a cornerstone of the “opportunity economy” that Vice President Kamala Harris sketched out last week. Harris’ economic policy pitch included proposals to lower the costs…
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Brits snap up lower mortgage deals as Bank of England rate cut boosts property market
Richard Newstead | Moment | Getty Images LONDON — Britain’s biggest high street lenders are continuing to slash borrowing costs after the Bank of England’s first interest rate cut in four years sparked a boom in homebuyer activity. Barclays, Halifax, HSBC and NatWest are among the lenders now offering five-year fixed rate mortgages of under 4%, below…
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Home sales rose in July for the first time in five months
A sign is posted in front of a home for sale on August 07, 2024 in San Rafael, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Closed sales of previously owned homes rose 1.3% in July compared with June to a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of 3.95 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors. That…
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After mini-boom, weekly mortgage refinance demand falls back 15%. Here’s why
A house under construction is seen between completed houses in a new development in Brambleton, Virginia on August 14, 2024. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images Mortgage rates fell for the third week in a row last week, but the rush to refinance took a breather. Applications to refinance a home loan dropped 15%…
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How the 2024 election could impact homebuilder stocks
In this article DHI LEN PHM Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Shareholder returns for top homebuilders D.R. Horton and Lennar outpaced the wider S&P 500 between August 2014 and August 2024. Analysts downgraded the investment outlook of both companies this summer. However, some investors remain optimistic about the industry’s prospects for performance. Stock Chart…