Finance - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

Mortgage Rates Spend another Week Under 7%

The latest inflation numbers show housing affordability remains a problem in the economic recovery.Mortgage rates cooled slightly once again this week, now averaging 6.95%, as they continued to dial back after last month’s surge and returned to averages typical of a year ago, Freddie Mac reports.“Mortgage rates continued to fall back this week as incoming data suggests the economy is cooling to a more sustainable level of growth,” says Sam

Read More

Amazon Commits another $1.4B to Affordable Housing Fund

Amazon has refilled its multibillion-dollar Housing Equity Fund with an infusion of money that it projects will preserve and create an additional 14,000 affordable housing units.The e-commerce giant committed to adding another $1.4B to its affordable housing fund, bringing the total fund size to more than $3.6B, Amazon announced Tuesday.Amazon launched it as a $2B fund in January 2021 with the goal to preserve and create 20,000 housing units

Read More

Demand for Housing Continues to Rise, Even Without Population Growth

Residential REITs own more than 1.3 million apartment units and more than 200,000 single family rental houses, as well as manufactured housing, RV parks, and marinas.The ongoing housing crunch has helped REITs maintain strong operating performance through the past few years. As more adults choose to live alone, demand for housing continues to rise even without population growth. The latest earnings report shows residential REIT FFO was down 2.3%

Read More

US Household Wealth Hit Another Record in First Quarter, Fed Data Shows

U.S. household wealth rose to a record of more than $160 trillion in the first three months of 2024 thanks to the stock market's record run and gains in real estate, Federal Reserve data showed on Friday.Household net worth rose 3.2%, or by $5.1 trillion, with the appreciation of equity holdings accounting for the lion's share of the gain at $3.8 trillion, the Fed said in its quarterly snapshot of the nation's private and public sector finances.T

Read More

Mortgage Rates Seesaw Below 7% Once Again

Freddie Mac says rates could decline modestly throughout the remainder of the year.Borrowing costs are on the decline again, with mortgage rates falling slightly this week following last month’s surge, which was blamed for cooling the housing market. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.99%, and further drops—although minor—could be on the way, Freddie Mac reports.“Mortgage rates retreated this week given incoming data showing

Read More

Top 10 Most Affordable Beach Towns in 2024

Owning a waterfront property is a dream for many Americans. Here’s where your clients can snag a beach house in the U.S. for under $450,000.Most Americans say they dream of owning a vacation home, according to a new realtor.com® survey, and many hope it’s near a beach. But beachside property often comes with a hefty price tag.Realtor.com® found pockets across the country offering bargains on the beach in its list of America’s 10 most

Read More

A Big Mistake Home Buyers are Making with their Mortgages

They could save “hundreds of dollars a month” by doing this one simple task, a housing expert says.As mortgage rates once again move above 7% this week, more home buyers may be desperate for savings to better afford homeownership. But housing experts say a common mistake could be costing them thousands of dollars in potential savings: failing to shop around for their mortgages.Slightly more than half—54%—of recent buyers who recently took

Read More

Home Prices Reach New High in March, Case-Shiller Says

‘We’ve witnessed records repeatedly break in both stock and housing markets over the past year,’ Brian D. Luke at S&P Dow Jones Indices says The numbers: Home prices in the 20 biggest U.S. metros hit another all-time high, as the housing market remains hampered by a low number of properties for sale.The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city house price index rose 0.3% in March compared to the previous month. Home prices in th

Read More

Rising Mortgage Rates Once Again Blamed for Sales Slump

“But the Federal Reserve’s anticipated rate cut later this year should lead to better conditions, with improved affordability and more supply,” says NAR’s chief economist.As mortgage rates climbed above 7% in April, would-be home buyers appear to have pressed pause, revisiting their house-shopping budgets. As a result, pending home sales dropped nearly 8% in April. However, housing experts predict a turnaround could be coming soon.The Nat

Read More

5 Financial Solutions for First-Time Buyers

It’s no secret that housing costs have become increasingly expensive over the past few years, and there’s no sign of a drastic market change anytime soon. Hopeful first-time buyers are arguably experiencing the crunch more than anyone else, with many feeling like their long-held dream of purchasing real estate is simply out of reach. What clients may not realize is that there are numerous financial solutions available that can alleviate some

Read More

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