General News - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

What Fed’s Pause on Rate Hikes Means for Home Buyers

Several economic indicators are showing improvement, but the Fed warns that two more rate increases are likely this year. That has some economists concerned.Ending a cycle of 10 consecutive rate hikes, the Federal Reserve voted this week to hold off on another increase to its key short-term interest rate. The news fueled hopes that borrowing costs for home buyers could cool in the coming weeks, but only if the Fed continues to pause rate hikes. M

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5 Reasons we Won't See a Housing Market Crash this Year

According to Splitero CEO Michael Gifford, we’re still in an affordability crisis and unlikely to see a complete housing market tumble in 2023 It’s been a housing market roller coaster the past few years with no shortage of news about record-high prices, outrageous negotiations (like all-cash deals and cars), and questions about if there’s a bubble and if it’ll burst. The pendulum swung from a buyer’s market to a sellerâ€

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Low Inventory Upticked Prices this Spring

US-home values grew 1.4% between April and May of 2023 — slower than the past 2 springs but faster than both the 2018 and 2019 spring markets Ultra-low inventory was a primary driver of price growth during the Spring market, according to a report released Monday by Zillow.Typical U.S.-home values grew 1.4 percent between April and May of 2023 — slower than the past two springs but faster than both the 2018 and 2019 spring

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Home Values in Tech Hubs have Dropped Since May 2022

Regions include Austin, San Francisco and San Jose Since the beginning of the pandemic, the real estate market has followed an unpredictable course. Some cities and regions have seen significant booms, while the value of property in others has declined. As revealed by a new report on home prices from Zillow, some of those changes might surprise you — including year over year price drops in the tech hubs of San Francisco and Austin.Acc

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As Mortgage Rates Dip, Bigger Obstacles Come into Focus

Borrowing costs are not the most pressing issue for home shoppers.After recent increases, the mortgage rate for the 30-year fixed loan pulled back this week, giving home shoppers a slight reprieve on borrowing costs. Still, rates remain above 6.5% for the third consecutive week: The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.71% this week, Freddie Mac reports. “While elevated rates and other affordability challenges remain, inventory continues to b

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Middle-Income Buyers Suffer Most in Housing Shortage

The housing market is short more than 300,000 homes in price points middle-income buyers can afford, shows research from NAR and realtor.com®.The national housing shortage is most acute in price points that middle-income buyers can afford, according to new National Association of REALTORS® data. The market is short about 320,000 listings worth up to $256,000—which is considered the affordability range for households earning up to $75,000 annu

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Single-Family Rental Construction More Active than Ever

Dive Brief: Over 14,500 new single-family rental homes were constructed across the country in 2022. This marks an all-time high, up 47% from 2021 and more than double the peak yearly construction rate before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study from RentCafe.The trend shows no sign of slowing. Nearly 44,700 new build-to-rent homes — defined in the study as horizontal apartment-style units in neighborhoods of 50 or more — are u

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Mortgage Rates Ease on Debt Deal, but Jobs Report Fuels Inflation Fears

Friday's strong jobs report renews worries that the Federal Reserve is not done hiking rates to combat inflation as policymakers face June 14 decision to 'hike, skip or pause'Mortgage rates retreated from 2023 highs this week as a last-minute debt ceiling deal averted a crisis, but could quickly rebound on a strong jobs report Friday that’s renewed worries about inflation.The Optimal Blue Mortgage Market Indices show that rates on 30-

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Mortgage Rates Near 7%

Nearly 5.5 million more households are priced out of the housing market today than a year ago, NAR data shows.The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose again this week, averaging 6.79% and forcing more home buyers to recalculate their budget. Mortgage applications for home purchases are falling—down 31% year over year, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. But economists say mortgage rates are likely to drop in upcoming weeks, which could h

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16 Clever Ploys to Brighten your Rooms

Decorating and designing with glass ranges from introducing weight-bearing structures to simple but cleverly placed mirrors. All will work to make a house lighter Making a house lighter can be as simple as bringing more mirrors or glazed panels into your home, or as complicated as replacing sections of roofing with glazing.Here, we explore the best ways to get more light into a house to brighten rooms; some are quick and easy to choose, others me

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