New Homes Are Getting Smaller
Developers are continuing to shrink the size of new single-family homes, according third-quarter housing data compiled by the National Association of Home Builders. The median square footage of a...
View ArticleHome Loan Rates Sink Lower This Week
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is averaging lower than it did a year ago, and remains well below the 4 percent threshold this week. “The market implied probability of a Fed rate hike in December...
View ArticleMortgage Interest Rates Climb This Week
Rates are increasing, but home buyers can still snag an interest rate that is lower than a year ago. “The 30-year mortgage rate has been bouncing around in a 10 basis point range since September. While...
View ArticleHot Home Trend: Bamboo Everything!
Bamboo is making its way into more home interiors. From flooring, window treatments to wall accents, furnishings and more, this sustainable material is popping up everywhere. Some designers are making...
View ArticleMortgage Rates Ring in New Year With a Dip
Borrowers kicked off 2018 with a mortgage rate drop. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is now down a quarter of a percentage point from a year ago. “The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell four basis...
View ArticleForeclosed Homes Dip to 12-Year Low
Foreclosures hit a 12-year low in 2017, and the distressed properties remain increasingly difficult to find in many markets. Foreclosure filings in 2017—which include default notices, scheduled...
View ArticleMillennials Are Saving More Than You Think
Millennials have been stereotyped as a generation that lacks savings or money management skills. But the data isn’t backing that up. Sixteen percent of millennials ages 23 to 37 have $100,000 or more...
View ArticleHome Buyers Don’t Grasp ‘Mortgage Basics’
Many Americans begin looking for a home to buy without understanding the fundamentals of applying for a mortgage or what it takes to qualify for one, according to a new survey by Ally Home, a...
View ArticleFed Move Doesn’t Suppress Mortgage Rates
The Federal Reserve may have voted to leave its short-term interest rates unchanged this week, but that didn’t stop lenders from moving up mortgage rates. Average mortgage rates are continuing an...
View ArticleHome Loan Interest Rates are ‘Pressing Higher’
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage reached its highest average since December 2016, Freddie Mac reports. This is the fifth consecutive week that mortgage rates have been on the rise, increasing borrowing...
View ArticleHousing Affordability to get ‘Worse in Spring”
As mortgage rates continue to inch higher, consumers are bracing for steeper homebuying costs this spring. Households earning the national median income of $68,000 a year could afford about 59.6...
View ArticleClimbing Mortgage Rates at 4-Year High
Mortgage rates continued to inch higher this week, marking the sixth consecutive week for borrowing cost increases for home shoppers. “Wednesday’s Consumer Price Index report showed...
View ArticleHigher Rates Could Raise Housing Costs 15%
If mortgage rate forecasts pan out, home buyers might see their mortgage payments grow by 15 percent this year, according to a new analysis by CoreLogic, a real estate data firm. CoreLogic economists...
View ArticleMore Buyers Gamble With Sight-Unseen Offers
Thirty-five percent of home buyers who purchased a home in November and December said they made an offer on the home without seeing it first in person, according to a newly released survey of more than...
View ArticleHome Loan Interest Rates Just Got Higher
“Optimistic testimony on Capitol Hill from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell sent Treasury yields higher as Powell stated his outlook for the economy has strengthened since December,” says Len...
View ArticleMortgage Rates Tick Up for 9th Straight Week
Borrowers were once again faced with rising mortgage rates this week. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage continues to be at its highest average in four years. “The U.S. weekly average 30-year fixed...
View ArticleRenovations Homeowners Are Eyeing This Year
Outdoor improvements, including decks, patios, and landscaping, remained highest on owners’ to-do lists for the fifth consecutive year. Interior renovations also are popular: Nearly a third of...
View ArticleMore Homeowners, Appraisers Agree on Values
Homeowners and appraisers are seeing more eye-to-eye when it comes to home values. Appraised values in February were, on average, just 0.53 percent below homeowner estimates—the fifth consecutive month...
View ArticleFlood Insurance Premiums Are About to Go Up
Many homeowners and buyers in flood-prone areas will see higher flood insurance premiums starting April 1. The premium hikes, which are required by law, will be as little as 2 percent for some...
View ArticleHome Loan Rates Ease Slightly This Week
“Treasury yields fell from a week ago, helping to drive mortgage rates modestly lower,” asys Len Kiefer, Freddie Mac’s a economist. “The yield on the 10-year Treasury dipped below 2.8 percent for the...
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