Finance - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

Elevated Mortgage Rates Drive Homebuilder Confidence Downward

Builder confidence dropped 1 point in July to 42, according to the latest NAHB Housing Market Index. That's the lowest score since December 2023 Homebuilders exhibited little optimism as the housing market showed little improvement month-to-month, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today.Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes

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4 Ways Homesellers can Maximize their Home's Appraisal Value

Fair housing expert Dr. Lee Davenport says that your low appraisal may have nothing to do with the lack of landscapingIn a perfect world, we will all buy low and sell high. Astonishingly, in some places, home prices have increased by 47 percent since the start of the 2020 pandemic, meaning many should be able to sell high. ​Unfortunately, not all appraisals have kept up with such fast-rising values. Sadly, some homeowners have had to enter

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US Inflation Easing, Job Market Similar to Pre-Pandemic Conditions, Fed Report Says

Inflation is easing and the job market has returned to the "tight but not overheated" situation seen before the COVID-19 pandemic threw the U.S. economy into disarray, the Federal Reserve said on Friday in a report to Congress that documented the steady emergence of more normal conditions in the aftermath of the health crisis."Inflation eased notably last year and has shown modest further progress so far this year," the Fed said in its latest Mon

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Manhattan Home Sales Unexpectedly Rise as Buyers Cave on Rate Cuts

Manhattan home sales rose for the first time in two years as impatient buyers who had been waiting for interest rates to fall took the plunge.Closings of co-ops and condos spiked 12.2% in the borough in the three months through June from the same period in 2023, according to appraiser Miller Samuel Inc. and brokerage Douglas Elliman Real Estate. While the median price of $1.18 million in the quarter dipped slightly from a year earlier, it was s

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Commercial Mortgage Delinquency Rates Increased in the First Quarter of 2024

Commercial mortgage delinquencies increased in the first quarter of 2024, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest Commercial Delinquency Report, released earlier this month.Commercial mortgage delinquency rates continued to increase during the first three months of 2024. increase was seen across most capital sources, pointing to the challenges caused by loans that are maturing amid higher interest rates, uncertain property

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Mortgage Rates and Weekly Mortgage Demand Suggesting a Slow Summer Housing Market

After a weaker-than-expected spring housing market, summer looks no better. High home prices continue to rise, mortgage rates aren’t coming off recent highs and consumers are unimpressed by the small increase in home listings.All of that is reflected in weekly mortgage demand, which has been stuck for the second week in a row. Total mortgage application volume was essentially flat last week, up just 0.8% from the previous week, accord

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Rents Surged in these U.S. Cities in June

Metros in central and western New York recorded some of the biggest price increases in the countryRust Belt cities in central and western New York are getting a lot of love these days—maybe too much. The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Syracuse increased by 29% in June to $1,200 compared with a year ago, and was up 2.6% from May, according to the latest report from rental platform Zumper. That was by far the highe

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Median Sales Prices Reach New High

More housing inventory will eventually tame home price growth in the upcoming months, says NAR’s chief economist. Read more from NAR’s latest housing report.Existing-home sales prices climbed to a record high in May, as home buyers—also up against mortgage rates that were then above 7%—must continue digging deeper into their pockets.The median existing-home sales price rose nearly 6% in May compared to a year ago, reaching $419,300, the h

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Home Buyers May Find Slight Reprieve in Mortgage Rates

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage saw another small incremental decline, averaging 6.87% this week.Mortgage rates continue to fall from their recent 7% highs, lowering borrowing costs for hopeful house hunters who may eagerly be looking for any type of price break. This week marked the third consecutive week for mortgage rate cuts, following signs of cooling inflation, Freddie Mac reports.“These lower mortgage rates, coupled with the gradually im

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US Labor Market, Housing Data Point to Slowing Economy

First-time applications for U.S. unemployment benefits fell moderately last week, while new housing construction dropped to the lowest level in nearly four years in May, suggesting that economic activity remained moderate in the second quarter.The data on Thursday combined with tepid retail sales last month to keep a September interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve on the table. Financial markets are anticipating one or more rate cuts this ye

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