News & Media WASHINGTON – Pending home sales in April fell 7.7%, according to the National Association of Realtors®. All four U.S. regions registered month-over-month and year-over-year decreases. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)* – a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings – decreased to 72.3 in April. Year over year, […]
LOS ANGELES — The average rate on a 30-year mortgage moved back above 7% this week, a setback for home shoppers at a time when the U.S. housing market is already slowing under the strain of elevated home loan borrowing costs and rising prices. The rate rose to 7.03% from 6.94% last week, mortgage […]
WASHINGTON —The Department of Veterans Affairs asked mortgage servicers to continue a moratorium on foreclosures for veterans with VA-guaranteed loans through December 31, saying it will help veterans and their families as they navigate a new loan modification program. The VA said its new targeted foreclosure moratorium will help ensure that veterans and their […]
NEW YORK – As a former college athlete, John Bovard has always prioritized exercise. Building a home gym helped him balance health, career and family. “To be able to walk right downstairs, get our workout in, be back upstairs without any travel time or any commute was something that was our best option,” says […]
WASHINGTON — Hopes for interest rate cuts this year by the Federal Reserve are steadily fading, with a stream of recent remarks by Fed officials underscoring their intention to keep borrowing costs high as long as needed to curb persistently elevated inflation. A key reason for the delay in rate cuts is that the […]
News & Media By Melissa Dittman Tracey NEW YORK – Pinterest has identified “Western Gothic” as a top interior design trend for 2024. “Western” and “Gothic” may seem like a mismatch—but a melding of the two aesthetics also may come naturally to fans of the dark, moody cowboy drama “Yellowstone.” Western Gothic is a […]
News & Media NEW YORK – To grow a real-estate business, experts need to identify emerging trends in the market and act. The following up-and-coming professional trends can help real estate professionals move forward: Build a personal brand that showcases experience, skills and know-how in real estate. Increase transactions by incentivizing referrals. Buyers between […]
WASHINGTON – A new quarterly Cost of Housing Index unveiled today by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo underscores the housing affordability crisis in America by revealing that in the first quarter of 2024, 38% of a typical family’s income was needed to make a mortgage payment on a median […]
MIAMI — Is Miami friendly? If you didn’t get cut off on I-95 today and the ventanita gave you a little extra cafe, sure, why not? But the Magic City didn’t make the cut of the friendliest towns in the South. And neither did any other place in South Florida. But Florida does have […]
NEW YORK – Mortgage interest rates have been headlining financial news segments for several years running. Much of that news has been met with less than open arms, as rates have risen dramatically in recent years, an increase that is related to the ripple effect of the Covid-19 pandemic. Mortgage interest rates did not […]
NEW YORK – A recent survey from Stanley Black & Decker’s Craftsman brand discovers that 75% of American homeowners believe their garage holds the potential to be the most productive space within their residence. While traditionally, a garage serves as a storage space or is left abandoned to gather dust and clutter, it could […]
News & Media By Matt Ott WASHINGTON — Consumer confidence in the U.S. rose in May following three straight months of declines, but Americans remain anxious about inflation and interest rates. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose in May to 102 from 97.5 in April. […]