WASHINGTON – With mortgage rates averaging above 7% for the past four weeks per data from Freddie Mac, builder sentiment posted its first decline since November 2023. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes was 45 in May, down six points from April, according to the National Association of Home Builders […]
NEW YORK – Many of us fantasize about building our ideal house on the perfect parcel of land. However, aside from the construction part, buying a lot is a rather challenging process itself. But if you yearn to make your dream a reality, it’s not as impossible as it can seem. In this comprehensive […]
WASHINGTON — Real estate sales can be one of the most challenging yet most rewarding careers out there. Passing the state exam is hard enough but once you’re in the career it’s like, “Well, now what?!” Granted you can choose a brokerage and hope you get a strong head start, but mostly, we’re independent […]
SEATTLE — Real estate investors bought roughly 44,000 U.S. homes in the first quarter of 2024, up 0.5% from a year earlier—the first increase since the second quarter of 2022. That is according to a new report from the real estate brokerage Redfin. Investor activity in the housing market is stabilizing following several years […]
MIAMI – Nobody likes paying for homeowner insurance. That’s been especially true in Florida, where over the past few years, as more frequent storms and high litigation rates have doubled the cost of insurance for just about everyone who owns a home. It’s tempting for homeowners, particularly seniors on fixed incomes, to put off […]
NEW YORK – If your savings fund balance isn’t currently where you want it to be, don’t be discouraged. Having any amount saved for an emergency, no matter how small, means you’ve already taken the most important step to protecting yourself from a financial setback. The next step is also important — maximize how […]
NEW YORK – By late spring, homebuying season is in full swing. And right when all the good listings start popping up, so does summer wanderlust — especially if you were cooped up all winter. House hunting can be exhausting, especially in today’s competitive market. So, if you need a vacation, are you throwing […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. consumer sentiment fell sharply in May to the lowest level in six months as Americans cited stubbornly high inflation and interest rates, as well as fears that unemployment could rise. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index, released Friday in a preliminary version, dropped to 67.4 this month from a final […]
WASHINGTON – ATTOM has released its first-quarter 2024 U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report, which shows that 45.8% of mortgaged residential properties in the United States were considered equity-rich in the first quarter, meaning that the combined estimated amount of loan balances secured by those properties was no more than half of their estimated […]
WASHINGTON – There’s more than one way to own a house these days. Sites including real estate startup Pacaso are opening up a new market for people looking to own just a fraction of a house — for a fraction of its total price. Instead of laying claim to an entire single-family home, Pacaso […]
News & Media TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed 20 bills, including a measure that could expand efforts to move policies from the state’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. into the private market. The measure (HB 1503), in part, affects a “depopulation” program that Citizens is using to try to shed policies […]
SANFORD — With the start of hurricane season less than a month away, U.S. officials who predict, prepare for and respond to natural disasters had a message for Floridians on Friday: It’s not a matter of if a hurricane will hit, but when. The 2024 hurricane season is expected to be busier than average. […]