General News - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

Home Showings Dip in December, but Slowdown May Be Easing

Showings were way down year over year but only dipped a little bit month over month, according to a new report from ShowingTime. They remain up compared to pre-pandemic levelsThe number of home showings in the U.S. was down in December compared to one year prior, though a new report suggests the slowdown may be improving.The report, from ShowingTime, reveals that the company’s Showing Index — which is a measure of showing traffic ac

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New Housing Data Suggests Market Slowdown is Ending

Pending home sales increased in December for the first time in six months, and new-home sales and mortgage applications are rising. New housing data released this week offers hope that the market slowdown may be short lived. Pending home sales rose 2.5% in December, ending a six-month slide, the National Association of REALTORS® reported Friday. New-home sales also rose 2.3% last month, according to the Commerce Department, and mortgage applicat

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Lower Mortgage Rates Help Thaw Frozen Housing Market

The interest rate for a 30-year loan is nearly a whole percentage point down from a 7.08% peak just two months ago.Affordability woes are still spooking buyers, but another decrease in mortgage rates could bring them back to the market. The interest rate for the 30-year mortgage averaged 6.13% this week, Freddie Mac reports, nearly a whole percentage point drop from a 7.08% peak just two months ago. This could boost homebuyer confidence and help

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The Typical American Renter is Now Rent-Burdened, a Report Says

Moody’s Analytics finds that renters in the U.S. now pay 30 percent of the median income for the average rent.The typical American renter is now rent-burdened — meaning that 30 percent of the median U.S. income is required to pay the average rent, according to a new report from Moody’s Analytics.“This 30 percent is a symbolic threshold, a milestone,” said Thomas LaSalvia, the director of economic research at Moody’s.Reaching this thre

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US Economy Grows at 2.9% Rate to Cap 2022, Heading Off Recession Worries

U.S. economic activity expanded faster than expected in the final three months of 2022, marking a resilient end to a year defined by stubborn inflation, rising interest rates, and battered financial markets.The Bureau of Economic Analysis' advance estimate of Q4 U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) showed the economy grew at an annualized pace of 2.9% during the period, faster than consensus forecasts. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had

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4 Inexpensive Ways to Boost Curb Appeal this Winter

If you’re in a cold-weather climate, don’t let the winter blues bring down your listing’s curb appeal.If you’re in a cold-weather climate, don’t let the winter blues bring down your listing’s curb appeal. Jackie Mosher, co-founder of Dzinly, a company that provides designer-approved digital exterior designs for inspiration, offers a few tips for sprucing up the outside.Brighten the Front Door “Even just a fresh paint coat of the exi

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What Homeowners Can Do with All their Stuff

Whether selling or staying put, most homeowners could benefit from a little decluttering.Decluttering makes moving easier for everyone—and less costly, too. It is also helpful for those who want to live simpler in their current residence. In fact, having less clutter and being more intentional about what homeowners bring into their space is a positive for mental health and financial health.Many saw the wisdom of doing so during the pandemic whe

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Banks, Regulators Push for Mortgage Rule Changes

In separate initiatives, the ABA and CFPB are seeking to add to consumer protection measures related to mortgage lending Mortgage assistance for veterans needs to be updated in light of higher interest rates, according to the American Bankers Association (ABA) and other organizations.The ABA and 18 other groups wrote a joint letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) warning that current loss mitigation protocols for the VA Home

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Existing-Home Sales Dip for 11th Month, but NAR Sees Light Ahead

Existing-home sales fell 1.5% nationally between November and December while plunging 34% from December 2021, according to data released Friday by the National Association of Realtors Existing-home sales fell for the 11th month in a row in December, with sales falling in three out of four U.S. regions tracked.Sales of existing homes fell 1.5 percent nationally between November and December, and dropped 34 percent from December 2021 

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In 2022 it Costed More to Buy than Rent in 95% of US

Last year, it was more expensive to rent than own. High home prices and mortgage rates that doubled in 2022 flipped that, according to a new report from property data firm Attom.People will spend a bigger percentage of their pay buying a home than renting one in 95 percent of the U.S., according to a new report from property data firm Attom.In 210 out of 222 counties analyzed, renting an average three-bedroom home was less expensive than buying o

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