The housing market continues to experience record-high prices, with the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index reflecting a 5.4% increase in June compared to the previous year. Despite rising mortgage interest rates, home prices have reached unprecedented levels. However, the annual gain in June was slightly lower than the previous month, indicating a
Real Estate
In today’s society, the concept of ownership is undergoing a significant shift. More Americans are now opting to rent various items such as cars, apartments, clothing, furniture, and even funeral caskets. According to a report by Intuit Credit Karma, 28% of adults regularly rent goods and services, with that percentage increasing to 47% when factoring
When considering the high real estate prices in Manhattan, New York, it is shocking to discover that for the price of a 500 square foot apartment in the city, you can purchase a property over 7,000 square feet in Sicily, Italy. This Italian island is famous for its rich history, beautiful beaches, and charming hilltop
Buying a home has long been considered a key aspect of the American Dream, allowing individuals to establish stability and build equity. However, in today’s market, affordability is becoming a significant obstacle for many potential buyers. The median sales price for homes has continued to rise, reaching $422,600 in July, reflecting a 4.2% increase from
Despite mortgage rates falling for the fourth consecutive week, the response from both current homeowners and homebuyers has been lackluster. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that total mortgage application volume only increased by 0.5% from the previous week. This indicates that the downward trend in mortgage rates has not significantly impacted the overall demand for
For consumers in the market for a new home, the anticipation of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates has been met with caution as another deadline approaches. By the end of September, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) faces the need for reauthorization to continue issuing new policies or increasing coverage on existing ones. This
Affordable housing has been a key focus in recent political discussions, with Vice President Kamala Harris outlining proposals to address the issue in her economic policy pitch. Harris emphasized the importance of making homeownership more accessible by lowering costs. One of the central aspects of her plan is the construction of 3 million new housing
Homebuilders D.R. Horton and Lennar have seen their shareholder returns outpace the S&P 500 between August 2014 and August 2024. This growth in returns was promising, but recent downgrades in the investment outlook of both companies have raised concerns among analysts. Despite this, some investors remain optimistic about the industry’s prospects for future performance. It
In July, closed sales of previously owned homes increased by 1.3% compared to June, reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.95 million units. This uptick marked the first increase in sales in five months, providing a glimmer of hope for the sluggish housing market. Despite this improvement, sales were still 2.5% lower than the
Recent data from the Mortgage Bankers Association shows that mortgage rates have been falling for the past three weeks. Despite this trend, there has been a 15% drop in applications to refinance home loans compared to the previous week. This decline may be attributed to the fact that the demand for refinancing surged by 23%