Home listings are up more than 60% in these cities

Home listings are up more than 60% in these cities

A for sale sign is displayed outside of a home for sale on August 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. United States real estate industry rules governing agent commissions will change on August 17 as part of a legal settlement between the National Association of Realtors and home sellers. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / … Read more

Mortgage refinance demand is 94% higher than a year ago

Mortgage refinance demand is 94% higher than a year ago

File photo Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images Mortgage demand is now heavily skewed toward refinancing, as interest rates declined for the fifth straight week. Total mortgage application volume rose just 1.6% last week, compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. The average contract interest rate … Read more

Here’s when it makes sense to buy vs. rent

Here’s when it makes sense to buy vs. rent

Owning isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. For many reasons — including affordability — more Americans are choosing to rent everything from cars and apartments to clothing and furniture these days, according to a report by Intuit Credit Karma. Far beyond the traditional tuxedo, the rental industry has expanded in recent years to … Read more

Mortgage rates are falling, is this the right time to buy a home?

Mortgage rates are falling, is this the right time to buy a home?

The Good Brigade | Digitalvision | Getty Images Mortgage rates are falling Mortgage rates have already started to come down from recent highs, largely due to the prospect of a Federal Reserve-induced economic slowdown. The average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 6.35% on August 29 from 6.46% a week ago, the lowest … Read more

Weekly mortgage demand stalls, even though rates drop to lowest since April 2023

Weekly mortgage demand stalls, even though rates drop to lowest since April 2023

Rooftops of homes in a gated residential community are seen in Pico Rivera, California, on Jan. 18, 2024. Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images Mortgage rates fell last week for the fourth straight week, but neither current homeowners nor homebuyers seemed particularly impressed. Total mortgage application volume rose just 0.5% last week compared … Read more

Home prices hit record high in June on S&P Case-Shiller Index

Home prices hit record high in June on S&P Case-Shiller Index

A recent CreditNews Research study ranked the slowest-selling metro areas in the U.S. The Good Brigade | Digitalvision | Getty Images Even as mortgage interest rates were rising, home prices reached the highest level ever on the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index. On a three-month running average ending in June, prices nationally … Read more

July home sales break 4-month losing streak as supply rises nearly 20%

July home sales break 4-month losing streak as supply rises nearly 20%

A sign is posted in front of a home for sale on August 07, 2024 in San Rafael, California.  Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Closed sales of previously owned homes rose 1.3% in July compared with June to a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of 3.95 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors. That … Read more

After mini-boom, weekly mortgage refinance demand falls back 15%. Here’s why.

After mini-boom, weekly mortgage refinance demand falls back 15%. Here’s why.

A house under construction is seen between completed houses in a new development in Brambleton, Virginia on August 14, 2024. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images Mortgage rates fell for the third week in a row last week, but the rush to refinance took a breather. Applications to refinance a home loan dropped 15% … Read more

The case for a 40-year mortgage

The case for a 40-year mortgage

MoMo Productions | Taxi | Getty Images Homeownership has long symbolized the American Dream, embodying stability, wealth creation, and community investment. Yet, for millions of Americans, especially younger generations and first-time homebuyers, that dream is slipping away. Rising home prices, stagnant wages, and restrictive mortgage terms have made it increasingly difficult to take that crucial … Read more

Brits snap up lower mortgages as BOE cut boosts market

Brits snap up lower mortgages as BOE cut boosts market

Richard Newstead | Moment | Getty Images LONDON — Britain’s biggest high street lenders are continuing to slash borrowing costs after the Bank of England’s first interest rate cut in four years sparked a boom in homebuyer activity. Barclays, Halifax, HSBC and NatWest are among the lenders now offering five-year fixed rate mortgages of under 4%, below … Read more