Borrowing costs moved lower this week as the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.6%, Freddie Mac reports. Rates are at the lowest levels in three months and about a quarter-point above all-time lows. “The very low rate environment has clearly had an impact on the housing market, as both new construction and home sales have surged in response to the decline in rates, the rebound in the economy, and improving financial market se
Home sellers nationwide felt richer at resale in 2019. The average seller saw a home price gain of $65,500 on a typical sale, which is up from $58,100 the year prior, ATTOM Data Solutions reports in a new study. This marks the highest level since 2006.That also represents a 34% average return on their investment compared to the original purchase price, which is also the highest average home seller ROI since 2006.“The nation’s housing boom kep
Single women are outpacing single men when it comes homeownership, a new study by LendingTree shows. In some metros, single women are achieving double-digit percentages in ownership.For example, in the New York metro area, single women own 13.3% of owner-occupied homes, whereas single men own 7.9%. In San Francisco, single women comprise 12.1% of the market share compared to single men’s 7.6%.Single women own about 1.5 million more homes than s
Property owners of single-family rentals continue to see climbing profits. U.S. single-family rents rose 3% year-over-year in November 2019, according to CoreLogic’s Single-Family Rent Index, released this week. The index measures rent changes among single-family rental homes, including condos.Since 2010, single-family rents have been increasing, stabilizing at around 3% since early 2019, CoreLogic reports.Rents for lower-priced homes are incre
As rents increase, more people may take on roommates to try to curb costs. At least one in three adults live with at least one adult roommate who isn’t their romantic partner or a college student, according to a 2018 Pew Research Center study.But who makes up the perfect roommate? Apartment Guide surveyed more than 1,000 Americans to find the perfect—or not-so-perfect—traits.In general, researchers found that people who had more than one ro
The average mortgage payment is about $1,500 per month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, coming in at about the same amount as the cost of renting (the average cost to rent was $1,476 in October).Mortgage payments have decreased about 3% since mid-2018. They’re expected to get even lower this year, possibly 3.3% to 5.9% below this year, The Mortgage Reports notes.The trend is occurring even as home prices rise. Mortgage rates, currently at
The foreclosure crisis feels like a relic of the Great Recession. After all, foreclosure filings have fallen 83% in 2019 compared to 2010, the lowest level since tracking began in 2005, according to ATTOM Data Solutions, a real estate data firm. Foreclosure starts also reached a new record low, led by states like Nevada (down 30%); New York (down 28%); and New Jersey (down 21%).But in some areas, foreclosures continue to linger. Foreclosure start
A strong economy has translated into a booming past year for commercial real estate. Employment is high, commercial real estate loan delinquencies are down, and about $4.36 trillion of investments—the highest since the Great Recession—came in from commercial real estate lending entities, including REITs, pension funds, government-sponsored enterprises, and construction lending banks.But how will 2020 compare? The CCIM Institute released a rep
More single-family and multifamily homes are coming onto the market soon as new-home construction posts its biggest gains in 13 years. Total housing starts rose nearly 17% in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.61 million units, the U.S. Commerce Department reports.Broken out, starts for single-family homes rose 11.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.06 million in December. The multifamily sector, which includes apartment
Older Americans may not realize that they can still qualify for a mortgage, even though the Equal Credit Opportunity Act forbids discrimination in the mortgage market on the basis of age.Yet, Mary Babinski, a senior loan officer with Motto Mortgage Champions in Trinity, Fla., told The Wall Street Journal that when a 97-year-old applicant came to inquire about a mortgage, he was even surprised he could still qualify for a 30-year mortgag
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