National News

5 Important Housing-Related Details from the New Jobs Report

What details in latest jobs report bear the most significance for housing? The nation’s unemployment rate fell from 5.5 to 5.3 percent in June, while the overall economy added 223,000 nonfarm payroll jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor

Distressed Sales Defy National Trend, Rise in Massachusetts

Over the last year, distressed home sales have become far less prominent in Massachusetts’ housing market Distressed sales throughout Massachusetts comprised 13.1 percent of all home sales in May, an increase from the 12.2 percent market share of a year ago, according to RealtyTrac’s

Multifamily Construction Spending Leads Charge in 2015

Residential construction spending may be up in 2015, but some areas performing better than others Residential construction spending was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $359.5 billion in May, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census

7 Biggest Challenges Housing Faces in 2015

Recession technically over, but challenges remain for housing market Six years ago, the recession officially ended. However, 41 percent of Americans still think the housing crisis is happening, and a new study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University has

Boston Home Prices Rise Moderately in Case-Shiller

Home prices positive in latest Case-Shiller, but are there signs of a slow down? Home prices in the Boston area posted lukewarm gains in Standard & Poor’s latest Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, rising 0.3 percent from March to April and 1.8 percent from April

Builders Trade Entry-Level for High-End

Construction is down in the market’s lower end, and economists say they know why The construction industry continues to make strides bringing more new homes to the market, a Census Bureau report on housing permits recently showed. But while

CFPB Announces Second Extension

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau decided to again amend its proposal to extend the forthcoming TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure rule compliance deadline, this time pushing the effective date from Oct. 1 to Oct. 3. “The bureau proposed Oct. 3 as

Pending Home Sales Now at 9-Year High

May was a solid month for pending home sales activity, but uncertainty remains for housing’s future Pending home sales continued their hot streak in May, rising by monthly and yearly measurements to their highest level in nine years, according to

Fair Housing Decision: A True Victory for Civil Rights?

Civil rights groups are celebrating the Supreme Court’s recent decision on disparate impact claims, but is it too early? The Supreme Court’s affirmation of an appeals decision endorsing the citation of disparate impact in housing cases – which means evidence

Negative Equity Still a Problem in Boston

Progress has been made on negative equity front, but troubling trends persist In the Boston housing market, 8.5 percent of mortgage holders remain underwater, and a majority will not reach positive equity for some time. That was the sobering finding of latest

Supreme Court Rules on FHA

Supreme Court rules disparate impact claims will be covered under FHA Discriminatory intent is irrelevant in cases of disparate impact, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled today in a tight 5-4 decision, where Justice Anthony Kennedy proved the decider. In

Value of Building Green

Some builders have avoided green building for fear of costs. Turns out, it could help them make money Environmentalists have long urged developers to design more green buildings, but faced with the high immediate cost of sustainable materials and

Supreme Court Decision Expected on Disparate Impact

A decision to redefine a landmark housing civil rights bill could come as early as tomorrow A handful of landmark cases in the Supreme Court this year – Obamacare and same-sex marriage – threaten to overshadow a soon forthcoming

Top 10 Dangers Facing the National Association of Realtors

The National Association of Realtors face 10 big dangers – none of them easily solved What are the threats that could impact the residential real estate industry? NAR’s “Danger Report,” a new report commissioned to the Swanepoel | T3 Group, analyzes the

3 Things to Keep in Mind as New Home Sales Near 7-Year High

New home sales up quite a bit so far in 2015, but many market forces remain at work The good news continued for new construction in May, with new home sales rising 2.2 percent from April and 19.5 percent from May

NAR: International Sales Total $104 Billion

Although international home sales declined last year, total dollar volume saw a 13 percent increase, according to the latest report from the National Association of Realtors. From April 2014 to March 2015, total international sales were at an estimated $104 billion, compared

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