National News

Freddie Mac: Small-time owners of single-family rentals need more financing options

A new white paper by Freddie Mac outlines the significance of single-family rentals to the U.S. rental housing market, highlighting a dearth of financing options for the bulk of investors who own such housing. According to the paper, SFRs, which are

Real Estate in Brief: Condos in Queens, mortgage bets succeed and more

Several cities that were widely favored, but ultimately passed up, during Amazon’s highly publicized search for its second headquarters experienced what some called the “Amazon effect”: More businesses showed interest in relocating to cities like Atlanta after Amazon announced

Case-Shiller price index flat in October, shifting power to buyers

Conditions continue to improve for homebuyers in many of the largest U.S. cities, according to recent data from S&P CoreLogic’s Case-Shiller National Home Price Index and Redfin. The latest reading of the closely watched Case-Shiller index found home price growth

In many cities, 20 percent down payments are rare

Saving for a down payment remains among the biggest hurdles to homeownership, especially for young or first-time buyers. But more data released recently shows that down payment expectations are changing, including the long-held 20 percent standard. A recent report

Fed raises rates, but dials back plans for future hikes

During their final policy meeting of 2018 this week, Federal Reserve officials voted unanimously to continue the central bank’s pace of gradual interest rate increases. As was widely expected, the Fed announced at the conclusion of its Federal Open

Existing home sales grow in November on inventory gains

The National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday that existing home sales in November were up 1.9 percent from the previous month. That makes November the second consecutive month of increasing home sales as prices continue to moderate and listings

boston-winter-state-building-housing-homes
Real Estate in Brief: Best days to close, new renter data and more

The holiday season is all about finding the best deals on gifts for friends and family, but it may also be one of the best times to find a bargain on the biggest purchase most of us will ever

new-construction-home-house-worker-frame
Freddie Mac warns housing supply problem is compounding

One of the biggest threats to the U.S. real estate market next year will be a familiar one, according to Freddie Mac economists: a lack of inventory due to sluggish building activity. In its latest Insight Report, Freddie Mac

First-time homebuyer activity hit post-recession highs this year

First-time homebuyers made up the largest share of the U.S. home purchase market since 2005 during the first nine months of 2018, according to a recent report from Genworth Mortgage Insurance. That means despite persistent concerns about housing affordability

home-size-2015-nar-profile-buyers-sellers-new-homes-existing-first-time-buyers
How confident should we be in the housing market?

If you’re feeling like home prices can’t go up forever, you’re not alone. The November edition of Fannie Mae’s monthly Home Purchase Sentiment Index cites a 13 percent drop in confidence that prices will continue to climb over a

Millennial renters aspire to homeownership, but getting there could take decades

It may not be surprising by now to hear that the next generation of young adults wants to follow in their parents’ footsteps and become homeowners soon. That’s also increasingly true for those who are currently renters. A new

Real Estate in Brief: Fewer cost-burdened households, millennials delay homeownership and more

The number of households in the U.S. considered cost-burdened last year had slightly fallen, according to a JCHS analysis. The study reviewed data from the 2017 American Community Survey, finding that between 2016 and 2017 the percentage of cost-burdened households (households paying over 30 percent of total household income

White House nominates FHFA critic to lead agency

The Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 10 that President Donald Trump was expected to nominate Mark Calabria to replace the outgoing director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the federal regulator tasked with managing government-sponsored mortgage corporations Fannie Mae

/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/boston_is_one_of_the_most_expensive_cities_to_drive_in.jpg
Real Estate in Brief: HQ2 listings, short-term rentals for brokers and more

Real estate website MyHQHome.com plans to launch in January, taking advantage of the Amazon HQ2 real estate gold rush. Several brokerages have joined forces in constructing the website, aiming to target Amazon employees relocating to the company’s two new city locations, Crystal City,

Why millennials are buying more homes in suburbs than cities

Assumptions about how millennials will spend their money as they progress through adulthood continue to be proven inaccurate, or at least misunderstood. This is particularly true in real estate, specifically the places where Americans now in their 20s and

For-sale inventory records first annual increase since 2008

Housing inventory is steadily recharging around the U.S., giving potential buyers more options. RE/MAX’s latest national housing report found October was the first month to show a year-over-year increase in inventory in nearly 10 years. Compared to one year

Oops! We could not locate your form.