National News

Redfin: The average American home costs 18 bitcoins

Bitcoin, the first ever cryptocurrency to function independent of a bank or middleman, soared last month from $5,870.37 per coin on Nov. 12 to $16,650.01 on Dec. 12, a 183.6 percent jump. As of Dec. 21, its value was

Existing-home sales reach strongest pace in more than a decade

The end of the year usually means a slowdown in home sales, but this year is showing to be an exception, with existing-home sales growing in November for the third straight month to reach their strongest pace in nearly

Single-family housing starts surge along with builder confidence

After a slow construction season in October, housing starts across the nation saw a 3.3 percent jump in November, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Commerce Department.  Single-family construction, in particular,

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Freddie, Fannie announce affordable housing initiative

The United States has been grappling with a dearth of affordable housing, spurring a number of municipalities and officials around the country to address the problem head on. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae recently unveiled a plan to fix what

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Boom in single-family rentals contributing to inventory crunch

Due to a boom in single-family rentals, 270,000 fewer homes have sold each year since 2006. According to a new Zillow analysis, between 2006 and early 2017, the number of single-family homes that are rented increased by 5 million,

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Homebuyers plunking down more money for down payments

The average U.S. homebuyer in the third quarter made a down payment that was higher than any other quarter since the first quarter of 2000, according to a new report. In Boston, the average homebuyer made a down payment

HOME survey reveals diminished housing and economic optimism

Optimism regarding homebuying and home-selling is down in the final quarter of 2017, according to the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) fourth-quarter Housing Opportunities and Market Experience (HOME) survey. The percentage of homeowners who believe now is a good time

FHA to increase floor and ceiling loan limits in 2018

The Federal Housing Administration announced that it will raise loan limits in more than 3,000 counties nationwide in 2018. In total, 3,011 counties will have higher loan limits next year, up slightly from 2,948 counties in 2017 and a significant

Trulia: U.S. housing inventory down more than 10 percent

Tight inventory has nagged the U.S. housing market all year, but in the last quarter of 2017, the number of homes for sale plunged 10.5 percent year over year — the largest decrease since 2013, according to Trulia.  The

Mortgage delinquency dips to lowest rate in more than a decade

The number of past-due mortgage payments and of homes currently in some stage of foreclosure are the lowest they’ve been in 10 years, according to the monthly CoreLogic Loan Performance Insights Report. The report, which analyzes the health and

Agents not spared from effects of net neutrality repeal

The Federal Communications Commission vote on Thursday to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules will have enormous consequences for the real estate industry, the National Association of Realtors said in reaction to the hotly contested move. Real estate agents and companies

Amazon Echo introduces Agent Neo, real estate matchmaking app

On top of playing your favorite music and giving you weather reports, Amazon’s Alexa is adding a new skill to her vast voice-activated repertoire — helping users buy and sell homes. Agent Neo, a new real estate app on

FHA to stop insuring mortgages with PACE loans

In a move the housing industry deems a victory, the U.S. Federal Housing Administration will no longer insure mortgages on homes that also carry liens by the Property Assessed Clean Energy program, PACE. When the Obama administration decided to

NAR seeks to impact tax reform

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) released a letter Tuesday asking Congress to make three critical changes to the tax reform bill. NAR President Elizabeth Mendenhall calls upon Congressional leaders to “retain current law on the capital gains exclusion for the

Minority homeownership lags in the United States

While homeownership continues to be a key part of the American Dream, minorities in the United States lag behind the rest of the country in homeownership rates. According to a new report from ABODO Apartments, a national apartment listing

Compass gains $450 million in real estate tech investment

Real estate tech company Compass announced it received a $450 million investment from Japanese company SoftBank Vision Fund on Dec. 7. This investment stands as the largest real estate technology investment in U.S. history and brings the total capital

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