According to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates were down last week for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances, loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration, and 15-year fixed rate loans. But despite falling rates, demand for mortgage applications remained flat, with refinance activity dropping 2 percent and purchase activity up just 1 percent from the week before. Michael Fratantoni, MBA's chief economist, told CNBC that, though a … [Read more...]

Perception doesn't always match reality but, when it comes to financial markets, that doesn't necessarily matter. For example, if you've ever invested in the stock market, you know that a company's stock can rise or fall based on the day's news, even if the company's fundamentals and outlook remain the same as the day before. In short, perception matters. And, in today's housing market, there's a perception that there are few affordable homes available to prospective buyers. In fact, according to a recent analysis … [Read more...]

Suburbs sprouted out of a desire to have the conveniences of urban life but also the space and privacy of living outside the city. In other words, the best of both worlds. And for decades, suburban areas, based on that promise, grew at a faster rate than the nation's cities. Americans spread out from city centers and moved further and further away. But, according to a new report from the Urban Land Institute, we may now be starting to move back. In fact, between 2010 and 2015, dense urban locations saw their … [Read more...]

In recent years, there's been a lot of discussion about millennial home buying preferences. Mostly, this is due to the fact that first-time home buyers have historically made up about 40 percent of the home sales in any given year. And, because they account for a large number of the homes sold each year, any fluctuation in those numbers is notable. That's why Freddie Mac recently took a look at why the homeownership rate among young adults has dropped 8 percent since hitting its peak in 2004. As you might imagine, … [Read more...]

When debating whether to rent or buy your next place, the argument in favor of renting usually includes the fact that it'll be cheaper – especially since you don't have to pay for closing costs or save for a down payment. However, renting a place isn't all that cheap these days and, depending on what you're looking for, prices may be rising even faster than expected. According to recently released data, rental rates are increasing and particularly among two and three-bedroom homes. In fact, rental homes, generally, … [Read more...]

The National Association Of Realtors' most recent Pending Home Sales Index shows that the hot summer housing market has not deterred hopeful home buyers from looking for a house to buy. But though there is a high level of demand from buyers, supply issues continue to hold back sales numbers. In fact, the index found that the number of contracts to buy homes signed in May was essentially flat from the month before. Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist, says sales are being hurt by low inventory but recent news that … [Read more...]

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Applications survey, average mortgage rates were up-and-down last week, with rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances relatively flat and mortgage rates for jumbo loans and those backed by the Federal Housing Administration down from the previous week. Joel Kan, an MBA economist, told CNBC rates are reacting to concerns over trade policy. “Concerns over trade between the US and China persisted last week,” Kan said. “And, these … [Read more...]

Home prices have been climbing for the past few years. And while that has presented affordability challenges for buyers in some markets, it's also produced big gains for homeowners who've sold a home recently. Take, for example, new estimates showing that, nationally, the typical home seller, after living somewhere for eight years, made nearly $40,000 on their home sale. That's good news for homeowners. And, in some markets, the sales gain is even higher. Homeowners in the Dallas-Fort Worth area saw a median sales … [Read more...]

A new home sales spike in the South drove overall sales 6.7 percent higher than the month before, according to new numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Sales were down or flat in the West, Northeast, and Midwest, but, in the South, were up nearly 18 percent from the previous month. Because of the surge, new home sales are now 14 percent higher than they were at the same time last year. Part of the reason for the improvement is the fact that there are fewer … [Read more...]

The housing market is about supply and demand. When there are a lot of buyers and too few homes, prices and competition rise, making it a good time for homeowners who want to sell. When there are more homes than buyers, prices fall and bargains abound. In short, the market will usually favor either buyers or sellers. But, naturally, conditions that are good for buyers will lead to more buyers and vice versa. In other words, the pendulum swings back and forth. Which is why, a recent survey holds hope for buyers … [Read more...]