According to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates fell last week across all loan categories, including 30-year fixed-rate loans with both conforming and jumbo balances, loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration, and 15-year fixed-rate loans. The decline was the largest single-week drop since last year. Joel Kan, MBA's associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting, said trade worries drove rates down. “Mortgage rates fell across the board last … [Read more...]

If you compare the number of people who want to buy homes to the number of homes available to buy, you can get a pretty good sense of where the housing market is headed. For example, a new analysis from Freddie Mac shows that there were 90 million Americans between the ages of 15 and 34 in 2016. That's 6 million more than the number of people between ages 35 and 54. That means, there are a lot of younger Americans who are at, or are quickly approaching, the age of the typical first-time home buyer. This points to … [Read more...]

When mortgage rates started to trend upward earlier this year, a lot of the focus turned to how it would affect first-time home buyers. Because they have their own unique set of challenges, first-time buyers were expected to be hit harder by increasing rates. However, new numbers from Ellie Mae's Millennial Tracker show that changing affordability factors haven't deterred young Americans from pursuing their dream of buying a home. They have adjusted their price range, though. In fact, the numbers show that the … [Read more...]

For a while now, there's been a balance between the feeling that buying a home is becoming less affordable and the perception that the economy is getting stronger. Americans are concerned about rising home prices and mortgage rates but, at the same time, they're also seeing more job opportunities and higher wages. How this might affect a decision about making a move is fairly obvious. In short, your feelings about whether or not it's a good time for you to buy a house are likely tied to your feelings about your job … [Read more...]

There's a lot to consider when shopping for a house to buy. Not only do you have to think about the type of home you'd like and what features and amenities you'd like it to have but you'll also have to select a neighborhood that fits well with your lifestyle. In short, everything from the number of bedrooms a house has to how close it is to your friends and family will come into play. And, because there will be tradeoffs, it won't always be that easy to choose. For example, you may have to decide between being … [Read more...]

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates were down last week from the previous week. It marks the third consecutive week of declines. But though rates fell, there wasn't a corresponding jump in the number of home buyers requesting loans to buy homes. In fact, refinance activity rose 6 percent from the previous week, but the seasonally adjusted Purchase Index only increased 1 percent. Joel Kan, MBA's associate vice president of economic and industry … [Read more...]

Home design trends can be fleeting. This year's hot color combination will be old news before you know it. So, unless you want to paint your home every six months, you're better off choosing your home's décor based on the things you love rather than the things you read about. There are, however, some trends that are more meaningful and can help you save money and make your life more comfortable. For example, a new list of trends from national home builder and developer Taylor Morrison offers some interesting ideas … [Read more...]

Market conditions will differ from one neighborhood to the next. That's why it's said that real estate is all about location. One area can be hot with buyers while another sees falling prices and little interest. These days, inventory is the primary factor determining what conditions look like in a particular market. In neighborhoods where there are an increasing number of available homes for sale, home prices are beginning to soften. Where inventory is lagging, prices are still headed upward. One recent report … [Read more...]

The internet and smartphones have changed the way we do things. Everything from how we buy groceries to how we listen to music has been affected by technological advances. So it should come as no surprise that shopping for a house has also been transformed by easy access to information and resources. A look at research from the National Association of Realtors shows just how much. For example, in 2003, 42 percent of home buyers said they used the internet frequently during their home search. This year, 83 percent … [Read more...]

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates were down last week for loans with conforming balances and the drop helped drive mortgage demand upward. In fact, demand for loans to buy homes was up 9 percent from the week before and is now 2 percent higher than the same week one year ago. Mike Fratantoni, MBA's chief economist, said the increase in home buying activity follows several weeks of volatility. But though encouraging, the improvement wasn't evenly … [Read more...]