According to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates increased last week from one week earlier. Rates were up for 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 increase follows a decline the week before, the first in 12 weeks. Joel Kan, MBA's associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting, says recent rate fluctuations have been caused by several … [Read more...]

For the most part, homes are all the same. They all have a kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, and a main living area. Those are givens. Aside from the number and size, those rooms aren't what get buyers excited, though. For home buyers, the things that really set a listing apart are the details, bonus rooms, and style of a house. A home's features and aesthetic can make it sell faster and at a higher price than other homes, even in the same area. But what are the features that today's home buyer desires most? Well, … [Read more...]

Spring is well known as the time of year when the housing market heats up. After waiting out the winter, home buyers return and begin hunting for a home to purchase. Naturally, the increasing number of interested buyers also makes spring a good time for homeowners who want to sell. And this year, home sellers may have even more reason to get ready for spring. According to a recent analysis from the National Association of Realtors' consumer website, the number of homes available for sale remains historically low, … [Read more...]

Increasing mortgage rates have prospective home buyers concerned about affordability. But while higher rates may have buyers calculating costs, mortgage lenders don't expect they'll deter Americans from shopping for a home this year. In fact, according to Fannie Mae's most recent Mortgage Lender Sentiment Survey, participating lenders expect buyer demand to remain largely stable, despite rising rates. Doug Duncan, Fannie Mae's senior vice president and chief economist, says there are a number of unknowns that will … [Read more...]

It's said that home is where the heart is, but your home is also a financial investment. That's why homeowners who are thinking about potential home improvement projects will typically try to calculate what kind of return on investment they'll get for the upgrade. After all, it's easier to justify the expense if you know, when it's time to sell, your home will garner a higher price. These days, though, homeowners have become a little less focused on their financial return and a little more interested in creating … [Read more...]

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates fell last week for the first time in 12 weeks. Rates were down for 30-year fixed-rate loans with both conforming and jumbo balances, loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration, and 15-year fixed-rate loans. Joel Kan, MBA's associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting, says the decline was caused by the invasion of Ukraine. “Mortgage rates dropped for the first time in 12 weeks, as the war in … [Read more...]

What we want in a house doesn't change all that much over time. Home buyers always want storage, a good kitchen, and enough bedrooms and bathrooms. But according to one new survey, there is a part of the house that has grown in importance over the past couple of years: back yards. In fact, nearly three quarters of Americans said a spacious yard would be at the top of their wish list if they were shopping for a house. So what has home buyers focused on outdoor space more than before? Well, the pandemic was part of … [Read more...]

Just in time for the spring sales season to kick-off, more Americans are saying it's a good time to buy a house. In fact, according to Fannie Mae's most recent Home Purchase Sentiment Index – based on a monthly survey which asks Americans for their perceptions of the housing market, buying or selling a home, mortgage rates, home prices, their job and financial situation – respondents are feeling more optimistic about the market. Specifically, the component measuring whether participants think it's a good time to … [Read more...]

You don't need to be an economist to understand supply and demand. It's a pretty simple concept. When supply is low and demand is high, prices rise. That's what's been happening in the housing market. Home prices have been increasing because a lot of people want to buy a house but there aren't a lot of homes available to buy. Fortunately, though, there's reason to believe the inventory crunch that's pushed prices higher may be starting to ease. According to a new report from the National Association of Realtors' … [Read more...]

Figuring out how much your down payment will be and where it'll come from is a big part of getting ready to buy a house. Whether you're using money from the sale of your current home or saving from scratch, you have to have an idea of how much you'll have available. Naturally, how much you'll need depends on the specific house you're hoping to buy and the terms of your loan. But what does the typical down payment look like these days? Well, according to one recent analysis, the median down payment on single-family … [Read more...]