– Economist calls home construction 'vastly inadequate' NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun calls home construction “the key to economic prosperity” but sounds an alarm because numbers are moving in the wrong direction. HUD focuses on landlord-tenant sexual harassment Landlords may not sexually harass tenants under U.S. fair housing laws,...
– Big question for Fed: 3 or 4 interest rate hikes this year? The Fed meets again this week to consider hiking interest rates, which directly impact short-term mortgage rates and, indirectly, fixed-rate loans. Mortgage policy cutbacks could hurt some buyers A key policy change by mortgage giant Fannie...
– Feb. housing starts fell 7% after Jan. surge The construction slowdown came from a 28% plunge in multifamily building starts. Groundbreakings for single-family homes rose 2.9%. 5 surprising stats about buyers in NAR's latest study Millennials’ home buying habits may not be all that different from their parents....
– Mortgage rates fall for the first time this year The average rate on a 30-year FRM slipped to 4.44% from 4.46% last week due, in part, to a government report that inflation pressures may be easing. NAR to Congress: Make debt cancellation relief permanent Barry Grooms, a broker...
– NAR study: Millennials buying the most homes Millennial purchases ticked up year-to-year, but a tight inventory and higher costs subdued activity, and forced many to keep living in their parents’ basements. 'Assignment of Benefits' rules remain unchanged Fla.’s property insurers cite AOB as a primary cause for rising...
– Some buyers will lose out if they don't act now Every marginal increase in mortgage rates makes homeownership unaffordable for a few more buyers, so it’s now-or-never for some families. FAU report suggests real estate cycle is hitting its peak Housing prices, which have been rising steadily since...
– NAR: Fair housing should remain a primary HUD mission HUD might change its mission statement to remove “antidiscrimination language.” Sec. Ben Carson, who has led the charge, also wants to add “self-sufficiency.” Foreclosure expert adapts to dwindling market Many agents became foreclosure experts during the recession, but with...
– Mortgage rates climb to 4.46% – a 4-year high The cost of a loan continues to rise on the brink of the traditional spring home buying season, and buyers will now confront higher borrowing costs. Flood insurance fight gets serious as sea levels rise Florida Realtor Brandi Gabbard,...
– Top commercial real estate concern? Rising rates Commercial executives are braced for multiple rate increases throughout the year, and they see that higher cost of borrowing as a top challenge in 2018. Realtors support proposed association health plan rule NAR: A proposed Department of Labor rule could make...
– How many Puerto Ricans moved to Fla. after Hurricane Maria? A look at school enrollment data, change-of-address forms and Puerto Rican FEMA claims submitted from Fla. provide an estimate of post-storm mobility. Who's buying Fla. real estate? It changes over time A new China policy that limits how...
