Housing markets

U.S. housing starts bounced back in August after tumbling a month earlier, illustrating uneven residential construction as builders weigh inventory levels against brighter demand prospects tied to falling borrowing costs.

Changes to the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards include allowing the building of two-to-four family units on a permanent basis.

Confidence among U.S. home builders rose in September for the first time in six months, just before the Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates from the current two-decade high.

Asked about inflation risks ahead, she pointed to the impact of housing on the consumer price index, describing it as the "stickiest piece." Stripping out housing, the U.S. consumer price index is only rising about 1.8%, she said.

Rising property values continue to buffer mortgagors against negative equity situations, Corelogic said.

Homeownership affordability reached its lowest since at least 2006 in October, and still hovers near that level, according to an index from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

The latest inflation news is almost sure to result in a 25 basis point cut next week, but some are still hoping for 50 basis points, as well as reductions totaling almost 200 basis points through the end of 2025, Wolters Kluwer found.

Lower inflation doesn't equate to lower prices, and costs of living may still be higher than pre-pandemic, especially rents. But the varying cooldown could help.

Home selling sentiment was mostly unchanged, even though some shifts appeared on a regional basis, according to the latest Fannie Mae research.

Realpha, which currently does business in 20 Florida counties using its AI agent, is buying Be My Neighbor, a mortgage broker active in 26 states.