Housing markets

U.S. lumber prices, which already have risen in recent months due to lower production in Canada, could see further gains after President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on trade from north of the border.

The median monthly payment amount for new purchases moved higher for the first time in six months, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

New single-family home sales decreased 17% last month to a 610,000 annualized rate, according to government data issued Tuesday.

The Department of Justice suggested that new buyer broker agreements resulting from a National Association of Realtors settlement may violate antitrust laws.

While what they get for their money is important, it was not the leading reason why home buyers decided to relocate, the National Association of Realtors said.

"If he manages to get through the policies that he's proposing, that will be really bad news," says Desmond Lachman, an economist at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.

The Austin metro area added the most new homes in 2023, with 37 new housing units authorized per 1,000 existing homes.

The development is the latest in an ongoing series of initiatives the Department of Housing and Urban Development has introduced to encourage growth of the factory-built construction segment.

Fannie Mae's latest economic forecast no longer expects mortgage rates to go below 6% next year, and that is affecting its views on loan origination volume.

Contract closings increased 3.4% from a month earlier — the most since February — to a 3.96 million annualized rate, according to data released Thursday by the National Association of Realtors.

Evergreen Residential has secured $1 billion in capital commitments to support its three business lines, including lending, in investment real estate.

Developers "need those cuts badly" because many projects are financed at floating rates, Jorge Perez, founder and chief executive officer of Related Group, said in an interview on Bloomberg Television.

Housing starts decreased 3.1% last month to a 1.31 million annualized rate, reflecting a steep decline in the South, according to government data released Tuesday.

The region of Manchester-Nashua, New Hampshire, has homes on the market for a median of 23 days and an average home price of $550,000.

Those born between 1997 and 2012 will go from making up a scant 6% of today's market to a 25% share by 2028, and mortgage lenders need to be ready to serve them.

Some lenders are once again hiring mortgage lenders, but memories of the painful staffing cuts they were forced to make over the past two years remain top of mind.

Confidence among U.S. homebuilders advanced to a seven-month high in November on a jump in sales expectations and optimism a Trump administration will ease regulatory burdens.

Homeowners in recent years strayed from cash-out refinances and home equity loans despite their greater financing power.

The study found nonbank lenders charging the highest interest rates and most points, and fintech pricing more in-line with depositories.

The average home buyer spends almost $32,000 in home-buying expenses, a report by Clever Real Estate claims.