Housing markets

The income needed to afford a typical apartment is the highest since 2022.

The nation's leading brokerages have agreed to rule changes and settlements with consumers totalling over $900 million.

Sales of existing homes in the U.S. fell for a third straight month in May while prices set another record, underscoring persistent affordability challenges that hobbled the important spring selling season.

The appeals court battle is unrelated to the association's settlement regarding buyers' brokers commissions, scheduled for final approval in November.

New home construction in the US slumped in May to the slowest pace in four years, as higher-for-longer interest rates sap the housing industry's momentum from earlier this year.

U.S. homebuilder sentiment unexpectedly declined in June to the lowest level this year as mortgage rates near 7% limited prospective-buyer interest and weighed on the demand outlook.

Activity grew at a slower pace from seven days earlier, as refinance volume retreated, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Lown will be joining CoStar on July 1, three days after he leaves the same job at Freddie Mac.

While not-in-my-backyard activists have long fought new developments, local officials and business groups across the South say they've seen a heightened level of anger since the pandemic-era growth.

A decline in interest rates during the first quarter drove a Freddie Mac indicator higher for the first time since mid-2023, while a leading investment firm announced a deal aimed at boosting originations for government-sponsored enterprise financing.

Home inventory on the market increased in May, but stubbornly high mortgage rates and home prices are leading to slow sales in many areas, according to reports from Redfin and Zillow.

The 22,385 homes entering the process last month was a 3% monthly increase but a 4% annual decline.

Homeowners responded to moderating interest rates and brought in significantly more refinance volume, with Department of Veterans Affairs numbers more than doubling from the prior week.

Amid industry challenges, borrow a page from the playbooks of these industry leaders as they strategize around new roadblocks and look for fresh opportunities.

Rate locks have increased every month this year, but May's pace came in more subdued than early-year numbers, according to Mortgage Capital Trading.

Nearly one-in-five homeowners have to borrow to pay unexpected expenses related to their property, although 24% claim to have a rainy day fund, according to Bankrate.

With millions of Black and Hispanic consumers likely to become new homeowners over the coming decades, the lending community stands to benefit if they are willing to combine expanded underwriting with direct outreach.

A Fannie Mae survey-high 86% of prospective buyers said it was a bad time to buy a home in May.

The Massachusetts House passed a bill that would ease the process for property owners looking to build accessory-dwelling units.

Observers say the stronger-than-expected Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data could leave the Fed pondering when, or even if, to cut short-term rates this year.