The Federal Housing Finance Agency is giving low-income homeowners who missed out on the refinancing boom last year another chance. FHFA announced a program this week that will help low-income homeowners with government-backed mortgages to refinance into a lower mortgage rate to reduce their monthly mortgage payments.The program is geared to homeowners with single-family, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac-backed mortgages. It could help qualifying borrow
Pending home sales climbed in March, following two months of declines that were mostly blamed on a lack of homes for sale, the National Association of REALTORS® reported Thursday. Home buyer demand remains high, but inventory constraints continue to push on sales potential.NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index—a forward-looking indicator of homes sales based on contract signings—increased 1.9% in March and posted a 23.3% year-over-year gain. Part
Housing isn’t just the backbone of the American dream and the way most Americans build wealth. It also makes up nearly one-fifth of the entire U.S. economy.In his first 100 days in office, President Joe Biden has understandably made housing a key focus of his agenda, aiming to help renters struggling during the pandemic remain in their homes, bring homeownership within reach for millions more Americans, and fight discrimination. Perhaps the mos
Inventory shortages have plagued markets across the country, but a new survey suggests a turnaround may soon begin to break for frustrated buyers who can’t find enough homes for sale.Ten percent of homeowners say they plan to list their home for sale this year, and more than a quarter—26%—say they plan to list within the next three years, according to a new survey from realtor.com® of 657 potential home sellers conducted during the week of
Home buyers are struggling to find enough choices, and competition remains tight. But in some markets, new-home construction is ramping up and more homes are likely to help relieve some of the pressure in the near future.The National Association of REALTORS® recently identified the areas most likely to have the most homes coming to the market in the upcoming months. Researchers factored in housing starts and building permits (a gauge of future c
Baby boomers are the wealthiest generation in the country, and they remain one of the most active in the housing market.LendingTree researchers recently analyzed mortgage purchase requests in 2020 on its platform across the 50 largest metros nationwide to identify where baby boomers are most likely to buy a home. Baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are making up a larger share of markets like in Las Vegas, Tampa, Fla., and Phoenix, the stud
Student debt holders and minorities tend to purchase lower-priced homes, leading to lost wealth accumulation over time, according to a new working paper, “Mind the Gap: Home Price Differences By Race and Student Debt.” The research, which evaluates purchase price differences among home buyers from January 2014 to December 2017, was conducted by Jessica Lautz, vice president of demographics and behavioral insights at the National Association o
Buyers are increasingly turning to newly constructed homes for more options. Sales of new single-family homes surged 20.7% month over month in March to a 1.02 million seasonally adjusted annual rate, according to new data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Census Bureau. New-home sales are at the highest annual pace since September 2006.“Our members are seeing strong buyer traffic as continued low mortgage rates are he
Homes with pools have become the target of buyer envy since the pandemic began. Pool additions are soaring, and more house hunters say they want one in their backyard, according to HomeLight’s “Top Agent Insights for Spring 2021” report.Prior to the pandemic, many buyers were shunning properties with pools, which present maintenance issues and potential liability. The average pool can cost between $3,000 and $5,000 per year to maintain, acc
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a huge economic toll on states across the country to varying degrees.“Clearly, the housing market continues to surge, and things are looking up, more and more, for the U.S. economy in 2021, after a year of major setbacks in many sectors,” says Todd Teta, chief product officer with ATTOM Data Solutions. “But the pandemic still looms large and may pose a threat to the progress made so far, and by extension coul
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