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Affordability

TransUnion: Mortgage, home equity lending grow despite high rates

Affordability, Debt, Home Equity, HWmember, Mortgage, Mortgage Rates, Refinancing, TransUnion /

Mortgage originations and home equity lending both increased in the second quarter despite elevated interest rates and home prices, according to TransUnion’s Q2 2025 Credit Industry Insights Report. Originations rose 5.1% year over year, driven largely by a rebound in refinancing. Rate-and-term refinances climbed 44% and cash-out refinances increased 15%. Home equity originations posted their […]

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New Western president speaks on PadSplit partnership

Affordability, Housing Inventory, Housing Market, HWmember, Multifamily Housing, Real Estate, Real Estate Technology, Rent Prices, Rental Properties, Renters, Technology /

New Western and PadSplit have entered a partnership aimed at increasing affordable co-living housing, effective last week. New Western cofounder and President Kurt Carlton told HousingWire the collaboration will allow investors to access PadSplit’s model for converting single-family homes into shared living spaces — while leveraging New Western’s large property inventory. “(PadSplit) will help you

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a graph of sales and prices

Are These Myths About Buying a Newly Built Home Holding You Back?

Affordability, Agent Value, For Buyers, New Construction /

If you’ve been skipping over newly built homes in your search, you might be doing so based on outdated assumptions. Let’s clear up a few of the most common myths, so you don’t miss out on a solid opportunity. Myth 1: New Homes Are More Expensive It’s easy to assume a new build will cost

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Realtor.com: Price premium for new homes sinks to all-time low

Affordability, Data & Visuals, Existing home sales, Home Prices, Housing Market, Housing Market Data, HWmember, New Home Sales, Realtor.com /

The price gap between new and existing homes fell to a record low in the second quarter of 2025 — making newly built properties a more affordable option for many buyers, according to Realtor.com’s quarterly new construction report released Thursday. The nationwide premium for new homes dropped to 7.8% as builders held prices steady while

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Migration 2025: Where Americans are moving to — and why

Affordability, Austin, California, Chicago, Dallas, Home Prices, Houston, HWmember, Illinois, New York, New York City, Real Estate, Seattle, Texas, U.S. News & World Report /

Americans are still drawn to major cities — despite rising living costs and urban congestion. U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 migration trends report shows the popularity of migration pathways such as New York City to Los Angeles, San Francisco to Austin, Texas, and Charlotte to Chicago — highlighting persistent interest in urban living, despite

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3 Advantages of Buying a Newly Built Home Today

Affordability, Buying Tips, For Buyers, Infographics, Mortgage Rates, New Construction /

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, Infographics, Mortgage Rates, New Construction, Affordability, Buying Tips Some Highlights Prices, rates, and finding the right home are three of the biggest challenges for buyers today. You may find better luck with all 3 if you look at

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California affordable housing programs face new legal challenge

Affordability, Affordable housing, California, Housing Inventory, HWmember, Lawsuit, Real Estate /

Hundreds of affordable housing programs across California may be in legal jeopardy after a new federal lawsuit challenged the constitutionality of one of the state’s most widely used housing tools. The suit — filed Thursday in federal court in San Francisco and first reported by CalMatters — targets East Palo Alto, California’s “inclusionary zoning” ordinance.

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The Truth About Down Payments (It’s Not What You Think)

Affordability, Buying Tips, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Rent vs. Buy /

Buying a home is exciting… until you start thinking about the down payment. That’s when the worry can set in. “I’ll never save enough.” “I need a small fortune just to get started.” “I guess I’ll just rent forever.” Sound familiar? You’re not alone. And you’re definitely not out of luck. Here’s the thing: a

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Home insurance rates have jumped 45% since 2022

Affordability, Homeowners insurance, Housing Market, HWmember, Insurance /

After several years of sharp hikes in premiums and coverage challenges, the U.S. home insurance market is showing early signs of stabilization, according to a new report from digital insurance agency Matic. Affordability remains a top concern, with climate events, deductibles and aging roofs all playing a role in shaping the current landscape. Premium growth

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Mortgage application payments decline in June

Affordability, HWmember, LendingLife, Mortgage, Mortgage applications, Mortgage Bankers Association, Origination, Purchase Applications /

Homebuyer affordability improved in June, as evidenced by the national median payment for purchase mortgage applicants decreasing to $2,172 — down from $2,211 in May. That’s according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s Purchase Applications Payment Index (PAPI), which measures how new monthly mortgage payments vary across time relative to income, using data from MBA’s

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