Mortgage rates fell 0.18% last week, breaking below the key threshold of 6.64%. Why is this important? Because in the last three years, when mortgage rates fell from 6.64% to 6%, housing demand has improved. Now the question is: can rates go lower? 10-year yield and mortgage rates In my 2025 forecast, I anticipated the […]
How much lower can mortgage rates go after Friday’s jobs report? Read More »
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
Home insurance rates have jumped 45% since 2022 Read More »
One of the most persistent lies about U.S. economics post-COVID-19 is that Wall Street has been a major buyer of homes in America and that’s the reason home prices have escalated out of control. The role of investors in the housing market is back in the news again, but I want to look at this
Why we should be cheering for the mom-and-pop investors in the housing market Read More »
A California wildfire recovery bill will be shelved until 2026, after a torrent of online conspiracy theories and confusion overwhelmed public discussion and policymaking, the Los Angeles Times reported. State Sen. Benjamin Allen (D-Santa Monica) announced that he would pause S.B. 549 — legislation that would have created a local authority to buy lots destroyed
California wildfire rebuilding bill paused until 2026 Read More »
Across the country, real estate industry observers are discussing a possible shift to a buyer’s market. “On the whole, the national market has gone back to balanced,” says Kara Ng, a senior economist at Zillow. “We’ve seen sellers return to the market in bigger numbers than buyers this year and sales in many parts of
It’s a summer scorcher in the New England housing market Read More »
Housing inventory growth is starting to stall, despite elevated mortgage rates. As new listings begin their seasonal decline, we might have already reached our peak percentage growth rate for 2025. The recent stalling has already gradually reduced the year-over-year growth percentage by a slight amount. For the rest of the year I’ll be watching to
Housing inventory growth is starting to stall Read More »
The Lower Sioux Indian Community in Morton, Minnesota, has become the first in the country to create a fully vertically integrated “seed-to-wall” program using industrial hemp — addressing a critical shortage of affordable housing on its reservation. Prompted by U.S. Census Bureau data indicating the need for 200 new homes by 2030, the Lower Sioux
Hemp spells affordable housing for Native American community Read More »
The Senate Banking Committee will hold its first bipartisan housing markup in more than a decade, Chairman Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) announced Thursday evening. The executive session, which will involve the consideration of the ROAD to Housing Act of 2025, will also include the unveiling of a sweeping legislative package
Scott, Warren announce bipartisan housing bill markup Read More »
The U.S. housing market is entering a new phase defined less by competitive bidding and more by financial stress and practical necessity, according to a second-quarter Bright MLS agent survey released Friday. The findings reveal a marked departure from previous years’ demand-driven trends, with both home buyers and sellers increasingly motivated — or discouraged —
Bright MLS: Housing market shifts toward necessity, balance Read More »
In today’s report, new home sales fell short of sales estimates and experienced negative sales revisions, while inventory levels increased, which explains why residential construction is in a recession. However, today’s data doesn’t indicate a crash in new home sales. Instead, it highlights my concerns from December 2024: homebuilders are accumulating a lot of completed
New home sales show why residential construction is in a recession Read More »