Secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Julián Castro told the audience at the National Press Club Tuesday afternoon that it was time for the nation to "remove the stigma" promoting homeownership. During his hour-long speech at the Press Club in Washington, D.C., which included a question and answer session, Castro spoke of the economic progress the nation made in 2014, such as experiencing the fastest job growth rate in 15 years, and he addressed HUD's initiatives which are aimed at promoting, increasing, and expanding opportunities for Americans to own a home.
Read More »Report: Housing Market Will Gain Momentum In Next Year
The housing market will continue its gradual recovery and gain momentum in 2015 after a disappointing 2014, according to the Wells Fargo Economics Group 2015 Economic Outlook entitled "A Whole New Ballgame," released earlier this week.
Read More »GSEs Officially Lower Down Payment to 3 Percent for Qualifying First-Time Homebuyers
Following months of talk and speculation, both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced on Monday they will begin allowing qualifying first-time borrowers to purchase homes with just a 3 percent down payment.
Read More »Millennials Expected to Power Housing Market in 2015
The year 2015 is gearing up to be a stronger, more expensive housing market powered for the first time by new millennial buyers, according to the Realtor.com 2015 Housing Forecast.
Read More »HUD Awards $10 Million in ‘Sweat Equity’ Grants to Aid Homeownership
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced Wednesday that it is awarding $10 million in grants to four non-profit organizations that will create homes for hundreds of families.
Read More »Survey: Americans Say Student Loan Debt Burden Delays Homeownership
A recent survey commissioned by NeighborWorks America, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit community development corporation, revealed that nearly one out of four Americans knows someone who has delayed buying a home because of student loan debt.
Read More »Study: Fewer Marriages Result in Slow Housing Recovery
The steep decline in the number of marriages in the U.S. among the population aged 25 to 29 has been a key factor in the slow recovery of the housing market, according to a report from John Burns Real Estate Consulting (JBREC).
Read More »Technology Leaders Launch Homeowner Solutions Platform
HLP, which was the model technology platform in the National Mortgage Settlement and has long been a real estate industry industry technology leader, has partnered with IndiSoft, a technology provider for healthcare, legal, and real estate industries based in Columbia, Maryland, to launch the National Homeownership Solutions Platform (NHP). The goal of NHP is to bring all the parties in the home purchase process together into one central location, allowing them to communicate with each other online and in real time.
Read More »CFPB: Student Loan Debt Holding Back Homeownership, Economy
The burden of student loan debt is preventing potential home buyers from starting households, which in turn is hindering overall economic growth, according to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) director Richard Cordray at the Announcement on Public Service and Student Debt on September 23.
Read More »Homeownership Still Holds Promise for Nine in 10 Americans
Even as the aftermath of the housing crisis continues to show in the market, a new survey shows the vast majority of Americans still regard homeownership as a "highly desirable goal." In findings released Tuesday, COUNTRY Financial revealed 89 percent of Americans in its most recent Security Index survey feel that buying a home is a key part of achieving the American Dream despite their recent memories of the crash.
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