Consumer homebuying power decreased from June to July 2023 and decreased 11.0% year-over-year, according to the First American Real House Price Index, sending housing affordability to its lowest level in more than three decades.
Read More »Rents Decline for Fourth Straight Month as Homebuying Costs Elevate
"Rents have registered steady declines for the past four months and, while they remain well above pre-pandemic levels, when you factor in the impact of record-high mortgage rates and high home prices, it's understandable that many would-be homebuyers are choosing to remain on the sidelines," said Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com.
Read More »August New Home Purchase Mortgage Applications Up Nearly 21%
Purchase demand remained strong in August for newly constructed homes, increasing 20.6% compared to a year ago, according to the MBA Builder Application Survey, while the average loan size for new homes increased to $398,092.
Read More »FHFA Now Accepting Membership Applications for Advisory Committee
The Federal Housing Finance Agency has announced the acceptance of membership applications for its Advisory Committee on Affordable, Equitable, and Sustainable Housing to discuss a wide range of housing topics, including fair lending, fair housing, civil rights, single- and multifamily lending, and community advocacy.
Read More »Examining Discrimination, Financial Barriers in the Homebuying Process
Nearly one in six prospective homebuyers across different races and ethnicities reported facing some form of discrimination during the homebuying process, according to the National Association of Realtors. Others cited their primary reasons for stalling their home purchase as waiting for mortgage rates and home prices to decline, alongside a lack of available homes within their budget.
Read More »Return-to-Work Mandates Motivating Home Sellers to Relocate
According to a new Redfin study, while nearly one in five homeowners surveyed plan to sell their home in the next year, new jobs and return-to-work mandates are forcing some to sell their home quickly, and at a loss.
Read More »New Builds Offer Renters More Options Amid Competitive Market
Midwest markets were a hot spot for renters seeking more affordability during peak rental season, dominating the top half of the nation's 20 most competitive rental markets. Renters now have more options to choose from, as the national supply of apartments experienced a slight increase compared to the same time last year, according to a new RentCafe study.
Read More »Housing Demand Outweighs Supply as Home Prices Continue to Rise
While mortgage-purchase applications fell to a 28-year low in August, the median U.S. home-sale price is up nearly 5% year-over-year. Due to a severe lack of inventory, high housing costs continue to dampen homebuying demand, according to a new report from Redfin.
Read More »San Francisco Homes Being Sold for Nearly $100k Below Purchase Price
Home price declines are causing Americans to lose money when selling their homes, according to a new report from Redfin, which showed that the typical homeowner in San Francisco who took a loss while selling sold their home for roughly $100,000 less than they bought it for.
Read More »Housing Market Activity Slowed by Fed Rate Hikes
HouseCanary's August Market Pulse report revealed depressed market activity has resulted in net new listing volume trailing behind overall contract volume, as total inventory remains down nearly 13% compared to the same time in 2022.
Read More »