Housing
Weekly mortgage demand from homebuyers tumbles 12%, as higher interest rates take their toll
A sign of a home for sale is pictured in Alhambra, California on May 4, 2022. Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images Mortgage rates actually fell slightly last week, but the damage has already been done to housing affordability. Both refinance and purchase loan demand dropped, pulling total mortgage application volume down 11% […]
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Homebuilder sentiment falls to 2-year low on declining demand and rising costs
Contractors work on concrete slabs in the Cielo at Sand Creek by Century Communities housing development in Antioch, California, on Thursday, March 31, 2022. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Builder sentiment in the market for single-family homes fell sharply in May, as mortgage rates shot higher and building material costs showed no […]
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Home affordability at 2007 bubble levels, but crash is unlikely: Blackstone’s Joe Zidle
A major Wall Street firm is drawing a striking parallel to the housing bubble. Blackstone’s Joe Zidle calls homes almost as unaffordable as the 2007 peak. Yet, he believes a crash is unlikely due to a major difference: Most owners aren’t using their homes like an ATM. “That caused so many people to go upside […]
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Every home in America now has a wildfire threat score, and some areas see a 200% jump in risk
Laguna Niguel, California May 11, 2022- Firefighters battle a brush fire at Coronado Pointe in Laguna Niguel Wednesday. Wally Skalij | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images Raging New Mexico and California wildfires may offer an ominous outlook for a growing swath of America, and not just in the West. Wildfire risk is increasing, likely […]
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UK economy ‘one of the most vulnerable’ in the world right now due to mortgage trends, strategist says
George Clerk | E+ | Getty Images There’s an economic idiosyncrasy in the U.K. that makes it “one of the most vulnerable countries in the world right now,” according to an investment strategist. Mike Harris, the founder of Cribstone Strategic Macro, argues that a major problem for Britain is that its mortgage market is “heavily […]
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U.S. inflation hot spots happen to be pandemic-migration hot spots
Some of the hottest pandemic-migration destinations also happen to be home to the hottest regional inflation rates. The relationship between migration and inflation has strengthened significantly as more people relocate from expensive coastal cities to more affordable metro areas, according to an analysis released by Redfin on Tuesday. “We saw an acceleration of inflation happen […]
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Home affordability is nearly the worst on record as mortgage rates spike
A “For Sale” sign outside a home in Louisville, Kentucky. Luke Sharrett | Bloomberg | Getty Images Mortgage rates just hit their highest level since 2009, and home prices are continuing to experience double-digit gains. Now, nearly all of the major housing markets in the United States are less affordable than they have been historically, […]
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China’s property sector could be turning around, but red-hot growth may be a thing of the past
Investor confidence in China’s real estate market appear to be boosted by the government’s promise to support the sector and some loosening of policies. But analysts say China’s high-growth property market may be a thing of the past. Getty Images | Getty Images News | Getty Images The tide may be turning on China’s battered […]
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Why it’s so difficult to buy your first house in London
The number of 20-34 year-olds living with their parents in the U.K. has risen by nearly 50% since the turn of the century. So why are young people, particularly in London, struggling to get on the property ladder? The number of 20- to 34-year-olds living with their parents in the United Kingdom has risen by […]
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Developers are turning to master-planned communities to solve the housing affordability crisis
Americans who are short on cash to make rent may need to face an uncomfortable reality: Conditions will likely get worse before they get better. U.S. housing supply fell to the lowest levels observed in over 20 years, according to the National Association of Realtors. That’s dramatically pushing up prices for consumers, and catching the […]
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