Real estate

Mortgage demand drops further, even as interest rates settle
World

Mortgage demand drops further, even as interest rates settle

A for sale sign is displayed outside of a home for sale on August 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty Images Mortgage rates didn’t move last week, but demand for new home loans continued to weaken. Both homebuyers and current homeowners are hampered by today’s higher interest rates. […]

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33-year-old American living in Germany: ‘I don’t worry about not being able to pay my bills here’
World

33-year-old American living in Germany: ‘I don’t worry about not being able to pay my bills here’

At the age of 33, I sometimes feel like I’ve already lived a thousand lives. I’m originally from Los Angeles, and over the last decade, I’ve done everything from teaching English in China to serving as an emergency aid worker in Turkey during the war in Syria.  After I completed my master’s degree in London, […]

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From giant Lego-style bricks to artificial reefs, how the construction industry is using tech to tackle climate change
World

From giant Lego-style bricks to artificial reefs, how the construction industry is using tech to tackle climate change

The problem of stolen manhole covers in Turkey might seem an unlikely starting point for a new way for buildings to withstand earthquakes and tackle the construction industry’s environmental issues, but when a Turkish businessman heard about a new material that prevented the thefts, it sparked an idea. Cast iron is traditionally used to make […]

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UK homeowners brace for higher mortgages as borrowing costs spike
World

UK homeowners brace for higher mortgages as borrowing costs spike

Sunlight illuminates the front of a row of Victorian-era houses in a terraced street in Bristol, England.  Matt Cardy | Getty Images News | Getty Images LONDON — Hundreds of thousands of U.K. homeowners are facing the prospect of higher mortgage rates after a spike in U.K. borrowing costs. Major high street lender Virgin Money […]

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Spain plans to tackle housing crisis with 100% tax on homes bought by foreigners
World

Spain plans to tackle housing crisis with 100% tax on homes bought by foreigners

Houses along a hillside outside Marbella on the sunny coast, Costa del Sol, in Spain. Marcus Lindstrom | Istock | Getty Images Spain is planning to impose a tax of 100% on homes bought by non-EU residents as it looks to tackle an entrenched housing crisis in the country. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on […]

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‘The sky is the limit’ on Damac investment in the U.S., Dubai property giant’s chief says
World

‘The sky is the limit’ on Damac investment in the U.S., Dubai property giant’s chief says

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The sky’s the limit when it comes to Dubai property giant Damac’s investment in the United States, the company’s chairman told CNBC on Thursday. Two days prior, President-elect Donald Trump announced a $20 billion foreign investment by the Emirati company to build new data centers across the U.S. — adding that its […]

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Mortgage rates hit highest level since July, crushing application demand
World

Mortgage rates hit highest level since July, crushing application demand

Residential homes in Discovery Bay, California, US, on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. Mortgage rates in the US increased to the highest level since July.  David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Mortgage rates last week moved higher for the fourth week in a row. That caused already very weak mortgage demand to drop even […]

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Cracks appear in UK housing market as home prices fall for first time in 9 months
World

Cracks appear in UK housing market as home prices fall for first time in 9 months

Housing surveyors have reported the largest fall in new buyer inquiries in October since the financial crisis, excluding the period during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Isabel Infantes | Afp | Getty Images LONDON — U.K. house prices fell for the first time in nine months in December, as the country’s Budget and higher mortgage rates dampened […]

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Europe’s real estate recovery looks set to pick up steam in 2025
World

Europe’s real estate recovery looks set to pick up steam in 2025

Residential 19th century style residential buildings in historic center of Paris, France. Kolderal | Moment | Getty Images Europe’s real estate sector is poised for further recovery in 2025, as investment activity picks up and growth returns across key market segments, analysts have predicted. A gradual uptick in transactions in 2024 looks set to gain […]

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The housing market is heading into 2025 with a worrying supply trend
Business

The housing market is heading into 2025 with a worrying supply trend

A home available for sale is shown in Austin, Texas, on May 22, 2024. Brandon Bell | Getty Images There’s good news in the housing market to close out 2024: There’s a lot more supply. The bad news: A lot of that supply is stale, sitting unsold for much longer than usual.  Active listings in […]

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