Real estate
New tariffs could raise home prices and sideline potential buyers
The U.S. housing market was already struggling under the weight of high mortgage interest rates, a low supply of existing homes for sale and historically high home prices. Now tariffs on building materials are adding even more pressure. Roughly 30% of softwood lumber consumed in the U.S. is imported, largely from Canada. Wallboard, known as […]
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New York City office demand is finally back to normal
Demand for New York City office space has finally returned to pre-pandemic levels, driven by an influx of new workers as well as a drive by employers to see current workers return to the office. During the fourth quarter, office demand in the city jumped 25% from the year before, according to VTS, which measures […]
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Pending home sales drop sharply in December, as mortgage rates surge back over 7%
Signed contracts on existing homes dropped a sharp 5.5% in December from the previous month and fell 5% from the prior year, according to the National Association of Realtors. The drop followed four straight months of gains and is the index was at its lowest level since August. These so-called pending sales are an indicator […]
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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’
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
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
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
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
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
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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