Borrowing costs fall for the third consecutive week, but will that bring home buyers back to the market? Aspiring home buyers saw signs of hope for greater affordability this week as the average 30-year mortgage rate dropped to 6.49%, Freddie Mac reports. Recent economic data suggests mortgage rates have peaked after surpassing 7% in the second week of November. “Rates are still more than double those of a year ago,” cautions Nadia Evangelou,
The architects of the financial system overhaul known as Dodd-Frank suffered numerous slings and arrows while crafting their historic legislation. The final rules put in place in 2010 to stabilize the system after the ravages of the financial crisis were highly controversial in many corners of the banking world — and hotly contested in Washington.However, as the economy heads into another period of potential weakness, the fruits of that labor a
The “broke college student” stereotype has been around for a while. But as college costs have risen to exorbitant levels, the stakes have gotten higher too. Where college students used to fear a budget-friendly ramen noodle diet, now 1 in 5 students have dealt with housing insecurity, according to a recent survey from student loyalty network, Student Beans. The company defines housing insecurity as someone who “finds themselv
Pending home sales continued to fall in October as higher mortgage rates shook buyer confidence. Read more from NAR’s latest home sales report. Pending home sales fell for the fifth consecutive month in October as rising mortgage rates brought many housing markets to a halt. But now that rates show signs of stabilizing, economists say more home buyers—particularly first-timers—may gradually return to the market.Still, contract signings
Banks are tightening standards, and private credit markets are adopting a "risk-off" stance. Billionaire Sam Zell probably doesn’t have trouble getting a bank loan. But one of the portfolio companies of his firm Equity Residential — a company he described as very well capitalized and an “A-” credit — recently “had the hardest revolver extension” that Zell’s firm has ever been involved in. Zell’s anecdote, provided at
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.61% as of Nov. 17 The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.61% as of Nov. 17, according to data released by Freddie Mac FMCC, 1.38% Thursday, lower than the 7.08% rate seen last week. It was the biggest weekly decline since 1981.Still, the 30-year was averaging at 3.10% at this point last year. “Mortgage rates tumbled this week due to incoming data that suggests inflatio
Ballot measures in the U.S. to build more affordable housing and protect tenants from soaring rent increases were plentiful and fared well in last week’s midterm elections, a sign of growing angst over record high rents exacerbated by inflation and a dearth of homes.Voters approved capping rent increases at below inflation in three U.S. cities: Portland, Maine, and Richmond and Santa Monica in California. Another measure was leading in the vote
Mortgage application volume rose 2.7% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. An additional adjustment was made for the Veteran’s Day holiday.The small increase followed a government report last week showing that inflation may be starting to ease. That, in turn, sent bond yields plunging and mortgage rates with them. Thursday saw the sharpest one-day drop in the ave
October’s lower inflation rate is a welcome sign for a housing market that’s seen steady declines in 2022. A recent report showing that the rate of inflation declined in October is good news for the real estate industry, and possibly a bellwether of declining mortgage rates in coming months, Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of REALTORS®, told thousands of attendees Friday at NAR NXT, The REALTOR® Experience(li
An annual report from the Counselors of Real Estate identifies the most pressing topics that could have long-term consequences for housing. Both the residential and commercial real estate markets face an “extraordinary era of unpredictability,” William McCarthy, 2023 global chair of The Counselors of Real Estate, said Friday at a session during NAR NXT, The REALTOR® Experience in Orlando, Fla. Whether it’s inflation, rising interest rates,
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