National News

Freddie Mac: Small-time owners of single-family rentals need more financing options

A new white paper by Freddie Mac outlines the significance of single-family rentals to the U.S. rental housing market, highlighting a dearth of financing options for the bulk of investors who own such housing. According to the paper, SFRs,

Case-Shiller price index flat in October, shifting power to buyers

Conditions continue to improve for homebuyers in many of the largest U.S. cities, according to recent data from S&P CoreLogic’s Case-Shiller National Home Price Index and Redfin. The latest reading of the closely watched Case-Shiller index found home price growth

Fed raises rates, but dials back plans for future hikes

During their final policy meeting of 2018 this week, Federal Reserve officials voted unanimously to continue the central bank’s pace of gradual interest rate increases. As was widely expected, the Fed announced at the conclusion of its Federal Open

Existing home sales grow in November on inventory gains

The National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday that existing home sales in November were up 1.9 percent from the previous month. That makes November the second consecutive month of increasing home sales as prices continue to moderate and listings

Real Estate in Brief: Best days to close, new renter data and more

The holiday season is all about finding the best deals on gifts for friends and family, but it may also be one of the best times to find a bargain on the biggest purchase most of us will ever

Freddie Mac warns housing supply problem is compounding

One of the biggest threats to the U.S. real estate market next year will be a familiar one, according to Freddie Mac economists: a lack of inventory due to sluggish building activity. In its latest Insight Report, Freddie Mac

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How confident should we be in the housing market?

If you’re feeling like home prices can’t go up forever, you’re not alone. The November edition of Fannie Mae’s monthly Home Purchase Sentiment Index cites a 13 percent drop in confidence that prices will continue to climb over a

White House nominates FHFA critic to lead agency

The Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 10 that President Donald Trump was expected to nominate Mark Calabria to replace the outgoing director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the federal regulator tasked with managing government-sponsored mortgage corporations Fannie Mae

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Real Estate in Brief: HQ2 listings, short-term rentals for brokers and more

  Real estate website MyHQHome.com plans to launch in January, taking advantage of the Amazon HQ2 real estate gold rush. Several brokerages have joined forces in constructing the website, aiming to target Amazon employees relocating to the company’s two new city locations, Crystal

Why millennials are buying more homes in suburbs than cities

Assumptions about how millennials will spend their money as they progress through adulthood continue to be proven inaccurate, or at least misunderstood. This is particularly true in real estate, specifically the places where Americans now in their 20s and

For-sale inventory records first annual increase since 2008

Housing inventory is steadily recharging around the U.S., giving potential buyers more options. RE/MAX’s latest national housing report found October was the first month to show a year-over-year increase in inventory in nearly 10 years. Compared to one year

Real Estate in Brief: Flood Insurance Program extension, new down payment options and more

Last Thursday, the U.S. Senate granted the National Flood Insurance Program another six-month extension while the House of Representatives granted the same program an extension of seven days. “NAR is relieved that authorization of the National Flood Insurance Program

Oct. pending home sales complicate short-term housing outlook

The latest report on pending home sales recorded in October, released today by the National Association of Realtors, showed more signs of a short-term slowdown. NAR’s pending home sales index declined by 2.6 percent last month compared to September,

Real Estate in Brief: Home price cuts, green mortgages and more

Nearly one third of homes for sale experienced a price drop of more than 1 percent this October, according to report by real estate brokerage Redfin. The report foreshadowed a market cooldown, finding October’s decline in home prices to be the largest

Fannie, Freddie loan limits increase for third-straight year

The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees the federally owned mortgage corporations Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, announced Nov. 27 it will increase its conforming loan limits for the third consecutive year in 2019. After not changing the limits

Guaranteed Rate expands in Hawaii with local acquisitions

Independent mortgage lender Guaranteed Rate announced Nov. 27 that it would expand its presence in Hawaii with the acquisition of assets and staff from local lenders including Honolulu HomeLoans (HHL) and Hawaii Lending Alliance (HLA). The company said it

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