Key Takeaways From the December New Home Sales Report
New home sales jumped in December, increasing 10.8 percent from November to 544,000 units at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR). It was the second-best month for new home sales in 2015, slightly behind February, which recorded 545,000 new home sales (SAAR).
Key Takeaways From the December Existing Home Sales Report
Existing home sales increased 14.7 percent from November to December to 5.46 million units, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR), according to the National Association of Realtors. Buoyed by regulatory changes that likely pushed some closings into December from November, existing home sales more than reversed the 10.5 percent decline reported from October to November.
December 2015 Home Sales Forecast: Existing Up, New Down
Sales of existing homes should rebound in December after a sharp November decline, while new home sales look set to retreat after an unexpectedly strong November.
A Penny Saved: How High Rent Burdens Impact Savings Rates
Paying less in rent is no guarantee that a household will save more of their income. But paying more sure makes saving difficult.
Americans Paid $535 Billion in Rent in 2015
America’s 43 million renter households spent $535 billion on rent in 2015, up $19 billion, or 4 percent, from $516 billion in 2014. The increase was driven both by rising rents and a surge in the number of U.S. renter households, which grew by about 1.8 million this year compared to 2014.
What Are Your Digits? U.S. Homeowners’ Awareness of Mortgage Interest Rates
The prospect of rising mortgage interest rates in coming weeks and months, however modest, is weighing on potential homebuyers currently in the market. But most existing homeowners have only a vague idea of the exact interest rate on their mortgage – if that.
As Fed Raises Interest Rates, Homebuyers’ Plans May Bend, But Not Break
Americans are broadly aware of these looming interest rate hikes, and they are certainly giving some would-be home buyers pause. For a few key demographic groups – including current renters and younger would-be buyers – rising interest rates could lead to changes in their home buying plans. But overall, a modest increase in mortgage interest rates is unlikely to completely de-rail most buyers’ plans.
The Big Push Happening in Seattle and San Francisco
Increasingly, lower-income workers in Seattle and San Francisco's downtown areas are finding themselves searching for affordable housing farther afield from downtown jobs centers.
Pay to Play: The Growing Footprint of Homeowner Association Fees
A steady increase in the share of U.S. homes that require monthly condo, mobile home or homeowner association fees (HOA) has important implications for the affordability of homes nationwide
Housing in Alaska: Why America’s Last Frontier is Stuck in a Deep Freeze
As temperatures dip below zero and Alaskans prepare for 20-hour nights, the climate is not the only thing in a deep freeze across America’s last frontier: While housing markets in the lower 48 continue to recover strongly from the housing bust, the Alaskan housing market remains decidedly frigid.
