Mortgage Rates Continue to Track U.S.-China Talks
Mortgage rates fell this week, reversing a gradual upward trend to reach their lowest levels in two weeks.
October Housing Starts: Robust Rebound
Today’s release was more evidence of how resilient the home construction industry is in the face of persistent constraints.
Mortgage Rates Rebound on Positive Trade Developments
Mortgage rates rose over the last week, surging higher on positive trade developments before retreating slightly in recent days.
Sacrifices People Make to Afford the Rent
The U.S. median rent now consumes 27.8% of the country’s median income – nearing the 30% tipping point above which rent is considered unaffordable and the 32% tipping point above which communities can expect a more rapid increase in homelessness. What that looks like at the individual renter level is sacrifice.
U.S.-China Roller Coaster Sends Mortgage Rates Way Down, Then Way Up
It’s been a tumultuous seven days, with mortgage rates ultimately settling near three-month highs. Once again, the driving force behind these movements were trade discussions between the U.S. and China.
Military Veterans, Some Active-Duty Households Enjoy a Housing Affordability Edge
Active-duty military households spend 24.9% of their incomes on market rent, while veteran households spend 20.1% – significantly less than the 29.6% of income that the typical U.S. household pays for rent in 2019. Service members and veterans also pay a lower share of their incomes on mortgages: 13.4% and 10.9%, respectively, compared with 16% for all U.S. households.
Mortgage Rates Rise on Brexit and Trade News, But Gains Could Be Short-Lived
Mortgage rates rose to three-month highs this week on encouraging geopolitical developments, but will likely be drawn back after the Federal Reserve’s third rate cut of 2019.
Gains Among Latinx, Young Homeowners Drive Q3 2019 Homeownership Gains
The U.S. homeownership rate rose to 64.8% in Q3 2019, up from 64.1% in Q2 and 64.4% in Q3 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
August Case-Shiller Results and September Forecast: Stabilizing, not Swooning
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index® rose 3.2% year-over-year in August (non-seasonally adjusted), up from 3.1% in July.
Dead Neighborhoods: Where Cemeteries Might Influence How Much Buyers Save or Spend
An abundance of nearby graveyards may help scare up neighborhood home values or bury them, according to a Zillow analysis.
