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☆ My $500,000 Home Renovation Turned Into a Real-Estate Nightmare
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Christine Chitnis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

What was supposed to be a yearlong $140,000 renovation ballooned into three excruciating years that cost us more than $500,000 — and the work is still not finished. But as my husband and I soon discovered, unless you've made a plan, legal protections for homeowners are close to nonexistent. Every time our contractor turned up the temperature, we grimly adjusted to the reality of our demise. Knowing the cardinal rule of home renovation — never pay in full until the job is over and inspected — we grew suspicious. Despite completing several home-improvement and renovation projects with her husband over the years, she lacked the confidence to DIY the renovation of her newly purchased 6,500-square-foot home.

Persons: Arcadis, you've, Christine Chitnis, wasn't, It's, We've, Amanda Jane Jones, Jones, David Jensen, Greenberg Traurig, He'd, Jensen, Lisa DiAntonio, DiAntonio, hadn't, what's, Condé Organizations: Homeowners, Harvard's, for Housing Studies, Department of Business, American Institute of Architects, Vogue, The New York Times Locations: Rhode Island, North America, Northern Michigan, Michigan, Utah, New Jersey, Andover , Massachusetts

☆ A tiny, 115-square-foot apartment in NYC without a bathroom is renting for $1,200, and it shows just how wild the market is right now
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewHere's what passes for affordable in New York City in this real-estate market: a tiny studio apartment with no kitchen or bathroom for $1,200 per month in rent. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. The future tenant of this tiny apartment will get a window, a small wardrobe, and a bathroom down the hall outside of the unit. Business Insider reached out to Labock to learn more about the space but didn't immediately hear back. In New York City, the median price for a studio apartment is about $3,041, according to Zillow.

Persons: —, Omer Labock, there's, Zillow Organizations: Service, . New York, Business, Harvard's, for Housing Studies Locations: New York City, ., . New York City, Midtown , Manhattan, Manhattan

☆ Homeownership gap between Black and White owners is worse now than a decade ago
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The Black homeownership rate saw a modest annual uptick to 44.1% in 2022 from 44% in 2021, but remains significantly behind the White homeownership rate of 72%, the report found. A stubborn racial homeownership gapEven with some improvement in the Black homeownership rate, the change has done little to close the yawning gap between Black and White homeownership. Over the past decade, the gap between the two groups’ homeownership rates has worsened, expanding from 27 points to 28 points. Other states with high Black homeownership rates include South Carolina and Delaware, each at 55%. Plus, the median household income for Black Americans was $47,800 in 2022, while the median income for White Americans was $75,700.

Persons: Sharan White, Jenkins, “, ”, ” White, Black, homeownership, Jessica Lautz, Black homebuyers, ” Lautz Organizations: DC CNN, National Association of Realtors, American, Survey, Census Bureau, NAR, Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, Black, White Locations: Washington, Jamaica, Queens, New York City, Virginia, Brooklyn, Queens , New York, Wyoming, North Dakota, Mississippi, Black, South Carolina, Delaware

☆ Why it’s so hard to find an apartment you can afford
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Washington, DC CNN —Finding a new apartment to rent can be a slog. In New York City, the rental vacancy rate, which is the share of habitable unoccupied units, has dropped to a record low 1.4%. In Boston, the rental vacancy rate was a very tight 2.6% at the end of last year, according to the Census Bureau. However, the most recent vacancy rate is also lower than the more typical 3.6% from prior to the pandemic. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the rental vacancy rate was 6.6%.

Persons: Maria Torres, ”, Orphe Divounguy, “, that’s, Lawrence Yun, Yun Organizations: DC CNN, New York City Department of Housing Preservation, Development, Census, New York City, Springer, Real Estate Investment Services, Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, National Association of Realtors Locations: Washington, Northeastern, New York, Boston, New York City, Yorker, Manhattan, Northeast, Southern, Austin , Texas

☆ Renters are most exposed to climate hazards in these two states, a Harvard study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Jodi Jacobson | E+ | Getty ImagesMore than 18 million rental units are located in areas exposed to extreme weather hazards, according to the American Rental Housing Report from Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. While most states have at least one "high-risk" county with 2,000 or more rental units, many are concentrated in California and Florida. How many rentals are at risk in California and FloridaHarvard researchers found the number of rental units exposed to climate hazards in the U.S. by combining an area's risk of economic loss from natural disasters with the number of rental units in those areas, Wedeen said. Florida, for example, has many rental units as well as census tracts, or neighborhoods, that FEMA identified as having at least moderate risk, Wedeen said. Florida has 2.4 million rental units at risk, or about 89% of its rental stock, according to the Harvard study.

Persons: Jodi Jacobson, Sophia Wedeen, Wedeen Organizations: American, Harvard University's, for Housing Studies, Federal Emergency Management, Survey, Joint Center for Housing Studies, Florida Harvard, FEMA, Finance, Harvard Locations: California, Florida, Harvard, U.S

☆ Strong economic growth but high unemployment: A look at Nevada’s economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Alicia Wallace | Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

In Las Vegas, the cacophony of voices, music, ringing slot machines and car horns that typically pulsed through the Las Vegas Strip was replaced by silence, the chirps of birds and the wails of sirens. In tourism-dependent Nevada, the unemployment rate rocketed even higher, topping out at 30.6% that month. “This is an unemployment rate that’s not driven by job losers, this is an unemployment rate driven by job seekers,” he said. Homes under construction in the Summerlin community, on July 31, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. As of December 2023, the Reno metro area’s unemployment rate was just 0.2 percentage points above the nation’s 3.7% rate.

Persons: John Simpson, Steve, Sisolak, ” Simpson, It’s, ”, they’re, I’ve, Stephen M, Miller, Mario Tama, Bob Potts, there’s, There’s, Nevadans, Annie E, Casey Foundation’s, Jamelle Nance, Marty Elquist, ” Elquist, “, Andrew Woods, Nicholas Irwin, Start’s Simpson, Irwin, Ethan Miller, Maurice Page, Page, Tesla, ” Potts, Carolyn Cole, Potts, You’ve, you’ve Organizations: CNN, Las, Republican Party, of Labor Statistics, University of Nevada, Lee Business School’s Center for Business, Economic Research, New York, Nevada Governor’s, Economic, Las Vegas, New, Workforce, Children’s, Alliance of Nevada, Education, Development, Silver State, Center for Business, UNLV, Reno, ”, Homes, Nevada Housing Coalition, Harvard University’s, for Housing Studies, Silver, Means, Reno Industrial Park, Apple, Panasonic, Google, Reno Industrial, Los Angeles Times, NCAA, NFL, NFL Pro Bowl Locations: Nevada, Las Vegas, Reno, ” Nevada, State, New York, New, Las, New Mexico, Vegas, “ Nevada, Silver, UNLV . Nevada, California, Sparks, Las Vegas , Nevada, Florida, Hawaii, Clark County, Sparks , Nevada, New Orleans, Denver, Southern Nevada, Northern Nevada, Los Angeles

☆ Over 18 million rental units are exposed to climate hazards as extreme weather becomes more common, Harvard study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

D3sign | Stone | Getty ImagesExtreme weather and climate hazards are becoming more frequent, posing a unique threat not only for homeowners, but for renters. Over 18 million rental units across the U.S. are exposed to climate and weather-related hazards, according to the latest American Rental Housing Report from Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. While they're a smaller share of the rental stock, 52% of manufactured units are located in areas with extreme weather exposure. "It's sort of a compounding risk when we see these increases in climate hazards and start impacting people who can't afford to move away from the risk." Check what type of disasters are included in your renters insurance policy.

Persons: Sophia Wedeen, Jeremy Porter, Wedeen, Porter Organizations: Harvard University's, for Housing Studies, Harvard, FEMA, Survey, Joint Center for Housing Studies, Finance, NOAA National Centers for Environmental, First Street Foundation Locations: U.S, New York

☆ 18 million rental units are at risk as climate disasters get more common, Harvard study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

More than 18 million occupied rental units are exposed to climate-related risks, Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies said in a new study. This could strain rental stock supply, boost prices, and cause a jump in evictions. Specifically, about 18.2 million units are at risk of substantial loss damage, whether from hurricanes, wildfires, floods, earthquakes and similar hazards. "Notably, newer rental units are much more likely to be vulnerable to weather- and climate-related hazards. US rental supply is now at its oldest level ever, with millions of rental units deficient in some form.

Persons: It's, DeltaTerra's Dave Burt Organizations: for Housing Studies, Service, Harvard's, NOAA National Centers for Environmental, Street Foundation

The number of affordable units — with rents under $600 — also dropped to 7.2 million that year, 2.1 million fewer than a decade earlier. Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesThose factors contributed to a dramatic rise in eviction filings and a record number of people becoming homeless. "It just hits you like, ‘This is for nothing.’"In Auburn, Massachusetts, pervasive rent hikes have already hit the last bastion of affordable housing. Just off an interstate alongside a pond, residents at the American Mobile Home Park face rent increases upwards of 40%. The group Lawyers For Civil Rights has sent a letter to the landlord accusing it of “unconscionable rent increases," and failing to provide critical services like adequate garbage and snow removal.

Persons: Caitlyn Colbert, Colbert, “, ”, —, Whitney Airgood, Obrycki, ” Colbert, haven’t, Amy Case, Ann Urbanovitch, Zach Neumann, Monique Gant, Gant, Nick Graetz, ” Graetz, Chris Herbert, Jared Polis, ___ Casey, ___ Organizations: DENVER, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard, Habitat, Humanity, American Mobile, Civil Rights, Associated Press, Colorado Judicial, Community Economic Defense, Princeton, ”, Colorado Gov, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: Denver, U.S, ”, Auburn , Massachusetts, Colorado, Washington, Massachusetts, Boston

☆ Rental markets are softening, but half of U.S. tenants spend more than they can afford, Harvard report finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Rent prices are coming down in some areas, but not at the pace needed to relieve tenants struggling to pay rent. Half of renters in the U.S. spent more than 30% of their income in 2022 on rent and utilities, according to the new America's Rental Housing report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. The report considers those who spend 30% or more of their income on housing "rent burdened" or "cost burdened," which means those high costs may make it difficult for them to meet other essential expenses. The share of cost-burdened renters increased by 3.2 percentage points from 2019 to 2022. While cost burden has increased across income levels, the consequences are much higher for low-income households, said Airgood-Obrycki.

Persons: Whitney Airgood Organizations: Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, Finance Locations: U.S, Here's

☆ Rental markets are cooling, but it 'doesn't mean they're falling,' Harvard researcher says. Here's what that means for renters
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Recep-bg | E+ | Getty ImagesRent costs are beginning come down after record-high asking prices. "Rental markets are cooling, but in a lot of places, it doesn't mean they're falling. It means they're growing at a slower pace," said Whitney Airgood-Obrycki, senior research associate focused on affordable housing at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Prices are beginning to come down as supply boosts vacancy and demand slows from record highs in 2022. Increasing the supply of higher-rent Class A units often encourages tenants to upgrade to new units, making prices in those units level out and boosting vacancy in Class B and C units, Airgood-Obrycki said.

Persons: Whitney Airgood, Susan M, Wachter, Obrycki Organizations: Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, Prices, Finance, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Locations: Here’s, Airgood

☆ Rent is unaffordable for over half of US tenants, but the cost is cooling
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The median asking rent was $1,713, which was down $4 from November and down $63 from the July 2022 peak. However, median rent is still $309 higher than the same time in 2019, before the pandemic. What’s more, 12 million of those renters are severely cost burdened, which means they are paying more than half of their income on housing. Following changes in housing needs during the pandemic and an already existing low supply of multifamily housing in some markets, rents surged in 2021 and 2022. Without continued new supply in addition to enhanced rental support, the Harvard report concludes affordability will remain a critical concern for many renters.

Persons: Chris Herbert, ”, Whitney Airgood, Douglas Elliman, Miller Samuel Real, “, Anthemos Georgiades, ” Georgiades Organizations: DC CNN, Harvard University’s, for Housing Studies, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard, Census Bureau, Builders, National Association of Home Builders, Baby Boomers Locations: Washington, United States, Manhattan

☆ It's time for the Fed to cut interest rates and bring relief to Americans who 'cannot afford to pay rent,' Elizabeth Warren says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Elizabeth Warren joined some of her colleagues in pushing for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. AdvertisementAs Americans grapple with high housing costs, a group of Democratic lawmakers is urging the Federal Reserve to implement relief as soon as possible. While rent costs have decreased slightly over the past few months, "high interest rates mean higher mortgage rates for landlords, who may pass off these costs in the form of rent hikes for their tenants," the Democrats wrote. Powell has previously acknowledged the impact of interest rate increases on housing costs. "The Fed has already signaled its willingness to cut rates, and the market has responded accordingly," the Democrats wrote.

Persons: Sen, Elizabeth Warren, —, — John Hickenlooper, Jacky Rosen, Sheldon Whitehouse, Jerome Powell, Powell, they'll Organizations: Federal Reserve, Service, Democratic, Harvard's, for Housing Studies Locations: York

☆ The rental market is getting out of hand, with millions of Americans spending the majority of their paychecks on housing
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In today's big story, we're looking at how much Americans spend on rent and why cheap properties are so hard to come by. And now a new Harvard study demonstrates how costly the rental market has become, Business Insider's Pete Syme writes. Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies estimated 12.1 million American households spend more than half their income on rent and utilities. That number grows to 22.4 million households for those spending more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities. Meanwhile, experts predict the housing market will reverse course this year as housing inventory increases and mortgage rates fall.

Persons: —, Tom Williams, Pete Syme, BI's Eliza Relman, Juliana Kaplan, There's, that's, Angela Ostafichuk, Justin Sullivan, Mario Tama, Tesla, Elon Musk, Dan DeFrancesco, Hallam Bullock, Jordan Parker Erb Organizations: Service, Business, Getty, Harvard, for Housing Studies, BI, Apple, Alaska Airlines, Boeing, American Express, Hyundai, Brands, Dolce, Gabbana Locations: Capitol, Washington, That'll, New York, London

☆ It's not just you: It's getting harder and harder to find cheap rent across the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Eliza Relman | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

If you've been struggling to find a cheap rental, you're not alone: Low-rent apartments are harder to find than ever. And homes with rent between $600 and $799 fell from almost 9 million to 5.8 million units. Meanwhile, the number of homes that rent for at least $2,000 per month more than doubled, climbing from about 3.2 million to 7.3 million homes. This is just more evidence of the housing affordability crisis many cities and towns across the country are facing. Middle-income renters — those who make between $30,000 and $74,999 annually — saw the most dramatic increase in housing costs between 2019 and 2022.

Persons: you've, — Organizations: Service, Business, Harvard's, for Housing Studies, Harvard Locations: California

☆ More than 12 million Americans are spending at least half their entire paycheck on rent, Harvard study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Over 12 million Americans spent more than half their income on rent and utilities in 2022, a Harvard study says. The study, by Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies, found a sharp rise in people spending large portions of their pay on rent. AdvertisementAn estimated 12.1 million Americans are spending more than half their income on rent and utilities, a study from Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies says. A chart showing the rising number of renters spending more than 50% of their income on rent. AdvertisementAre you a renter who spends a significant portion of your income on rent who would like to share your story?

Persons: — Organizations: Harvard, Harvard's, for Housing Studies, Service, Census Bureau, Joint Center for Housing Studies, Center for Housing Studies of Harvard, Cea Weaver, Justice, New York Times

☆ People are using cash transfers like basic income to pay rent, and it shows just how badly a housing-crisis solution is needed
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

And a growing number of people who are eligible for government housing assistance aren't getting it. But unlike other government benefits like Medicaid and food stamps, housing aid doesn't automatically go to those who need it. And across 31 pilot basic income programs , recipients spent an average of about 9.2% of their payments on housing and utilities. AdvertisementThe amount that the federal government spends on its housing assistance programs, mainly Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing, is determined by Congress each year. "Housing support across America is very fractured and variable," said Sean Kline, director of Stanford's Basic Income Lab.

Persons: —, doesn't, Matt Desmond, Chris Herbert, Ulbrich, Matt Turner, hasn't, Sean Kline, Matthew Fowle, Fowle, Kline, Herbert Organizations: Service, Homelessness, Business, Urban Institute, Assistance, Columbia University's, Poverty, Princeton, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Economic, Congress, Harvard, The New York Times, Department of Housing, Urban Development, Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation, University of Pennsylvania, UPenn's Housing Locations: Washington ,, San Francisco, Davos, America, Philadelphia

☆ Millennials Are Being Forced Out of Cities and Into Suburbs
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-08 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Millennial homebuyers aren't just leaving the urban core — they're moving to the farthest reaches of the suburbs. The 'youthification' of cities and far-flung suburbsFor nearly two decades millennials morphed dense, amenity-rich urban neighborhoods across America into exclusive playgrounds for the young and childless. Compared with Gen Xers and baby boomers, a much larger share of millennials moved to cities in their young adulthood — and stayed for longer. The pandemic only steepened a trend that's been ousting millennials from cities for years: rising housing costs in cities. Millennials could help transform suburban sprawl into town-like communities or small cities with more third places and a stronger sense of community, Panova says.

Persons: Jandra Sutton, Sutton, they're, pricey, they'll, Gen Xers, millennials, —, Millennials, — it's, Zers, Allison Levine, Tiffany Stuart, — Stuart, Stuart, Hyojung Lee, Lee, who's, John Natale, Rafay Qamar, didn't, Qamar, We've, Paul Stout, Stout, Tayana, Panova, Levine, Eliza Reman Organizations: bodega, Suburban Jungle, Harvard's, for Housing Studies, Seoul National University, New York City, Suburban, Business Insider's Locations: Tennessee, Nashville, America, San Francisco, Boston, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Austin, Denver, New York City, New Jersey, Flatbush, Wall Township , New Jersey, exurbs, New York, Chicago, Black, walkable, Sutton's

☆ Americans ditched big cities during the pandemic. Now many are regretting it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Kelli María Korducki | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Susan, a 30-something artist, lived in New York City when the pandemic struck. The pair had talked about moving to a smaller town someday — the pandemic just shortened their timeline. As rent prices in big cities shot up and jobs went remote, cash-strapped people were quick to take advantage of an unprecedented situation and try someplace new. It was also a favor to her husband, who never felt at peace in the bustle of the big city. A few months ago, she and her husband found a renter for their house and returned to the city.

Persons: Susan, Eager, Riordan Frost, Millennials, Frost, Alex Gatien, he's, Gatien, Alexander von Hoffman, von Hoffman, Sandro Galea, Galea, Kelli María Korducki Organizations: Harvard's, for Housing Studies, National Association of Realtors, New, Boston University School of Public, Boston University School of Public Health Locations: New York City, McMansions, Toronto, St, Lawrence, Canada, New York

☆ Make America Build Again
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +37 min

America is the sixth-most-expensive place in the world to build subways and trolleys. The solutions will cost trillions of dollars and require a pace of building unseen in America since World War II. Perhaps the single most pressing question we face today is: How do we make America build again? "For this class of projects, federal environmental laws are more the exception." The prospect of overhauling our hard-won environmental laws might feel like sacrilege to anyone who cares about the Earth.

Persons: Anne, Marie Griger's, Griger, —, They're, Obama, I'm, we've, We've, I'd, It's, Matt Harrison Clough, Jamie Pleune, AECOM, Joe Biden's, There's, David Adelman, David Spence, Spence, James Coleman, NECA, Coleman, everyone's, Danielle Stokes, Nobody, Bill McKibben, Mother Jones, McKibben, Michael Gerrard, Columbia University —, they've, David Pettit, it's, Zachary Liscow, That's who's, Adam Rogers Organizations: RES Group, Environmental, Infrastructure Investment, Jobs, Land Management, Forest Service, University of Utah, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Brookings, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, White, University of Texas, Greenpeace, Natural Resources Defense Council, Act, NEPA, Berkeley, University of California, University of Southern, Southern Methodist University, Ecosystems Conservation, GOP, Biden, Motorola, Telecommunications, Conservatives, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, University of Richmond, UC Berkeley, USC, Star, Sabin, Climate, Columbia University, Natural Resources Defense, Republicans, Democrats, Management, Budget, Yale Law School Locations: Panama, Colorado, . California, Los Angeles, San Francisco, China, America, Washington, , Wyoming, Nantucket, New England, San Francisco ., University of Southern California, California, New York, Florida, Southern California, Las Vegas

☆ Opinion: My journey from a homeless shelter to the ballet stage
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Opinion Steven Melendez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s Note: Steven Melendez is artistic director of New York Theatre Ballet and a subject of the new documentary film “LIFT,” available on Apple and Amazon. He was born in the Bronx, New York, and has danced as a soloist with Ballet Concierto in Argentina, a principal dancer with the Vanemuine Theater Ballet Company in Estonia, and for more than 15 years with New York Theatre Ballet. CNN —Thirty years ago, I lived in a family homeless shelter in New York City, where dreams and struggles often do battle. The LIFT program did not simply introduce me to ballet; it transformed my life. New York Theatre BalletThe rigorous training demands unwavering commitment, punctuality and the relentless pursuit of perfection.

Persons: Steven Melendez, Steven Melendez Rachel Neville, Diana Byer, Jacques d’Amboise, Talent Organizations: New York Theatre Ballet, Apple, Concierto, Vanemuine Theater Ballet Company, CNN, New York Theatre, US Department of Housing, Urban Development, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Coalition, York Theatre Ballet, National Dance Institute Locations: Bronx , New York, Argentina, Estonia, New York City, Bronx, America

☆ How Florida became America's 2nd-most-valuable housing market
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Florida beat out New York to become the country's second-most-valuable housing market, Zillow said. Of the top six markets that gained the most value since the onset of COVID-19, four are in Florida. The market boom is driven by an influx in new residents putting more demand on the housing stock. Florida welcomed 655,000 new residents since the start of the pandemic, according to Census estimates reported by Insider in March. Stefanie Mortenson traded her life in Virginia for a $159,000 tiny home near Tampa, Florida.

Persons: Zillow, —, Stefanie Mortensen, Stefanie Mortenson, Noelle Lane, Nicole Panesso, There's, David Triana Organizations: Florida, Service, Sunshine, Bloomberg, Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, Tampa, North, Coral, Lakeland, Cape Coral, Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University Locations: New York, Florida, California, Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville, Orlando, Virginia, Tampa , Florida, North Port, Palm, Gulf Coast, Naples, Cape, Georgia, Tennessee, Nicole Panesso South Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Chattanooga , Tennessee, Clermont , Florida

NEW YORK (AP) — When the unexpected happens — whether fire, hail, or human error — renters insurance can provide much-needed stability. The average cost of a renters insurance policy in 2023 was $148 per year, or about $12 per month, according to the most recent analysis by NerdWallet. Here's what to keep in mind:WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT ACQUIRING RENTERS INSURANCE? WHAT’S COVERED BY RENTERS INSURANCE? Most renters insurance policies include:— Personal property protection.

Persons: Linda Klamm, “, Klamm, ” Klamm, you’re, policyholders, ”, Charles Schwab Organizations: Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University, Insurance, Institute, Financial Health Network, Financial Health, Associated Press, Charles, Charles Schwab Foundation, Inc, AP Locations: Oakland , California, California, Florida , Louisiana , Texas, Washington

☆ Home affordability is the worst it has been since 1984
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington, DC CNN —Buying a house requires a much bigger slice of people’s income now — making this the most unaffordable housing market since 1984, by one measure. The number of cost-burdened renters increased by 1.2 million, to a record 21.6 million households, between 2019 and 2021. In all, 40.6 million households were housing-cost burdened in 2021, including 20.3 million who were severely burdened. Affordability picture remains grim this yearHopeful house hunters continued to face challenging affordability conditions in July as rising mortgage rates and historically low housing inventory pushed prices higher, said Edward Seiler, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s associate vice president for housing economics. “Unfortunately, given today’s lack of inventory and affordability levels, it may take years before home affordability returns to more ‘normal’ levels,” he said.

Persons: Black Knight, Knight, “, ”, Andy Walden, Edward Seiler, Seiler, Joel Kan, Walden, ” It’s Organizations: DC CNN, Federal Reserve, Black, Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, Mortgage, Moody’s Investors Service Locations: Washington

☆ Climate change and extreme weather, like Maui wildfires, are hurting affordable housing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

For people on Maui and across the US, climate change is making the affordable housing crunch even worse. “This is why they have been building these affordable housing buildings. It is a safe place, but it doesn’t feel like home.”Affordable housing picture on Maui was already ‘pretty grim’For people on Maui and across the US, climate change is making the affordable housing crunch even worse. But not fires damaging buildings and taking lives.”“The affordable housing picture was pretty grim on Maui even before the fire,” he said. “There was more than one kitchen, more than one family living there.”These types of cobbled-together solutions to affordable housing are now gone, as are other recent hard-won affordable housing projects.

Persons: Josh Green, Hannah Harris, Tony Ellett, ”, Harris, “, ” Harris, Ellett, Jae C, Shantal Catanach, Keanu, ” Catanach, she’s, Stan Franco, Franco, –, Diane Yentel, ” Yentel, Yentel, Hurricane Sandy, Sandy, Peter Niess, Justin Sullivan Organizations: DC CNN, Urban Institute, UN, University of Hawaii’s Economic Research Organization, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, NOAA National Centers for Environmental, Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University, Income Housing Coalition, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Hurricane, Maui Architectural Locations: Washington, Maui, Lahaina, Catanach, Maui County, Hawaii, Corelogic, Maui –, Lahaina , Hawaii

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