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☆ US home builders ramped up construction in July, beating expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Housing starts, a measure of new-home construction, climbed to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.452 million in the month, beating market expectations of 1.448 million, according to data released Wednesday by the Census Bureau. “Buyers embraced new homes in the first half of this year as a welcome alternative to the massive shortage of existing homes,” Ratiu said. The slight increase in starts suggests builders have some optimism, she said, though it remains to be seen what future mortgage rate increases may mean for the market. “In many cases, even repurchasing their same home at today’s mortgage rates would be out of a typical buyer’s price range.”Mortgage rates are hovering around 7% and interested buyer traffic is slowing down for some builders. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, released Tuesday looks at current sales, buyer traffic and the outlook for sales of new construction homes over the next six months.

Persons: George Ratiu, “ Buyers, ” Ratiu, “ Homebuilders, ”, “, eeking, Kelly Mangold, ” Mangold, Alicia Huey, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, LEN, Horton Organizations: DC CNN, Housing, Census, “, West, Real Estate Consulting, National Association of Home Builders Locations: Washington, Midwest, West, Wells Fargo, Lennar

☆ Here’s why home prices stayed high in May
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“The ongoing recovery in home prices is broadly based.”Before seasonal adjustment, prices rose in all 20 cities in May, as they had also done in March and April. Month over month, home prices rose in May for the fourth consecutive month. “Though home prices are likely to continue to cool slightly, limited inventory relative to buyer demand will likely keep prices somewhat afloat. By 1983, partly spurred by high inflation, the price rose to $75,500, and it continued rising to $126,100 by 1993. “It is worth noting that market data are coming up on last year’s record-high prices, notched during May and June,” he said.

Persons: “, ”, Craig Lazzara, “ It’s, Hannah Jones, Jones, George Ratiu, May’s, Ratiu, ” Ratiu Organizations: DC CNN, City Composites, Realtor.com, ”, National Association of Realtors, Federal Reserve Locations: Washington, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Seattle, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Miami, Tampa , Florida, “, ’

☆ US mortgage rates climb to their highest level since November
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —US mortgage rates jumped higher last week as uncertainty about the debt ceiling standoff sent bond yields rising. Mortgage rates tend to be pegged to US Treasury yields, which had been heading higher as America grows ever closer to default. Although the Fed doesn’t have direct control over mortgage rates, higher interest rates tend to push bond yields higher, which also can nudge mortgage rates up. “If the U.S. defaults on its debt, bond investments become riskier, resulting in increased yields and potentially higher mortgage rates. But if mortgage rates remain elevated, sellers looking to wrap up a move during the summer months may be motivated to cut prices.

Persons: Freddie Mac, ”, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s, Jiayi Xu, Joe Biden, Xu, “, George Ratiu, ” Ratiu, Bob Broeksmit, today’s, ” Xu Organizations: Washington CNN, Treasury, Federal, “, Realtor.com, Mortgage, Association Locations: America, U.S

☆ New home starts pull back in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Housing starts, a measure of new home construction, was down 17.2% from a year ago, according to data released Thursday by the Census Bureau. After surging in February following five consecutive months of falling, March housing starts fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.420 million, down from the revised February estimate of 1.432 million. Single‐family housing starts in March rose 2.7% from the revised February figure, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 861,000. Housing starts had big drops in May and July last year, when spiking mortgage rates pushed many prospective home buyers to the sidelines. Starts bounced back slightly in August, but fell through January.

☆ Mortgage rates inched down last week, after a slight increase the week before
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington, DC CNN —Mortgage rates inched down last week, after a slight increase the week before. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.33% in the week ending January 12, down from 6.48% the week before, according to Freddie Mac. But mortgage rates dropped in November and December, following data that showed inflation may have finally reached its peak. The average mortgage rate is based on mortgage applications that Freddie Mac receives from thousands of lenders across the country. When Treasury yields go up, so do mortgage rates; when they go down, mortgage rates tend to follow.

☆ Here’s what to expect in the housing market this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Washington, DC CNN —Last year was a wild ride in the US housing market. So what’s in store for the housing market this year? “Mortgage rates are really critical to the path of the housing market in the year ahead,” said Jeff Tucker, senior economist at Zillow. “Yes, things have cooled way down in the housing market, but we don’t have a glut of homes for sale,” said Tucker. A plain, boring, vanilla year in the housing market would be a wonderful surprise.”

☆ Mortgage rates plunge to 6.61% amid signs of easing inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Mortgage rates dropped sharply last week following a series of economic reports that indicated inflation may finally be easing. Mortgage rates have risen throughout most of 2022, spurred by the Federal Reserve’s unprecedented campaign of hiking interest rates in order to tame soaring inflation. While the Fed does not set the interest rates borrowers pay on mortgages directly, its actions influence them. Mortgage rates tend to track the yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds. Mortgage rates are expected to remain volatile for the rest of the year.

☆ Mortgage rates rise to nearly 6.3%, the highest level since 2008
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Mortgage rates have almost doubled since the start of this year. But now all eyes are on the central bank’s campaign of interest rates hikes in its fight against inflation. “The housing market continues to face headwinds as mortgage rates increase again this week,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. The Fed does not set the interest rates borrowers pay on mortgages directly, but its actions influence them. As investors see or anticipate rate hikes, they often sell government bonds, which sends yields higher and mortgage rates rise.

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