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☆ No relief on the horizon for home prices, says Redfin's Chen Zhao
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNo relief on the horizon for home prices, says Redfin's Chen ZhaoChen Zhao, Redfin Senior economist, joins 'Closing Bell Overtime' to talk the state of the housing market and the rising cost of home prices.

Persons: Redfin's Chen Zhao Chen Zhao, Redfin

☆ Should you refinance your mortgage? Here are three signs it's time, real estate experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Thanks to those high mortgage interest rates, refinance activity in 2023 was at the lowest level in 30 years. In the first and second quarters of 2023 there was only $75 billion and $80 billion, respectively, in mortgage refinance originations nationally, according to Freddie Mac, a government-sponsored entity that buys mortgages from banks. "We're just in a much higher interest rate situation with the economy," she said. "We've been so accustomed to mortgage rates as a baseline being at 2% or 3%," said Veronica Fuentes, a certified financial planner at Northwestern Mutual. Some lenders may require a higher interest rate if you finance closing costs, plus you'll be paying interest on those expenses for the life of the mortgage.

Persons: Freddie Mac, Jeff Ostrowski, Chen Zhao, Zhao, We've, Veronica Fuentes, that's, Ostrowski, CoreLogic's Organizations: Westend61, Getty, Federal Reserve, Northwestern Mutual

☆ Housing 'affordability has just totally collapsed,' economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"Since the pandemic, affordability has just totally collapsed," said Chen Zhao, a senior economist at Redfin. February 2021 was the last month when the typical household earned more money than they needed to afford the median home. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sets the standard of affordability at 30% of household income. Affordability deficit narrowed in FebruaryThe average household fell short $29,448 to afford a home in February, according to Redfin. The affordability deficit narrowed because rates have been on a consistent decline since the last peak in October, according to Zhao.

Persons: Chen Zhao, They've, Zhao, It's, Jeff Ostrowski, Veronica Fuentes, Fuentes, Ostrowski, Buyers, Redfin, Louis, What's Organizations: Getty, Redfin, Finance, U.S . Department of Housing, Urban Development, Northwestern Mutual, Cleveland Locations: U.S, Detroit, Pittsburgh, St, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Warren, Mich, Cincinnati, Milwaukee , Kansas City , Virginia Beach, Va, Antonio, Columbus , Ohio

☆ The US housing market added $2 trillion in value last year, boosted by a nationwide shortage of homes for sale
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Yuheng Zhan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The US residential market added $2.4 trillion in value last year, listings site Redfin said. AdvertisementThe housing market in the US added $2.4 trillion last year, jumping to $47.5 trillion. Though housing demand has been dampened by stubbornly high mortgage rates, the total value of the market climbed by 5.3% from December 2022, preliminary data released by Redfin on Wednesday showed. Pandemic-era mortgage rates fell below 3%, driving a frenzy of buying in 2020 and 2021. The combination of elevated mortgage rates, high home prices and a limited pool of homes for sale means homeownership is about as unaffordable as ever.

Persons: Redfin, —, aren't, Chen Zhao Organizations: Service Locations: Redfin, New York City, New Jersey, Midwest, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, New York, Honolulu , Riverside, Denver

☆ Mortgage rates surge higher again, causing homebuyers to pull back
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

After a brief reprieve in December and January, mortgage rates are moving higher again, and that is taking its toll on mortgage demand. Total mortgage application volume fell 2.3% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted index. "That's because mortgage rates are climbing again and winter weather has been harsher than usual in much of the country, keeping some house hunters at home." Mortgage rates surged even higher Tuesday after a government report on inflation showed it was still stubbornly higher than expected. "The bond market (which underlies mortgage rates) reacted immediately and forcefully when the numbers came out.

Persons: Joel Kan, Chen Zhao, Bonds, Matthew Graham Organizations: Mortgage, Mortgage News Locations: Pico Rivera , California, Redfin

☆ The Fed pushed back against imminent rate cuts this week. Here's what that means for the housing market.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Yuheng Zhan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

More importantly, though was Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's pushback against the idea that rate cuts are imminent. So, what does this mean for the housing market, which is eagerly anticipating lower rates to make housing even slightly more affordable? According to Redfin, pushing out timelines for Fed rate cuts means mortgage rates are likely to remain elevated for longer this year, but it doesn't mean relief is off the table for homebuyers in 2024. "Regardless of any short-term volatility in mortgage rates, we expect rates to come down gradually throughout the year," Redfin's Chen Zhao wrote following the Fed meeting. AdvertisementThe real estate group notes that other forces are at work in the mortgage market as well, and the Fed isn't the only input.

Persons: —, Jerome Powell's pushback, Redfin's Chen Zhao, Redfin, we'll, Powell, Fannie Mae Organizations: Service, Reserve, Business, US Department of, Treasury, Bank of America

☆ Banks in Japan are primed to do well going forward. What's driving them and how to play the trend
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

One place in the world stands as a beacon for investors in bank stocks: Japan. Japanese banks have outperformed in a year when U.S. banks have come under pressure both from rapidly rising interest rates and the regional banking crisis last spring. "We've been bullish on Japanese banks for a long time," said Chen Zhao, chief global strategist at Alpine Macro. Part of what's driving the bull case for Japanese banks is the country's yield curve. While the U.S. and other developed economies contend with an inverted yield curve that's weighing on financial profit margins, Japan continues to have a positive yield curve.

Persons: We've, Chen Zhao, Zhao, JPMorgan's Marko Kolanovic, Japan's, Kolanovic, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: JPMorgan, Regional Banking, Treasury, Japan Post Bank, Chiba Bank, JPMorgan BetaBuilders Japan, Resona Holdings Locations: Japan, U.S, EWJ

☆ Higher stocks and rates rising this fast? Why history shows this is usually untenable
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A higher-for-longer interest rate environment could mean a "stalemate" for equities after their long upward march in 2023. However, history indicates that's unlikely to continue, according to Chen Zhao, chief global strategist at Alpine Macro. He expects stocks will trade sideways for some time as investors weigh competing narratives around a robust economy with the pressures of higher bond yields. Of course, stocks bounced back the following year when the Federal Reserve began to cut rates. … But at the same time, you have rising borrowing costs, rising discount factors that actually tamp down asset values."

Persons: Stocks, Chen Zhao, Zhao, Komal, Kumar, Marko Kolanovic Organizations: Federal Reserve, Kumar Global

☆ Americans now need to earn a record $115,000 to afford a typical home - up more than 50% since the pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Most US households are $40,000 shy of the needed income, with first-time buyers impacted the hardest. Surging costs and skyrocketing mortgage rates mean that Americans need to make $114,627 a year to purchase a typical property, the highest income level on record. This comes as mortgage rates were swung upwards by a tighter Federal Reserve, which sharply increased interest rates to combat inflation. "In a homebuyer's ideal world, rising mortgage rates would push demand and home prices down enough to make up for high interest payments. Average American households do not earn enough to meet these rising costs, and are about $40,000 shy of the needed income level, when looking at last year's data.

Persons: Redfin, —, that's, Chen Zhao, Zhao, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Service, Reserve

☆ Why the housing market sucks for both buyers and sellers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Buyers and sellers alike complain of a market that only gets worse the longer they wait. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisementThe slowed-down market could have impacts across the economy, forcing some potential buyers to continue renting and influencing some potential sellers to stay put. The bank remained hopeful for a turnaround but warned of more turbulence for buyers and sellers brave enough to face the market. AdvertisementAdvertisementSellers are also forced to wait and for decreasing offersMeanwhile, sellers are left waiting as well.

Persons: —, Chen Zhao, Redfin, Lawrence Talej, Yonatan Hochstein, they've, We've, Desiree Edgington, She's, Edgington, Zoe Rosenberg Organizations: Service, Wall Street, National Association of Realtors, Bank of America Locations: Richmond , Virginia, New Jersey, Kansas, zrosenberg@insider.com

REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG/AMSTERDAM, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Global investors fleeing China have one simple message for the country's leadership: put prudence aside for a short while, and start spending big. "At this point there is confusion and, as long as there is confusion, then there's lack of credibility and that means investors are more likely to stay away," said Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Global Investors in London. Prominent examples are heavy Chinese government spending during the 2008 Global Financial Crisis and its swift intervention during the 2015 market crash. But the subsidies need to come from local governments, many of which are cash-strapped or even drowning in debt and unable to pay their civil servants. The lack of concrete stimulus measures now is prompting many China watchers to downgrade their growth estimates for the next few years.

Persons: Aly, China's, Seema Shah, Chen Zhao, Zhao, hasn't, Frederik Ducrozet, Ducrozet, Principal's Shah, Yan Wang, Xi Jinping's, we’ve, Lorraine Tan, Dhara Ranasinghe, Davide Barbuscia, Yoruk, Xie Yu, Ankur Banerjee, Tom Westbrook, Li Gu, Vidya Ranganathan, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Global, Global Investors, policymaking Politburo, Pictet Wealth Management, Local, UBS Bank, Federated Hermes, Foreigners, Asia, Morningstar, Thomson Locations: Huangpu, Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, AMSTERDAM, London, Beijing, Japan, United States, New York, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Singapore

☆ The US housing market hits a record value of $47 trillion as the inventory shortage fuels a price boom
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US housing market just reached a new all-time high valuation of $47 trillion, Redfin reported. Low inventory has pushed up home values, according to a Redfin analysis of 90 million US residences. The report said a shortage of homes has been propping up housing values, based on a Redfin estimate on more than 90 million US residential properties. Notably, the housing market has now offset the $2.9 trillion decrease in value that happened between June 2022 and February 2023 as a result of rising mortgage rates. "The dominance of the 30-year fixed rate mortgage in America is propping up home values," Redfin economist Chen Zhao said.

Persons: Redfin, Chen Zhao, they're, That's, Zhao Organizations: Service Locations: Wall, Silicon, America, Los Angeles, U.S

☆ Housing market inventory keeps declining and that's bad news for homebuyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

We're revisiting housing inventory today because it's one of the key sticking points that's keeping home prices elevated and buyers wary. Get this: The housing market today has 39% fewer homes for sale than before the pandemic. Mortgage rates are currently about double what they were in 2021, when ultra-low rates fueled a home-buying boom. That could help influence mortgage rates to go even higher this year. People who are sitting on the sidelines, waiting for mortgage rates to decline, should know that's unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future."

Persons: I'm Phil Rosen, Jerome Powell, Joe Raedle, There's, Powell, Redfin's Chen Zhao, Edward Seiler, Tweet, JIM WATSON, Morgan Stanley, Steve Eisman, Larry Summers, Richard Branson's, Phil Rosen, Max Adams, Hallam Bullock Organizations: realtors, Mortgage Bankers Association, US, Getty, Fed, FedEx, Nvidia, Bloomberg, Treasury, Virgin Galactic Locations: homebuilding, New York, London

☆ The housing market has about 40% fewer homes for sale than before the pandemic, and listings keep falling
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The current housing market offers 39% fewer homes for sale than pre-pandemic, Redfind said. Homeowners are unwilling to part ways with low mortgage rates secured before borrowing costs went up. Mortgage rates are now hovering close to 7%, nearly double where they were at in 2021, when ultra-low rates fueled a home-buying boom. "People who are sitting on the sidelines, waiting for mortgage rates to decline, should know that's unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future. Edward Seiler, the associate vice president for housing economics at the Mortgage Bankers Association, told Insider earlier that the housing market has never been this unaffordable for new buyers.

Persons: Redfind, —, Chen Zhao, Redfin, Edward Seiler, Seiler Organizations: Service, Federal Reserve, Mortgage, Mortgage Bankers Association Locations: homebuilding

☆ Looking to buy a house? Follow these 7 tips to ensure you get the best deal, according to economists at Redfin
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some tips include asking for concessions, buying new, waiting, and buying in cash. In a recent post, Redfin economists shared their top tips for homebuyers right now. 7 tips for homebuyersThe first tip from Chen Zhao, Redfin's economics research team lead, is to wait if you can. Considering how high mortgage rates are, a rate buydown is a concession that could help shoppers buy themselves some time for rates to fall. One counterpoint to this is that home values just about everywhere have also climbed since the start of the pandemic.

☆ Luxury home sales plunge 45%, with Miami and the Hamptons hit hardest
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. housing market is taking a hard hit from higher mortgage rates, and luxury home sales are seeing the worst of it. Sales of luxury homes dropped 45% during the three months ended Jan. 31 compared with the same period the year before, according to Redfin, a real estate brokerage. Redfin defines luxury homes as those estimated to be in the top 5% based on the estimated market value. Miami, which had seen a massive influx of wealthy buyers migrating from the Northeast in the earlier days of the Covid pandemic, saw sales drop nearly 69%. While not all luxury buyers use mortgages, they are affected by the broader economy, and more specifically the stock market.

☆ A housing downturn is causing a reckoning in the once-hot cluster of proptech startups that let homebuyers pay all cash and win bidding wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

In that market, all-cash offers were king to sellers because they ensured quicker, stress-free closings. According to Redfin, all-cash offers quadrupled the chances that a homebuyer would win a bidding war. Ribbon has since paused its all-cash offering, but some of the other firms that Insider featured last year are still making all-cash offers. FlyhomesFlyhomes is a real-estate brokerage that featured all-cash-offer services for years and distinguished itself in December 2021 with a free all-cash-offer product. "The value to the buyer is different than in a seller's market," Garg said in the email.

☆ The US housing market has lost $2.3 trillion in value from its peak as home prices tumble
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US homes lost 4.9% of their value from a 2022 peak, equating to $2.3 trillion, according to a report from Redfin. The overall value of homes stood at the $45.3 trillion at the end of 2022. "The housing market has shed some of its value, but most homeowners will still reap big rewards from the pandemic housing boom," Redfin Economics Research Lead Chen Zhao said in a statement. On Tuesday, the National Association of Realtors said the US housing market could be close to bottoming out, as existing home sales hit the lowest level since 2010. Meanwhile, other market commentators have warned the US housing market is on the verge of a crash akin 2008.

☆ Homebuyers, rejoice! You can afford to bid on a more expensive home now that mortgage rates have fallen below 6%
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US housing market is warming back up because of declining mortgage rates. The average for 30-year mortgage rates have just dipped below 6% for the first time in months. Mortgage rates dipped below 6% on February 2, according to Mortgage Daily News, marking their lowest reading since September 2022. The declining mortgage rates have helped to bring buyers back to the market and bolster purchasing power. "We went from sellers controlling everything, to now being more of a neutral, and even almost a buyer's market."

☆ Rents are falling — it could help pull mortgage rates down even lower
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Falling rents could help bring inflation down, leading to less mortgage interest rate hikes. And if this trend continues, it could even help ease inflation and ultimately lead to lower mortgage rates. Another important component in the slowing rent growth is that it could lead to cheaper mortgage rates. Slowing inflation has already translated to lower mortgage rates, which peaked at over 7% in October. Over the last five weeks, mortgage rates have declined by more than three quarters of a point — marking the largest drop since 2008.

☆ If you're considering buying or selling a home, you might want to wait until next year
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The fight against inflation has led to a surge in mortgage rates. An increase in interest rates led to a run up in mortgage rates, which has slowed home sales and therefore price growth. It all comes down to the fact that the higher mortgage rates rise, the less affordable homeownership is for borrowers. Indeed, homebuying activity is slowing the higher that mortgage rates rise. According to the organization's researchers, if a recession were to materialize "mortgage rates would fall around 30 basis points from the baseline forecast level of 5.2%."

☆ Mortgage rates just hit a high not seen since the 2008 housing crash
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-11 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

More interest rate hikes are on the horizon and that means mortgage rates could climb further. Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's chief economist, says the uptick is attributed to economic volatility that is seeping into the US real estate market. "The combination of higher mortgage rates and the slowdown in economic growth is weighing on the housing market," Khater told Insider. Numerous interest rate hikes have lifted mortgage rates at the fastest pace in decades. The move has effectively put an end to the home buying frenzy that rocked the US real estate market.

☆ It's a terrible time to both buy and sell real estate
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-08 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Americans are becoming increasingly pessimistic about the US real estate market. Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyThe real estate market is in limbo. It's created greater dysfunction in the real estate market. Indeed, activity in the real estate market is cooling. As rising mortgage rates burden consumers, it's given rise to the largest decline in home listings in more than two years.

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