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Summary Poll dataBENGALURU, March 7 (Reuters) - India's housing market will remain resilient despite rising interest rates and a weak global economic outlook, according to a Reuters poll of property analysts who have barely changed their forecasts from three months ago. Defying a global trend of falling housing prices as mortgage rates rise and crimp affordability, India has exhibited resilience and is emerging from a decade-long downturn due to strong demand. A major source of employment in a country of 1.4 billion people where a majority are unskilled, the Indian housing market is likely to remain a stable contributor to economic activity in Asia's third-largest economy. A recent increase in unemployment also raises concerns about the sustainability of the current housing market trend. "Amid rising prices, affordability will only worsen in the coming quarters.

☆ A New York-based startup offers 38 Instagrammable tiny homes and cabins. See inside 6 of their coolest offerings.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

These accessory dwelling units, also known as ADUs, have become increasingly popular during the pandemic as Americans reimagine homeownership. Courtesy of Den OutdoorsADUs, including the homes that Den designs, have a different address from the main house on the property.

☆ Will Home Prices Drop in 2023?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

As of January, prices were down 13% from that June high, according to the National Association of Realtors. Will home prices drop in 2023? The University of California San Diego, for example, predicts prices will drop 5% nationally and as much as 18% in some cities. As a result, the U.S. housing market has been short on for-sale listings for more than a decade. “This is the easiest way to find out if you got a good price on your home in comparison to what else is on the market.”Finally, understand your finances.

☆ Billionaire Warren Buffett still lives in the same home he bought for $31,500 more than 60 years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Billionaire Warren Buffett is famously frugal. The Berkshire Hathaway CEO still resides in the five-bedroom home in central Omaha, Nebraska, he purchased for $31,500 in 1958, which is about $329,505 in today's dollars. "He's authentic," says CNBC's Becky Quick, who has a longstanding relationship with Buffett and interviews him frequently. Located in a quiet neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska lies the home of billionaire Warren Buffett. Orjan F. Ellingvag | Getty ImagesBuffett doesn't plan on trading his Omaha home for a more luxurious one any time soon.

☆ Racial homeownership gap larger now than a decade ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The homeownership rate for White Americans in 2021 was 72.7%, but the rate for Black Americans was 44%, according to NAR’s analysis of the most recent data. The homeownership rate for Asian Americans was 62.8% and for Hispanic Americans it was 50.6%. The homeownership rate for Black Americans varies from 15% to 55% across the country. The states with the highest homeownership rate for Black Americans were South Carolina at 55%, Delaware at 54%, and Mississippi at 54%. Meanwhile, the homeownership rate for White Americans ranged from 50% to 81% across the country.

☆ Racial homeownership gap widens as Black buyers struggle to secure loans amid persistent discrimination and redlining, analysis finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The rate of Black homeownership in the US has increased by less than one percent over the last , the National Association of Realtors found. On Tuesday, an Ohio-based bank paid millions to the Justice Department after being accused of redlining Black buyers. New scoring models by the Federal Housing Finance Agency suggest homeownership could become more accessible for Americans. While the US homeownership rate has consistently increased over the years, according to an analysis by the National Association of Realtors, the Black homeownership rate has failed to keep up. Homeowners of other racial and ethnic groups fall below the 30% mark, with just 21% of White Americans spending 30% of their income on their home.

☆ The US economy has been 'more than fine' without your student debt
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Her story shows the extra juice that delaying — or as some would argue, canceling — student debt can provide to people's lives and the economy as a whole. "If we cancel student debt, what that really means is the federal government is choosing not to collect payments from debtors on the debt that's already issued," Steinbaum said. Biden's student loan bailout will cost every taxpayer, even those who never went to college, at least $2,500." But to be clear, we don't have the most concrete data about the effects of student loan relief — since, well, it hasn't been done. Do you have a story to share about student debt?

Individuals who receive monthly SSI benefits are subject to income and asset resources set by the Social Security Administration. Those receiving SSI may worry that buying a house will make them ineligible for benefits, since SSI limits how much recipients can have in assets. So, SSI recipients can buy a house on SSI without losing their benefits. SSI benefits are capped at $914 per month for an individual and $1,371 for married couples who both receive SSI. Mortgages, programs, and other resources that can help SSI recipients purchase a homePreparing for a home purchase without losing your SSI benefits is typically very challenging.

☆ Boomers Greed Ruined Economy for Gen Z, Millennials
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Alex Yablon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

The boomers' economy is brittle, stingy, and built on undersupply. While inflation may be cooling a bit, future prosperity for millennials, Gen Zers, and beyond depends on reversing this economywide bottleneck created by boomers. Boomers shrank the labor force they need nowThe baby boomers ensured the labor market of the generations after them would be inadequate in a few major ways. The boomer ethos on housing, which views homes not as places to live but as financial assets, is mirrored in the rest of the economy boomers made. They make loans, investment, and housing more expensive — putting the economy on a diet instead of growing the pie.

☆ Black real estate developers get rare access to big capital through Philadelphia program
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Black Americans represent less than 5% of residential real estate developers, largely because they can't get equal access to capital, according to a recent report by the Urban Land Institute. Institutional capital – real estate investment trusts and private equity in particular – are the dominant players. Philly Rise is designed to recruit, train, support and open up access to capital. That's why he's been working in real estate for 20 years, developing affordable housing first in Delaware and Maryland, and soon in Philadelphia. "Our goal with our participants is not to teach them how to rehab or build brand new houses, but how to build successful real estate businesses," said Webster.

☆ The mortgage rate you get depends partly on your credit score. Here's what to expect
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Yet the interest rate that any particular buyer is able to qualify for depends at least partly on their credit score — meaning you have some control over whether you're able to get the best available rate, experts say. "The score impacts practically everything: loan approval, interest rate, monthly mortgage insurance premiums … and ultimately their payment," said Al Bingham, a credit expert and mortgage loan officer with Momentum Loans. The higher your score, the lower the interest rate you'll be charged. For illustration only: On a $300,000, fixed-rate 30-year mortgage, the average rate is 6.41% (as of Thursday) if your credit score is in the 760-to-850 range, according to FICO. "Improving your credit score really comes down to the fundamentals," said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst for Bankrate.

☆ New home sales rise as prices drop in January
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —New home sales rose in January from December, as mortgage rates eased off their highs of the past year at the start of 2023. Sales of new single‐family houses were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 670,000 last month, up from a revised 625,000 in December. Mortgage rates eased in January and ended the month nearly a point lower than they were at the beginning of November when they topped 7%. But in addition to volatile mortgage rates, another challenge for many buyers has been finding homes on the market to buy. “The backlog of new construction homes continues to emerge into the market just in time for the spring shopping season,” she said.

☆ I bought a house at age 23. Here's what the process was like and my tips for other young first-time homebuyers.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Eboni Boykin-Patterson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Stephon Solomon bought his first home at 23 and has advice for first-time homebuyers. He put only $12,500 down to buy the house and did his own research to find the right mortgage. I couldn't really talk to them about the process; they didn't really know anything about it. After I had a good idea of what was out there and where and how to look, I looked into different mortgage loan programs that were offered and read the fine print. But because I had familiarized myself with the different loans and their requirements, I knew exactly what to tell them or knew what they were saying wasn't really true.

☆ Your Credit Score Affects Your Mortgage Rate—Here’s How to Improve It
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +9 min

How does your credit score affect your mortgage rate? “There is no single, specific credit score that will automatically qualify you for a mortgage.”What else determines your mortgage rate? How to check your credit scoreTo get your credit score, check your banking or credit card dashboard if you have one. Many come with automatic credit score monitoring, allowing you to check your score at any time. Make on-time paymentsThe best way to improve your credit score is to avoid late payments—particularly on student loans, credit cards and other types of debts that get reported to credit bureaus.

☆ Biden admin cuts some mortgage fees amid housing affordability crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The move affects mortgage insurance premiums paid by new borrowers who take out loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration. But for homebuyers struggling to enter the housing market, there are some loans like FHA that come with required mortgage insurance. But for borrowers unable to enter the housing market another way, FHA loans can often be the cheapest option. In addition, only a fraction of all home sales are financed with FHA loans. Only 811,362 out of 5.7 million purchase loans originated in 2021 were FHA loans, or about 14.3%, according to HUD.

The HUD is cutting annual mortgage insurance premiums on FHA mortgages from 0.85% to 0.55% for most new borrowers. The new FHA mortgage insurance rates are set to go into effect on March 20. But in March, FHA borrowers will be able to take advantage of lower annual mortgage insurance rates. New FHA MIP chartThese lower annual MIP rates will be available to those getting a new FHA mortgage on or after March 20, 2023. When getting an FHA mortgage, borrowers pay both an upfront and annual mortgage insurance fee.

First-generation Black college graduates face unique challenges building wealth. Consequently, Black people now have more opportunities to earn a higher income and begin to build wealth. This creates a sense of responsibility for a first-generation Black wealth builder to take care of their family, often referred to as the Black tax. Lack of financial security and stabilityOftentimes first-generation Black wealth builders find themselves juggling many tasks at once. They are trying to progress in their careers and build wealth while financially supporting others at the same time.

☆ A typical home in Vail, Colorado, is over $1 million, leaving workers with few living options. 4 people take us inside their housing crisis as home prices in tourist towns across the country spike.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Vail is among the most expensive Colorado housing markets, with a median home price over $1 million. Weibel's struggle to find affordable housing in Vail speaks to similar issues playing out in other ski towns like Jackson, Wyoming, and Park City, Utah. In her spare time, Weibel works part time as a babysitter, a summer-school tutor, and a ski instructor at Vail Resorts. Getty ImagesSam Stevens, 25, has seen firsthand how Vail's expensive housing market is straining the town's budget for important infrastructure projects. He eventually moved in with one of his friends in Eagle-Vail, about 8 miles west of the Vail Ski Resort.

☆ TikTok's 'lucky girls' say they manifest success by simply believing things always work out for them — because, why not?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Rebecca Knight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The "lucky girl" technique has been criticized as pseudoscience, wishful thinking, and little more than pop psychology. "If you want to be that lucky girl, you've got to step into her and embody her." She sees being a lucky girl as a "way to have control and hope," she said. "When you believe you're lucky, you follow the cues that come to you, and trust that the universe will do its part." Natasha BadgerFor Badger, "lucky-girl syndrome" is akin to a spiritual practice.

I read a lot about saving and investing and use investing apps that make it easy to build wealth. While these numbers look discouraging, I've never been more encouraged to build wealth as Black woman in America. I have four siblings, and we often talk about how we want to be the generation to build wealth and pass something on to our kids. Editor's Rating 4.36/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star Editor's Rating 4.34/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star Editor's Rating 3.9/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star Learn more On Public's website Learn more On Wealthfront's website Learn more On Acorns' websiteIn 2017, I opened an IRA for the first time, and just contributed whatever I could. Overall, putting in the time and money to learn more about finances has helped me make wise money decisions and have a better shot at building wealth as a Black woman.

☆ Be on the lookout for these six red flags in the homebuying process. It could save you thousands, a real-estate attorney said.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

He said real-estate agents can work in their best interest, not their clients', if a contract is weak. Purposefully confusing contracts and some real-estate agents' self-serving motives have some homebuyers getting themselves into tricky positions, said Douglas R. Miller, a veteran real-estate attorney in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Commissions are usually around 6% of the home's sale price and split between the buyer's agent and the seller's agent. Negotiating your broker's fee can be key in saving you moneyIn a home sale, buyers' agents are actually paid by the seller. "Affiliated business arrangement" is the textbook term, and it can be dangerous for buyers, Miller said.

Black families face unique, racist barriers to creating wealth, from homeownership to business ownership, says Salene Hitchcock-Gear, president of individual life insurance at Prudential. To work towards closing the racial wealth gap and building generational wealth for Black Americans, it's important to understand what obstacles stand in the way. Black Americans face lower median credit scoresWhile the credit scoring system was created to take the bias out of lending, it's become yet another hurdle that prevents many Black Americans from building wealth. The bottom lineAfter many generations of being excluded from wealth-building, Black Americans still face a unique set of challenges stemming from racial discrimination. However, making homebuying and financial literacy more accessible could start to narrow the wide racial wealth gap in the US, and help Black families build generational wealth.

☆ Rent for a Manhattan apartment remains mind-bogglingly high
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

“Rents are within a whisker of the summer high, and it is only January, which is typically a weaker rental time,” said Jonathan Miller, president and CEO of Miller Samuel. It seems to confirm that rents aren’t going to go down.”The median cost of renting an apartment in Manhattan was $4,097 in January. A one bedroom had a median rent of $4,000, up 14.3% from last year, while a two bedroom had a median rent of $5,532, up 11.8%. Since rent peaked in the summer, there was an expectation that rents would deteriorate during the fall and winter, said Miller. “The opposite of rising rents is not necessarily falling rents, it is stabilizing rents,” Miller said.

☆ Second jobs, moving in with family, investing: What we can learn from how millennials save for a down payment
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Elizabeth Gravier | Jason Stauffer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Plus, we give advice on where to stash your down payment cash and options for making a small down payment. Investing your down payment savings and neglecting your bills can backfire Growing your down payment savings by investing may seem like a good idea since annual returns can be much higher than you would earn in a bank account. Bask Bank Interest Savings Account Learn More Bask Bank and BankDirect are divisions of Texas Capital Bank, Member FDIC. Keep in mind that the APY on a savings account is variable, meaning it can change at any moment. Take advantage while rates are high and open a high-yield savings account or CD.

☆ A 23-year-old teacher got $25,000 to buy a house so she could live and work in the same city as her students
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The school district is now offering grants to qualifying staffers to lower its turnover rate. The school district is trying to change that by awarding grants to teachers so they can afford homes in the community where they teach. Lillian Snoeyink, 23, is the first grant recipient, receiving a check in January from the Holland Public Schools. Holland Public Schools launched the grant program in January after struggling to attract and retain educators. Holland Public Schools is not the only school district taking drastic measures to help employees afford housing.

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