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☆ The housing shortage is getting no help from aging baby boomers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

78% of home-owning baby boomers plan to age in their current homes, a Redfin survey found. Financial incentives are keeping boomers put, with current mortgage rates and home prices too high. That's not good news for housing supply, which is already dwindling at historic lows. Politicians should focus on expanding housing stock that meets the needs of older Americans, which could help with housing affordability and availability for all," Fairweather added. Prospective homebuyers could see some inventory relief as mortgage rates continue to gradually fall through this year, bringing back sellers.

Persons: boomers, —, Redfin, It's, millennials, Daryl Fairweather, aren't, Fairweather Organizations: Service

☆ Map shows how much income you’ll need to buy the median-prices home in your state
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | Rachel Wilson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

(The median is the price at which half of homes for sale in an area are more expensive and half are less expensive.) Back in January 2020, a six-figure income was needed in only six states and the District of Columbia. Assuming you make a 20% down payment and get a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at the average 52-week rate, this map shows you how much household income Bankrate’s analysis found you’ll need to afford the median-priced home in your state. “Manageable” means it won’t exceed 28% of your gross household income. It’s worth noting, too, that the median price of a home in a given state won’t necessarily reflect the median price in the part of the state you’re seeking to buy.

Persons: Bankrate.com Organizations: New, New York CNN, District of Columbia Locations: New York

☆ In these 22 states, you need a six-figure income to afford a typical home, analysis finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Buying an affordable home in the United States has gotten a lot harder for many people since 2020. A new analysis from Bankrate.com finds that in 22 states and Washington, DC, buyers need a six-figure household income to comfortably afford a typical median-priced home. That’s a lot more than in January 2020, when Bankrate found buyers needed a six-figure income in just six states and the District of Columbia. For instance, Bankrate found that the income needed to buy a median-priced home rose the least in North Dakota (up 9.2%); Illinois (up 27.2%); and Kansas (up 29.3%). The complete Bankrate analysis can be found here.

Persons: Bankrate, ”, Jeff Ostrowski, –, Redfin –, homebuyers, ” Ostrowski Organizations: New, New York CNN, District of Columbia, “, United States –, of Columbia, Washington State Locations: New York, United States, Washington, DC, West, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, South, Midwest, Mississippi, Ohio, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Dakota, Illinois, Kansas

☆ The city of Malibu is taking a family to the state supreme court to stop them from building a tiny home in their backyard for their elderly parent
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But a Malibu couple's struggle to build an ADU shows how local governments are standing in the way. Jason and Elizabeth Riddick have been trying to build an ADU in their backyard in the pricey coastal enclave since July 2020. So they applied for a permit from the city to build a small ADU and a minor addition to their existing house. So the Riddicks sued the city and in July 2022, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge sided with the couple. Again, the city appealed the decision, this time to the state supreme court this month.

Persons: —, Elizabeth Riddick, Elizabeth, they've, Elizabeth said, Jason, David Deerson, Deerson, they're, ADUs Organizations: Service, Business, Malibu Times, Pacific Legal Foundation, New, New York City Locations: California, Los Angeles, LA County, New York

☆ The housing market is thawing as an increasing number of 'mortgage lock' homes go up for sale, JPMorgan says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The housing market looks to be gradually approaching a recovery. A growing number of mortgage-locked homes are going up for sale, JPMorgan said. AdvertisementThe housing market looks like it's starting to thaw, thanks to a growing number of mortgage-locked sellers who are opting to put their homes on the market anyway, according to JPMorgan Asset Management. Homeowners could now be more willing to dip into the housing market, as many are realizing high mortgage rates aren't going away anytime soon, real estate economists have said. Researchers from the Federal Housing Finance Agency recently warned that the mortgage lock-in effect could linger for years to come, barring a sudden drop in mortgage rates.

Persons: —, Stephanie Aliaga, Aliaga Organizations: JPMorgan, Service, Asset Management, National Association of Realtors, Homeowners, Fed, Buyers, Federal Housing Finance Agency

☆ Puerto Rican tax breaks are luring wealthy newcomers. A millennial says that's bad news for members of her generation with dreams of careers and homeownership.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Puerto Rico is becoming an increasingly popular destination for mainland Americans looking to relocate for tax purposes without giving up their US citizenship. Maridav/Getty ImagesBetween 2021 and 2022, about 27,000 individuals moved from the US mainland to Puerto Rico, according to data collected by the US Census Bureau . Related storiesIn 2021, the cost of living in Puerto Rico rose by 7%, the largest jump seen in 40 years. According to data from Realtor.com, the median home price in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in February was $950,000, up 37% in the past year. AdvertisementAccording to the Associated Press, there are now 25,000 short-term rentals in Puerto Rico, up from 1,000 in 2014.

Persons: —, Anna, Brock Pierce, Anna aren't, Adrián González Costa, Hurricane Maria, Puerto Ricans Organizations: Service, Puerto Ricans, Business, US Census Bureau, Federal Housing Finance Agency, San Juan, Puerto Rican Independence Party, San Juan Daily Star, Associated Press, AP Locations: Puerto Rico . Puerto Rico, Europe, Puerto Rico, Maridav, Puerto, Realtor.com, San Juan , Puerto Rico, Aguas Buenas, San Juan, San Juan ., AFP

☆ America’s Affordable Housing Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Conor Dougherty | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The consensus reflects a major problem: Tens of millions of families, across red and blue states, struggle with rent and home prices. But action in Washington won’t make a huge difference. America’s affordable housing crisis is likely to be solved in cities and states. They tend to have fewer construction and environmental rules, which allows the housing supply to expand faster. But as rent and home prices climb beyond middle-income budgets in more places, states are racing to add housing.

Persons: Biden, Washington won’t, — Organizations: Congress, Republican, Democratic Locations: Washington, Spokane, Dallas, Phoenix

☆ They moved into floating homes and houseboats — and discovered a world of adventure and hidden expenses
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Read previewMoving into their 360-square-foot floating home a year ago was a dream come true for Sarah Spiro and Brandon Jones. In 2023, there were 70 floating home sales reported on the Regional Multiple Listing Service, or RMLS, which covers the Portland area and a significant part of northwest Oregon, Portland Floating Homes real-estate broker John McPherson told BI. Lily and Dylan Rose moved onto their houseboat on Lake Union in Seattle in June 2019. AdvertisementHome insurance for a floating house tends to be about double what it is for a regular house on land, McPherson said. Additionally, the float — the part of the floating house that's equivalent to a foundation — deteriorates over time, McPherson said.

Persons: —, Sarah Spiro, Brandon Jones, Spiro, keepingafloatwiththejoneses Spiro, Jones, keepingafloatwiththejoneses, Adam Lind, @adam.floatinghome, It's, John McPherson, Lily, Dylan Rose, Elizabeth Earle, BI's Jordan Pandy, Earle, Elizabeth Earle Earle's, McPherson, Daryl Fairweather, Redfin's, Realtor.com, Hannah Jones, it's, Laura Woodley, Woodley, isn't, Kate Fincham, Fincham, Lily Rose, Dylan, Rose, she's Organizations: Service, Business, Portland Floating Homes, Realtor.com, Union, Trust, England & Wales, Lake Union Locations: Fontana Lake, North Carolina, Portland, Oregon, Seattle, Sausalito , California, Johns Island , South Carolina, England, Bluffers Park, Toronto, Lake, Boston

☆ Why buying a home isn't likely to get much cheaper even under Biden's housing plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Biden has a plan to make housing more affordable, but prices might be stuck in the stratosphere. "The effect on the housing affordability crisis is going to be muted. Some of Biden's housing affordability measures would fuel demand further at a time when supply is still historically tight, according to Lawrence Yun, the chief economist of NAR. But the problem with the housing market isn't really that there isn't enough money going toward housing. It's more the red tape and the local opposition that has been the biggest barrier to building housing," Fairweather said.

Persons: Biden, —, Joe Biden's, That's, Daryl Fairweather, Fairweather, Lawrence Yun, Yun, who's Organizations: Service, NAR, Department of Housing, Urban Locations: America

☆ February home sales spike 9.5%, the largest monthly gain in a year, as supply improves
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sales of existing homes surged 9.5% in February from January to 4.38 million units, on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, according to the National Association of Realtors. Sales were down 3.3% year over year, but it was the largest monthly gain since February 2023. Sales surged the most in the West, up 19.4%, and the South, up 16.4%. "Additional housing supply is helping to satisfy market demand," said Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist. Inventory rose 10.3% year over year to 1.07 million homes for sale at the end of February.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, Yun Organizations: National Association of Realtors . Housing, Mortgage News Daily Locations: West, California, Florida, Georgia

☆ Home prices rose 2.4 times faster than inflation since 1960s, study finds. What that means for homebuyers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"When demand for other consumer products comes up, or when it increases, it's usually not too hard for people to scale up supply," Brannon said. Moreover, the current housing affordability makes 64.2% of owners and renters have negative feelings about the economy, Redfin found. In fact, affordable housing is a pressing topic for both liberal and conservative voters: the topic is ranked as No. 1 for liberals while it's No.3 for conservatives, according to a separate survey by The Real Estate Witch. To address the issue, President Biden announced in early March as part of his budget for fiscal 2025, a plan to cut housing costs, boost supply and expand access to affordable housing.

Persons: Brannon, Kirabo Jackson, Qualtrics, Redfin, it's, doesn't, Brennon, Biden Organizations: Westend61, U.S . Census, White House Council, Economic Advisers, CNBC Locations: U.S

☆ The best time to sell your home — in 2023, listings in this period sold for $7,700 more, research finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Spring, the season when home buying and selling activity kicks off, is around the corner. Available housing supply is already rebounding: The number of new listings jumped 14.8% from a year ago, the largest annual gain since May 2021, according to new data from Redfin, a real estate site. Buyers are typically looking to land a new home before their children's new school year while a seller's house benefits from the fresh flowers and renewed greenery post-winter. In 2023, homes listed in the first two weeks of June sold for 2.3% more, a $7,700 boost on a typical U.S. home, according to a new Zillow analysis. "We've learned that real estate cycles don't always happen [at this] time of year," said Melissa Cohn, regional vice president at William Raveis Mortgage.

Persons: Amanda Pendleton, We've, Melissa Cohn Organizations: Zillow, Finance, William, Mortgage Locations: Redfin, U.S

☆ The housing market's inventory crisis is finally easing
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewUS home-sellers are finally getting accustomed to higher mortgage rates. "The housing market is nothing like it was two years ago during the pandemic homebuying frenzy, but it's better than it was last year. Mortgage-purchase applications declined through February, as rates rose from early 2024. While mortgage rates are moving back down from last month's 6.78% average, they are likely to remain elevated for longer, Redfin said. AdvertisementBetween mortgage rates and higher prices, the median US monthly housing payment stood $2,686 through February, just $30 below last year's all-time high.

Persons: —, Redfin, It's, David Palmer, Sellers Organizations: Service, Business, Mortgage, White

☆ President Biden's new budget wants to bring back the child tax credit and make sure Americans don't face Social Security cuts — all while taxing billionaires and big companies more
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The budget seeks to restore the expanded Child Tax Credit and keep Social Security benefits intact. The budget also proposes a tax increase on billionaires, companies, and firms giving executives big paydays. The proposal comes after a tax bill that would partially expand the Child Tax Credit currently lingers untouched in Congress. Advertisement"It cuts costs for families with children and American workers and lowers childcare costs for hardworking families," Young continued. Would a restored child tax credit or maintained Social Security benefits impact your life?

Persons: Joe Biden, —, White, Shalanda Young, Young, Biden Organizations: Tax, Social, Service, American, Management, Social Security, Federal, Aid, Republican, Republicans, Democratic, —, GOP, Security

Biden unveiled a plan that includes tax credits and down payment assistance to improve housing affordability. Eligible homebuyers would get this tax credit for two years, meaning you could get a total of $10,000 in tax credits for buying a house. Down payment assistanceAnother piece of Biden's plan for more affordable homeownership is the $25,000 in down payment assistance he wants Congress to provide to first-generation homebuyers. What hopeful homebuyers should knowAs a whole, this plan could substantially improve housing affordability, enabling more Americans to become homeowners. And even for homebuyers who qualify for tax credits or other assistance, saving up for a down payment remains a big barrier to homeownership.

Persons: Biden, —, Dan Green, homebuyers Biden, hasn't, doesn't, Green, Daryl Fairweather, Fairweather, White, homebuyers Organizations: Biden, Service, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Consumer Financial, homebuilders, Loan, Program, Bank of America Mortgage, Democrats

☆ Biden proposes $10,000 tax breaks for first-time homebuyers, 'starter home' sellers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Cavan Images | Cavan | Getty ImagesPresident Joe Biden has floated plans to address the country's affordable housing issues, including new tax breaks for first-time homebuyers and "starter home" sellers. "If inflation keeps coming down, mortgage rates will come down as well. Interest rates still near 'multidecade highs'With soaring home prices and mortgage interest rates, 2023 was the least affordable year for homebuyers in more than a decade, according to a report from Redfin. "We're close to multidecade highs for mortgage rates," said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of mortgage website HSH. watch nowThere's a 'housing supply crisis'Of course, higher mortgage interest rates are only one piece of the country's affordable housing puzzle.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, I'm, Keith Gumbinger, it's, Janneke Ratcliffe Organizations: Getty, White, Chamber, U.S, Capitol, Washington , D.C, homebuyers, Housing Finance, Center, Urban Institute, Urban Locations: Cavan, seller's, Washington ,, Redfin

☆ Biden says he can fix America’s housing affordability crisis. Will it work?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Bryan Mena | Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Washington CNN —Americans are in the throes of the worst housing affordability crisis in decades. If inflation keeps coming down, mortgage rates will come down as well. The first is a $10,000 refundable credit for middle-class homebuyers – essentially an interest rate buy-down. So, when inflation is too high, the only thing the Fed can do is jack up interest rates to slow demand. “We’ll still have the underlying housing shortage and and it’s going to be causing upward pressure on housing prices,” he said.

Persons: Joe Biden, I’m, ”, Biden’s, Biden, David Dworkin, ” Dworkin, “, Ed DeMarco, Jerome Powell, Freddie Mac, Powell, ” Powell, “ We’ll Organizations: Washington CNN, National Housing Conference, Council, Federal, Senate, Fed Locations: Thursday’s State, America

☆ U.S. is 'desperate' for new housing supply: Zillow Chief Economist ahead of State of the Union
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailU.S. is 'desperate' for new housing supply: Zillow Chief Economist ahead of State of the UnionSkylar Olsen, Zillow Chief Economist, joins 'Fast Money' to talk Pres. Biden's proposes solution fo the U.S. housing crisis.

Persons: Union Skylar Olsen, Biden's Organizations: Union Locations: State

☆ The US wants to boost affordable housing by using billions in unspent COVID aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US Treasury Department is making unused COVID funds available to support housing projects. The State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds has around $40 billion in unspent money, Reuters said. The Treasury will also step up efforts to understand the impact of climate risks on housing supply. AdvertisementBillions of unspent pandemic dollars have been made available for housing projects as the federal government steps up efforts to tackle the shortage of affordable homes. The department also indefinitely extended backstop financing for a risk-sharing program between the Department of Housing and Urban Development and local financing agencies.

Persons: —, Wally Adeyemo Organizations: US Treasury Department, Reuters, Treasury, Service, US Treasury, of Housing, Urban Development Locations: State

☆ The one big thing keeping interest rates high
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Rekenthaler called shelter costs the "most relevant data point" in the most recent consumer price index inflation report. Meanwhile, James Bianco, president of Bianco Research, a financial markets research firm, told Business Insider, "Rising shelter costs will cause the Fed to hold off on cutting rates." Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesRent and shelter costs tend to lag behind the rest of the economy because rents are typically fixed for long periods. However, Gordon also said shelter costs can't be ignored because of how much it impacts overall inflation.

Persons: —, Jerome Powell, John Rekenthaler, Rekenthaler, Morningstar, James Bianco, Anna Moneymaker, Kevin Gordon, Charles Schwab, Gordon Organizations: Service, Federal Reserve Bank, Business, Morningstar, Fed, Bianco Research, Federal Reserve

☆ The American Dream is under siege
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Parents of young children are making difficult choices to afford child care — or they’re opting to evade it by dropping out of the workforce altogether. Even as the inflation rate has cooled across the US economy, child care remains a sore spot for many families. The weekly price of day care for a toddler surged 9% in 2023, according to Care.com, a marketplace for child care. Of course, Allison is hardly alone in feeling like the American Dream has been more difficult — and expensive — to attain than imagined. “The American dream is being taken away from the younger generation by the housing affordability challenges,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors.

Persons: Hana Husković, Price, Hana, Michelle, they'll, ” Hana, “, It’s, they’ll, ’ Allison Powell, Liam Kelly, ” Allison, Allison Powell, Corinne ., ”, Allison, I’ll, homebuyers, Lotfi Karoui, Goldman Sachs, Lawrence Yun, Yun, Priscilla Almodovar, Fannie Mae, ” Almodovar, that’s, Almodovar, they’d, Homebuilding, Mark Zandi, Biden, ” Lael Brainard, Brainard, ” Brainard, ‘, Rachael Gambino, Garrett Mazzeo, Rachael, Deborah Brunswick, John General, ” Rachael, won’t, they’ve, – Organizations: New, New York CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wall, CNN, Federal, Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, Bloomberg, Getty, Rust Belt, National Association of Realtors, North, NAR, That’s, Baby Boomers, Homeowners, Federal Reserve, Moody’s Analytics, White, National Economic Council, American, Target, Starbucks, Facebook Locations: New York, United States, Atlanta, Peachtree Corners , Georgia, Decatur, Decatur , Georgia, Carolina, Yugoslavia, Italy, Mexico, Oakland , California, Livermore, San Francisco, California, Los Angeles, San Diego, Francisco, Miami, Honolulu, Rust, Des Moines , Iowa, Dayton , Ohio, Cleveland , Ohio, Scranton , Pennsylvania, Los Angeles , California, North America, America, States, Lansdale , Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

☆ Millennials could become the richest generation ever — but only if they already come from money
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewIf you're a Millennial whose parents have a boatload of money, you're about to make your generation historically rich. The transfer in wealth will make "affluent millennials the richest generation in history," according to the report. "It goes beyond a simple shift of existing wealth," Pickett said. "I think the diversity of opportunity to create wealth has also grown — for example, there are YouTubers worth tens of millions. The report urges the financial sector to be ready for the influx in monied millennials by offering wealth management "on their wavelength."

Persons: —, Knight Frank, Millennials, Mike Pickett, Pickett Organizations: Service, Business, Cazenove Locations: Millennials, India, China

Thanks to high mortgage rates, mortgage refinance rates, and even higher home prices, the mood among hopeful homebuyers has been fairly bleak. Is there a chance the housing market will crash anytime soon? Though a large number of Americans believe the housing market is at risk of crashing, the economists who study housing market conditions overwhelmingly do not expect a crash in 2024 or beyond. The US is currently between 2.3 million and 6.5 million units short of a healthy housing supply, according to Realtor.com. What a housing market crash would mean for homebuyersAnything is possible, and nobody has a crystal ball to see for certain what will happen in the housing market in the coming months and years.

Persons: —, homebuyers, Fannie Mae's, Lawrence Yun, Yun Organizations: Service, Housing Survey, National Association of Realtors, Housing Locations: Chevron

☆ Empty office buildings won't be the solution to the US housing shortage
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US housing market faces an inventory shortage, but empty offices don't offer a solution. Goldman Sachs strategists say that offices can't be cheaply or easily converted into residential units. Goldman Sachs Investment Research, CoStar dataIn the same stretch, a combination of high mortgage rates and home prices with limited housing inventory has frozen the US housing market. Residential housing affordability has declined for the last 15 years and hit a historical low in 2022. "Our analysis implies that only 0.8% of US office inventory is currently priced at a level that makes conversion to multifamily housing financially feasible," the bank maintained.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, —, it's, Goldman, Jan Hatzius Organizations: Service, Goldman Sachs Investment Research, Goldman, San Locations: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle

☆ 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

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