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☆ A millennial couple who reached financial independence by their mid-30s but don't want to retire early share how they still save 80% of their income
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Lindsey and David Barber save 75% to 80% of their income for retirement and their son's future. Despite having enough to retire early, the millennial couple plans to keep working. AdvertisementLindsey Harrison Barber, 34, and her husband, David Barber, 35, have enough to retire early, but neither intends to slow down. Lindsey owns a marketing agency, while David owns an insurance agency, which bring in a combined eight figures in top-line revenue. Some are part of the FIRE movement — financial independence, retire early — though others are moving away from early retirement, whether to continue building generational wealth or transitioning to lower-stress roles that still give them something to do.

Persons: Lindsey, David Barber, they've, —, Lindsey Harrison Barber, David, we've, we're, he's, hasn't, they're, she'll, they'll Organizations: Service, Business, North Carolina Locations: North Carolina , Texas , Kentucky, Ohio, Lindsey, North Carolina

Mortgage rates haven't changed much over the last week, but they could move up or down later this week depending on how a couple of big economic reports turn out. If these reports come in hotter than expected, mortgage rates could tick up higher. This index is expected to come in a bit lower than last month's reading, which would be good news for mortgage rates. This means we could see mortgage rates start to trend down in fall. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: you'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: Zillow, Mortgage, Association, Sky Locations: Chevron

☆ TikTok's time in the US could soon be on the clock, and that's not the app's only problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The big storyTick-tock on TikTokChelsea Jia Feng/BITikTok's time in the US could soon be on the clock. When it's all said and done, a TikTok ban could be in place before the week's end. Business Insider's Peter Kafka explains why the TikTok ban, while more imminent than ever, still has a long way to go . A TikTok ban would benefit one familiar face in social media, though, writes BI's Katie Notopoulos . YouTube Shorts, too, stand to grab more attention after a TikTok ban.

Persons: —, Caitlin Clark's, Chelsea Jia Feng, ByteDance, Joe Biden, it's, Business Insider's Peter Kafka, Michael Beckerman, TikTok, hawking, BI's Lindsay Dodgson, outperforming, Katie Notopoulos, Merrill Lynch, Tyler Le, Andy Sieg's, Merrill, Lindsay Hans, Eric Schimpf, It's, Steve Cohen's, Grzegorz Wajda, Hokyoung Kim, Nordstrom, Tesla, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover Organizations: Business, Service, Nike, Bloomberg Intelligence, YouTube, Big Tech, New York Stock Exchange, NYSE, Chelsea, Getty, Walmart, BI, Costco, Amazon, Motors, Spotify Locations: Americas, TikTok, Merrill, China, American, New York, London

☆ A homebuyer's guide to the real-estate revolution
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Real-estate agents' commissions have fluctuated between 5% and 6% of the sale price for decades, despite advances in technology and an influx of agents. The recent lawsuits, which accused the NAR and some of the country's largest brokerages of conspiring to keep agents' commissions unfairly high, could signal the start of a new era. If sellers aren't paying out commissions to buyers' agents, buyers themselves could end up on the hook. For example, what happens if the seller isn't willing to pay the buyer's agent's commission? In most states, the buyer's agent can technically just rebate that extra money to their client.

Persons: Austin Whitt, Whitt, —, I've, Steve Brobeck, Sabrina Brown, they've, Michael Warren, Sellers, Prentiss Cox, it'll, you've, doesn't, Jack Ryan, Ryan, homebuying, Rob Hahn, Wendy Gilch, Gilch, I'm, it's, David Dworkin, Dworkin, Cox, It's Organizations: Realtors, National Association of Realtors, NAR, Consumer Federation of America, Getty, University of Minnesota, MLS, Consumer Federation of, National Housing Conference, Justice Department Locations: Tennessee, Nashville, America, North Carolina, United Kingdom, Australia

Basics of how home equity loans workWith a home equity loan, you use your home as collateral for a loan. Home equity loan terms vary, but you usually have anywhere from five to 30 years to repay the loan. Differences between home equity loans and HELOCsHome equity lines of credit (HELOCs) are similar to home equity loans in that they let you borrow from your home's equity. What's the difference between a home equity loan and a home equity line of credit (HELOC)? She covers mortgage rates, refinance rates, mortgage lender reviews, and homebuying for Personal Finance Insider.

Persons: you've, whittle, Molly Grace, Molly, Read, Aly J, Yale Aly J, Bob Organizations: Homeowners, Chevron, Business, Finance, Insider, Rocket Companies, Twitter, Yale, Forbes, Money Magazine, The Dallas Morning News, Bob Schieffer College of Communication Locations: Chevron, mgrace@businessinsider.com

High mortgage rates are likely to constrain affordability through the peak homebuying season, which typically lasts from spring to early fall. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Essentially Flat (+0.01%)The average 15-year mortgage rate is 6.25%, just a single basis point higher than last week. Mortgage Refinance Rates30-Year Fixed Refinance Rates Inch Up (+0.09%)The average 30-year refinance rate is 7.53%, nine basis points higher than last week. Mortgage rates also rose dramatically in 2023, though they started trending back down toward the end of the year.

Persons: you'll, It's, refinance Organizations: US, of, CPI, Incoming, Zillow, FHA Locations: Chevron

☆ You can buy a home in France or Italy for 'the price of a new truck'—but take these 3 steps before retiring abroad
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

We love Italy and France and started thinking, 'What's our next step?'" These days, Sikes sends properties to some 25,000 followers and subscribers across X, YouTube and via a weekly newsletter. Here are three steps Sikes says you need to take before you buy a property abroad. "France and Italy both have tax treaties with the U.S., so you avoid double taxation," Sikes says. "There are zero restrictions on Americans buying property in Italy or France," Sikes says.

Persons: Tommy Sikes, Sikes, —, Italy, You'd, Roth, they've, I've, haven't Organizations: CNBC, YouTube, Security, U.S Locations: Europe, France, United States, U.S, Italy

Mortgage rates were originally forecast to go down this year, but hotter-than-expected inflation data pushed them higher. This means we might not see mortgage rates drop until we get closer to fall. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 15-year Fixed Mortgage RatesLast week, average 15-year mortgage rates were 6.39%, a 23-basis-point increase from the previous week, according to Freddie Mac data. Once the Fed cuts rates, mortgage rates should fall even further.

Persons: you'll, Freddie Mac, it's Organizations: Federal Reserve, Investors, Zillow Locations: Chevron

We could see mortgage rates start to trend down later this year if incoming data shows that inflation is coming down sustainably. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. As inflation comes down and the Federal Reserve is able to start cutting the federal funds rate, mortgage rates should fall further as well. Now that the Fed has paused hiking rates, mortgage rates have come down a bit. Once the Fed starts cutting rates, which is likely to happen this year, mortgage rates should fall even further.

Persons: Freddie Mac, they'll, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Zillow, Federal Reserve, Fed Locations: February's, Chevron

☆ Mortgage rates surge past 7%, reaching highest level since November
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —Mortgage rates soared this week, breaching the key 7% threshold and extending America’s home affordability crisis. Mortgage rates are climbing based on expectations that the Federal Reserve won’t cut interest rates anytime soon. Mortgage rates track the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield, which has risen to its highest level since November at 4.637%. If inflation stalls any further, or even worsens, mortgage rates could climb higher this year. Housing affordability is being stymied not just by high mortgage rates, but also by elevated home prices nationwide.

Persons: Freddie Mac, ”, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s, “, Lawrence Yun Organizations: Washington CNN —, Federal, National Association of Realtors, Treasury, Index, NAR

☆ US homes sales dropped last month as March prices reached a record high
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Sales fell across the country except in the Northeast region, which saw an increase for the first time since November 2023. Rising home prices coupled with mortgage rates stuck at elevated levels means Americans are still dealing with a tough housing market. Sales might not rise meaningfully higher as the Federal Reserve signals that it won’t cut interest rates anytime soon. Then mortgage rates began to decline on hopes that the Fed would cut interest rates aggressively in 2024, but those expectations have been thrown out the window. Mortgage rates have held steady in recent weeks but are poised to rise because they track bond yields, which are climbing on persistently high inflation readings.

Persons: “, Lawrence Yun, haven’t, trickling, Yun, ” Yun, hasn’t Organizations: Washington CNN —, National Association of Realtors, Federal Reserve, NAR Locations: United States, Northeast

☆ New Rule for Buying a Home: Fire Your Real-Estate Agent
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Albert Fox Cahn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

She had never purchased a home, and as a lawyer, I just assumed I knew how the system worked: The buyer has an agent, but the seller pays a commission (typically 6% of the sale price) that's split between their agent and the buyer's agent. So my agent wasn't going to find me my dream house, and the work of hunting was basically on me. But the real-estate industry has made it hard for many buyers to understand just how little having an agent can help. The class-action settlement with the NAR is going to make it a lot harder for sellers to be forced to pay for buyers' agents. Going forward, for people like me without an agent, a savvy seller may pay just 3% of the sales price to their own agent instead of 6% to be split with a buyer's agent.

Persons: it's, vouched, Obvious, Stephen Brobeck, Alice, Wonderland, I'd, I've, —, cosmically, Brobeck Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Hunger, US Department of Justice, Realtors, Consumer Federation of America, New York City, NAR Locations: Brooklyn, New York City, McCarren, Williamsburg, New York

Average 30-year mortgage interest rates are hovering around 7%, according to Zillow data. Last week, mortgage rates climbed to levels not seen since November 2023 after the latest Consumer Price Index report showed that inflation was hotter than expected in March. While the Fed doesn't set mortgage rates, changes in the federal funds rate do influence mortgage lenders' decisions on how much interest to charge on loans. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowToday's refinance ratesMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: you'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: Federal Reserve, CPI, Zillow, Mortgage, Association, Sky Locations: Chevron

Does this mean that lower mortgage rates are off the table for 2024? It's possible that mortgage rates will still go down in 2024, but they probably won't start trending down until later in the year. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's interest rates will affect your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates inched up to 6.16% last week, according to Freddie Mac data. Mortgage rates increased dramatically over the last two years, but they're expected to go down at some point this year.

Persons: you'll, Freddie Mac, it's Organizations: Federal Reserve, Zillow Locations: Chevron

A hotter-than-expected inflation report has pushed back expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut. This means mortgage rates are likely to remain elevated for longer than many forecasters had anticipated. This would keep mortgage rates elevated throughout the summer homebuying season, when many home shoppers will be looking to get a mortgage. "March inflation figures were very bad, which also means bad news for interest rates," Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, said in a blog post reacting to March's CPI data. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, you'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: Federal, Labor Statistics, National Association of Realtors, Zillow, Mortgage, Association, Sky Locations: Chevron

☆ 13 cities where hiring is growing — Florida and Texas lead, while the coasts are declining
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hiring is increasing in smaller cities and large hubs in Florida and Texas, according to a Gusto analysis. Cities like Orlando, San Antonio, and Houston saw significant increases in hiring share. Whereas major coastal cities accounted for 35% of hiring before March 2020, this percentage is now about 29%. Meanwhile, Florida and Texas cities are on somewhat of a hiring spree. AdvertisementDid you move away from the coasts to Florida, Texas, or a smaller city?

Persons: —, Orlando, that's, Courtney Quinlan Organizations: Houston, Service, Rockies, San, Boise Locations: Florida, Texas, Northeast, California, Orlando, San Antonio, New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Jose, Washington, Miami, Austin, St, Louis, Midwest, Florida , Texas

This week, 30-year mortgage rates averaged 6.82%, according to Freddie Mac. Though mortgage rates are expected to go down in 2024, when they'll start dropping depends on how inflation trends in the coming months. This has kept mortgage rates elevated. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowToday's refinance ratesMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: Freddie Mac, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's, they've, Fannie Mae, you'll Organizations: Federal Reserve, Mortgage, Association, Zillow, Sky Locations: Chevron

☆ Weekly mortgage demand remains stalled, as interest rates stay stubbornly high
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Mortgage rates didn't move much last week, and for the second week in a row, neither did mortgage demand. Total mortgage application volume last week was essentially flat, dropping 0.6% from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted index. "Elevated mortgage rates continued to weigh down on homebuying. Purchase applications were unchanged overall, although FHA purchases did pick up slightly over the week," noted Joel Kan, an MBA economist. Mortgage rates bounced higher to start this week, after new economic data on manufacturing came in higher than expected and noted higher prices.

Persons: Joel Kan, Matthew Graham Organizations: Mortgage, Federal Reserve, Mortgage News Locations: homebuying

☆ I moved to Spain from California and bought 2 properties for less than $370,000. The process was shockingly easy compared to owning a home in Oakland.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Kaila Yu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In January 2023, we moved from Oakland, California, to Valencia, Spain. Leong and her husband moved to Valencia, Spain, in 2023. Valencia, Spain, showed up as a low-cost place to live and within a year, we purchased two properties there — all cash. I believe in buying property to live here and contribute to the community instead of simply purchasing property as an ex-pat as an investment. AdvertisementWhen purchasing property in Spain, you must be carefulLeong taking tea into her terrace area.

Persons: —, May Leong, It's, Leong, Spain —, he's, we'd, Leong Valencia, aren't, Valencia haven't Organizations: Service, Business, Oakland, Irish EU, pats, Facebook Locations: Oakland, Valencia, Spain, Limerick, Ireland, Europe, Oakland , California, Lisbon, California, States, Irish

☆ I paid just $135,000 for my house when homes in the area are going for twice that. Here's how.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The couple paid less than usual for the area by going through a community land trust, or CLT. Community land trusts allow low-income homebuyers to purchase homes at a reduced price in exchange for the trust's retaining ownership of the property's land. Community land trusts were an unfamiliar conceptI learned about community land trusts while driving through a neighborhood. It's a community housing organization that offers homebuyer education and also sells affordable homes through a community land trust program. Our lives are much betterWhen buying a land trust home, not only do you have to qualify for the land trust program, but you also have to qualify for a mortgage at the bank.

Persons: Melisa Gomez, Romo, —, It's, Gomez, we're Organizations: Service, Romo, Land Trust Locations: Duluth , Minnesota, Minnesotans, Duluth, Fayetteville , Arkansas, . Duluth, El Salvador, Mexican

☆ The Realtors settlement is already changing the way some Americans buy and sell homes
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The mere prospect of a future settlement has already caused some Americans to change their behavior when buying and selling their homes. If approved by a judge, the settlement comes with new rules for Realtors. Potential for lower homebuying costsThe new rules could help lower home prices, experts say. Sales commissions, traditionally shared between a buyers’ agent and the agent who lists a home on the market, are usually between 5% and 6% of a home’s selling price. But, for the time being, buyers’ agents will still be able to see that Hanley isn’t offering them compensation, potentially disincentivizing them from showing his home to clients.

Persons: homebuyers, ”, Debra Dobbs, Jeremy Cannon, Cannon, ” Cannon, “, Matt Hanley, ” Hanley, “ I’m, Hanley isn’t, Hanley, “ We’ve, ‘ Let’s, ’ ”, Mariya Letdin, Letdin, ” Letdin Organizations: CNN, National Association of Realtors, Realtors, ”, NAR, Florida State University Locations: Chicago, Corona , California, Minnesota

This week, 30-year mortgage rates averaged 6.37%, according to Zillow data. Most major forecasters expect mortgage rates to decline in 2024, but so far we haven't seen any signs of a sustained drop. As we get more data showing that inflation is cooling, mortgage rates should start trending down more definitively. The sooner the Fed can start cutting rates, the sooner mortgage rates will start to fall. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: you'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: Commerce Department, Fed, Zillow, Mortgage, Association, Sky Locations: Chevron

Setting a down payment goalBefore you can set a down payment goal, you first need to figure out how much you'll need for a lender to approve you for a mortgage. Determining the size of down payment neededThe minimum size of your down payment will depend on the loan program you use. Exploring down payment assistance programsDown payment assistance programs can help cover part or all of your down payment. But if you can save up a down payment of at least 20% of the home's purchase price, you'll avoid paying PMI (private mortgage insurance), which can reduce your monthly payment. To save for a down payment, create (and stick to) a budget, reduce unnecessary expenses, increase your income through side jobs, automate your savings, and explore down payment assistance programs.

Persons: You'll, you'll, windfalls, Windfalls Organizations: Netflix, Spotify, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, PMI Locations: homebuyers, Chevron

As the weather warms up and we head into the homebuying season, high mortgage rates should keep home prices from rising too fast. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 15-year Fixed Mortgage RatesLast week, average 15-year mortgage rates were 6.21%, a five-basis-point increase from the previous week, according to Freddie Mac data. Mortgage rates started ticking up from historic lows in the second half of 2021 and increased over three percentage points in 2022. Once the Fed cuts rates, mortgage rates should fall even further.

Persons: Selma Hepp, you'll, Freddie Mac, it's Organizations: Zillow, Federal Reserve Locations: Chevron

☆ Big changes could be coming to the way we pay for things
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In today's big story, we're examining how a change in credit cards' behind-the-scenes fees impacts you… and your points . Under the settlement, merchants could charge customers more for using different cards despite being part of the same Visa or Mastercard network. AdvertisementTim Boyle/Getty Images; Jenny Chang-Rodriguez/BIThe agreement could ultimately reshape how consumers pay for things. AdvertisementPerhaps that's why one analyst told Business Insider's Alex Bitter he doesn't expect major retailers to pass swipe fees along to customers. But maybe, not unlike the fees the agreement targets, what seems small could eventually add up to something big.

Persons: —, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, Insider's Grace Eliza Goodwin, Tim Boyle, David Morris, Alex Bitter, LUDOVIC MARIN, BlackRock's Larry Fink, Jeremy Grantham, Ian Shepherdson, That'll, We've, Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook execs, Francis Key Scott, Hunter Biden, Dan DeFrancesco, Hallam Bullock, Jordan Parker Erb, George Glover Organizations: Service, Nickelodeon, Business, Mastercard, Visa, Getty, Fed, Amazon, BI Locations: Europe, LUDOVIC, Baltimore, Port, New York, London

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