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Mortgage rates are down from where they've been in recent months, with 30-year mortgage rates hovering just below 6.5%, according to Zillow data. 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. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.78% this week, according to Freddie Mac. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates were 6.07% this week, according to Freddie Mac data, which is a two-basis-point increase from the previous week. Now that the Fed has paused hiking rates, mortgage rates have come down a bit.

Persons: they've, Freddie Mac Organizations: Federal Reserve, Mortgage Bankers Association, Zillow, Fed Locations: Chevron

☆ The housing market is poised to loosen up as inventory climbs and prices cool, Fannie Mae says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

US home listings are up 30% from levels last year, according to Fannie Mae. The mortgage finance giant said it expects sales to rise and prices to moderate through 2024. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementHomebuying conditions are finally starting to improve, with prices leveling off and supply outpacing demand in key markets, according to Fannie Mae. The government-sponsored mortgage giant pointed to positive trends in housing, even as affordability conditions remain poor for now.

Persons: Fannie Mae, — Organizations: Service, Business

You can get down payment assistance through CHFA's Down Payment Assistance Program or the Time To Own program. VermontThe Vermont Housing Finance Agency offers mortgages, down payment assistance, a first generation homebuyer program, and a mortgage credit certificate. NebraskaThe Nebraska Investment Finance Authority is another state housing finance agency that offers programs for first-time and repeat buyers alike. State first-time homebuyer programs FAQsHow do first-time homebuyer programs differ by state? You may be able to combine multiple forms of state-backed first-time homebuyer assistance, or get state assistance in addition to other, unrelated programs.

Persons: you'll, CHFA, DSHA, MaineHousing, NJHMFA, MHDC, UHC Organizations: Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, FHA, Housing Authority, Maine MaineHousing, Loan, Massachusetts MassHousing, New Hampshire New Hampshire Housing, New Jersey Housing, Mortgage Finance Agency, New Jersey Police, New York Mortgage Agency, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Authority, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Alabama Housing Finance Association, Arkansas, Finance Authority, of Columbia Homebuyers, DC Housing Finance Agency, D.C, Florida Housing Finance Corporation, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Georgia, Plus, Kentucky Housing Corporation, Louisiana Housing Corporation, Maryland Department of Housing, Community Development, Mississippi The Mississippi Home Corporation, North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, Carolina South, Carolina South Carolina Housing, Palmetto, SC, South Carolina National Guard, Tennessee Housing Development Agency, Virginia Virginia Housing, Virginia Department of Housing, West, West Virginia The West, West Virginia The West Virginia Housing Development Fund, Illinois Housing, Authority, Indiana, Indiana Housing, Community Authority ., Iowa Finance Authority, IFA, Kansas Housing, Assistance, Michigan, Housing Development Authority, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, Missouri Housing, Commission, Nebraska, Nebraska Investment Finance Authority, North, North Dakota Housing Finance Agency, Ohio Housing Finance Agency, South Dakota Housing Development Authority, Economic Development Authority, Arizona The, Arizona The Arizona Industrial Development Authority, New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, Texas The, Affordable Housing Corporation, Texas, Homes, Texas Heroes, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, California Housing Finance Agency, Colorado, Colorado Housing, Hawaii Housing Finance, Development Corporation . Idaho, Idaho Housing, Finance Association, Montana, Montana Montana Housing, Nevada Housing Division, Oregon Oregon Housing, Community Services, Utah Housing Corporation, Washington, Washington State Housing Finance Commission, Wyoming Community Development Authority Locations: Connecticut, Delaware, New Hampshire New Hampshire, New Jersey, York The State, Pennsylvania, Rhode, Vermont, Alabama, Arkansas, Washington ,, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Carolina, Carolina South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Virginia, West Virginia, West Virginia The West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana Indiana, Community Authority . Iowa, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, NIFA, North Dakota, North, Ohio, OHFA . South Dakota, Wisconsin, WHEDA . Southwest, Arizona, Arizona The Arizona, Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas The Texas, TSAHC ., Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana Montana, Nevada, Oregon Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Chevron

☆ 3 things homebuyers should do to hack the unaffordable housing market, according to Fannie Mae's chief economist
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-07 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe housing market is historically unaffordable, but according to Fannie Mae's lead economist, prospective buyers can do a few things to make things to get a leg up. Have a good credit scoreMortgage rates are elevated, and having a poor credit score makes borrowing costs even steeper, Duncan said. Buyers who shop around tend to score better deals and more affordable rates, Duncan said. AdvertisementPeople betting that mortgage rates or home prices will come down soon are taking a gamble. Some homebuyers can afford to speculate on the market, but most first-time homebuyers cannot, Duncan noted.

Persons: —, Fannie Mae's, Doug Duncan, Duncan, That's, you'll, Charles Schwab Organizations: Service, Business, Yahoo Finance, National Association of Realtors Locations: today's

☆ The US could give homeowners a $980 billion stimulus at no additional cost, 'Oracle of Wall Street' says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. That's if Freddie Mac secures approval from its regulator to operate in the market for secondary mortgages, also commonly known as home equity loans. If greenlighted, the scheme would be equivalent to a huge stimulus injection, but without a cent added to the national deficit, the "Oracle of Wall Street" explained. As Freddie Mac is a massive provider of mortgage market liquidity, the move could encourage more banks to extend this financing to customers. The proposal noted that options are limited for homeowners who want to tap their equity, meaning that few are benefiting from the housing market's appreciation.

Persons: —, Meredith Whitney, Whitney, Freddie Mac, Freddie Mac's, Freddie, Fannie Mae, Ginnie Mae Organizations: Service, Business

☆ Mortgage rates spike above 7% for the first time this year as the market adjusts to delayed Fed cuts
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Yuheng Zhan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage just broke 7% for the first time this year, the highest since November 2023. AdvertisementThe 30-year fixed-rate mortgage just broke 7% for the first time this year, shooting up from 6.88% to 7.10% this week, according to government-sponsored mortgage finance giant Freddie Mac. That marks the highest rate since November 2023 and the biggest weekly surge in almost a year. Meanwhile, the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage spiked to 6.39% from last week's 6.16%, marking a significant uptick from 5.76% a year ago. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: —, Freddie Mac Organizations: Service, Business

☆ One way to help American homebuyers? Do what the Dutch do.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Cork Gaines | Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Dutch offer home mortgages with evolving interest rates that can automatically decrease over time. However, other countries are taking notice: The Dutch mortgage lender DMFCO recently began offering Dutch-style mortgages in the UK. AdvertisementBut there are some deeply entrenched features of the American mortgage system that make it unlikely we'll see widespread adoption of Dutch-style mortgages. AdvertisementAdditionally, mortgage interest rates in the US aren't determined by the loan-to-value ratio beyond a certain point. AdvertisementBut Cecela says he's interested to see what happens with the Dutch-style mortgages newly on offer in the UK.

Persons: —, Lindsey Harn, Lindsey, Harn, Guy Cecala, Cecala, Melissa Cohn, Raveis, Cohn, he's Organizations: Service, Business, Lindsey Harn Group, Mortgage, Mortgage Finance, USA Locations: Netherlands, San Luis Obispo County , California, Europe

☆ Here are JPMorgan's favorite stocks heading into March
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

JPMorgan added three new stocks into its list of top stocks heading into March, including two real estate investment trusts. The bank updated its focus list in a Friday note to include Annaly Capital , Ascendis Pharma and EPR Properties . His $20 price target implies that shares could rise nearly 4% from their Friday close. Here are some of the other top picks that made JPMorgan's list: Returning names to the list include growth stock Danaher , which is up nearly 11% this year. Analyst Tami Zakaria's $385 price target implies shares could rise more than 14% from Friday's close.

Persons: Richard Shane, Anthony Paolone, Jessica Fye, Rachel Vatnsdal's, Tami Zakaria's Organizations: JPMorgan, Annaly, Ascendis Pharma, Caterpillar Locations: Friday's

☆ The Austin housing market just won't quit. It's an example of what's happening nationwide despite high prices and interest rates.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Austin's housing market is heating up again, despite recent forecasts that it would tank. Nationwide forecasts now predict a rise in home prices, despite still-high interest rates. AdvertisementJust when some people thought the Austin, Texas, housing market was going to crash, it's starting to heat up again. This sudden surge in Austin housing sales is a bit surprising. Despite high prices and interest rates, homebuyers are determinedIn 2022, Nicholas Gerli, the CEO of real estate data analytics firm Reventure Consulting, named Austin the No.

Persons: —, Austin isn't, Nicholas Gerli, Austin, Realtor.com, George Rose, Fannie Mae Organizations: Nationwide, Service, Business, Realty Austin, Reventure Consulting, National Association of Realtors, NAR, Federal Reserve Bank Locations: Austin , Texas, Austin

☆ US new home sales fall more than expected in October
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

New home sales dropped 5.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 679,000 units last month, the Commerce Department said on Monday. September's sales pace was revised lower to 719,000 units from the previously reported 759,000 units. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast new home sales, which account for a small share of U.S. home sales, would fall to a rate of 723,000 units. Most homeowners have mortgage rates under 3%, making many reluctant to sell, boosting demand for new construction. Mortgage rates soared as the Federal Reserve aggressively raised interest rates to fight inflation.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Freddie Mac, Torsten Slok, Lucia Mutikani, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Commerce Department, Reuters, National Association of Realtors, Federal Reserve, Treasury, Apollo Global Management, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, New York

☆ US existing home sales hit more than 13-year low; prices push higher
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"The combination of high prices, high mortgage rates, and millions of homeowners unwilling to move, given they've locked in low rates, has frozen the market," said Robert Frick, corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union in Vienna, Virginia. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast home sales would slide to a rate of 3.90 million units. Existing home salesTIGHT SUPPLYThere were 1.15 million previously owned homes on the market last month, down 5.7% from a year ago. Most homeowners have mortgage rates under 5%, making many reluctant to sell. At October's sales pace, it would take 3.6 months to exhaust the current inventory of existing homes, up from 3.3 months a year ago.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Robert Frick, Freddie Mac, Lawrence Yun, Yun, Jeffrey Roach, Lucia Mutikani, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, WASHINGTON, National Association of Realtors, Navy Federal Credit Union, homebuyers, Reuters, Treasury, realtors, U.S, Congress, Builders, LPL Financial, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Vienna , Virginia, Northeast, West, Midwest, Charlotte , North Carolina

☆ US housing starts rise moderately; tight supply supporting new construction
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Single-family housing starts, which account for the bulk of homebuilding, rose 0.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 970,000 units last month, the Commerce Department's Census Bureau said. Overall housing starts rose 1.9% to a rate of 1.372 million units in October. The number of housing under construction dipped 0.1% to a rate of 1.674 million units. The inventory of single-family housing under construction declined 0.6% to a rate of 669,000 units, the lowest level since May 2021. The stock of multi-family housing under construction edged up 0.1% to 987,000 units, not far from recent record highs.

Persons: Jeffrey Roach, Ben Ayers, Freddie Mac, Bill Adams, Thomas Ryan, Lucia Mutikani, Chizu Nomiyama, Nick Zieminski Organizations: WASHINGTON, Commerce Department, LPL Financial, Commerce, Data, National Association of Home Builders, Nationwide, Federal Reserve, Treasury, Comerica Bank, Reuters, Realtors, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: Charlotte , North Carolina, homebuilding, Commerce Department's, Northeast, Columbus , Ohio, Dallas, West, South, Midwest

☆ US new home sales jump to 19-month high; median price falls
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The larger-than-expected increase in sales last month reported by the Commerce Department on Wednesday showed that the new housing market continued to be supported by a chronic shortage of previously owned houses. That is leading to very different dynamics in different parts of the housing market." New home sales are counted at the signing of a contract, making them a leading indicator of the housing market. The National Association of Home Builders reported last week that about a third of builders reported cutting home prices in October, a 10-month high, with the average price discount at 6%. The housing market likely stabilized in the third quarter, thanks to strong homebuilding and new home sales.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Bill Adams, resales, Freddie Mac, Dan Hnatkovskyy, Lucia Mutikani, Chizu Nomiyama, Andrea Ricci Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Commerce Department, Comerica Bank, Reuters, Midwest ., National Association of Home Builders, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, WASHINGTON, Dallas, Northeast, West, Midwest

☆ US manufacturing sector eyes recovery; construction spending solid
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

A separate report from the Commerce Department showed construction spending increased 0.5% in August after rising 0.9% in July, lifted by outlays on single- and multi-family housing. Spending on private construction projects rose 0.5%, with investment in residential construction advancing 0.6% after increasing 1.6% in the prior month. The construction spending report showed outlays on multi-family housing projects rose 0.6% in August. Spending on new single-family construction projects rose 1.7%. Spending on manufacturing construction projects shot up 1.2%.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, Paul Ashworth, outlays, Freddie Mac, Biden, Lucia Mutikani, Andrea Ricci Organizations: REUTERS, Institute for Supply Management, PMI, North America Economist, Capital Economics, Reuters, United Auto Workers, Treasury, Commerce Department, Thomson Locations: Normal , Illinois, U.S, WASHINGTON, Toronto, Panama, China, United States, State

☆ US new home sales tumble in August
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

New home sales plunged 8.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 675,000 units last month, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday. July's sales pace was revised higher to 739,000 units from the previously reported 714,000 units. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast new home sales, which account for a small share of U.S. home sales, falling to a rate of 700,000 units. New home sales are counted at the signing of a contract, making them a leading indicator of the housing market. At August's sales pace it would take 7.8 months to clear the supply of houses on the market, up from 7.0 months in July.

Persons: Octavio Jones, Freddie Mac, Lucia Mutikani, Andrea Ricci Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Commerce Department, Reuters, Treasury, Federal Reserve, Data, National Association of Home Builders, Thomson Locations: Tampa , Florida, U.S, Wells Fargo, West, Midwest, Northeast

☆ It's about to become much harder for young people to buy a home as student-loan repayments resume
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Student-loan repayments will restart on October 1 following a three and a half year hiatus. After more than three and a half years of moratoriums on student loans, repayments are set to resume on October 1. The average student loan borrower has more than $37,000 in federal student-loan debt, according to Bankrate. Manny Garcia, a senior population scientist at Zillow, told Insider that student-loan repayments will likely jeopardize buyers' ability to afford home purchases this year. "Before the pandemic, borrowers were already choosing between meeting their own basic needs and making their student-loan payments.

Persons: —, it's, Manny Garcia, Garcia, Pulsenomics, Zillow, Will Lemke, Stephanie Hall Organizations: Service, Center for American Progress, Wall Street Journal, Inside Mortgage Finance

☆ The US housing market is headed for the largest sales slowdown since 2011, Fannie Mae says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US home sales are headed for the largest slowdown since 2011, according to Fannie Mae. That's due to headwinds like higher mortgage rates, amid a weakening US economy. That figure will only improve slightly in 2024, with total home sales expected to hit 4.9 million, Fannie Mae economists said. Optimists who say the US is on track to avoid a recession have pointed to still-robust consumer spending, but current trends look unsustainable when considering incomes, Fannie Mae said. Experts say housing affordability and sales are unlikely to improve until mortgage rates dial back more significantly, likely to around the 5% range.

Persons: Fannie Mae, That's, Freddie Mac Organizations: Service, Fed Locations: Wall, Silicon, Real

☆ US housing starts hit three-year low; surge in permits point to underlying strength
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The decline in housing starts reported by the Commerce Department on Tuesday was the largest in a year and occurred across the board. Housing starts tumbled 11.3% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.283 million units last month, the lowest level since June 2020. Data for July was revised lower to show starts accelerating to a rate of 1.447 million units instead of the previously reported 1.452 million units. Single-family housing starts, which account for the bulk of homebuilding, dropped 4.3% to a rate of 941,000 units last month. They were boosted by a 14.8% surge in multi-family housing permits to a rate of 535,000 units.

Persons: Mike Blake, homebuilding, Daniel Vielhaber, Hilary, Freddie Mac, Goldman Sachs, Nancy Vanden Houten, Jeffrey Roach, Lucia Mutikani, Chizu Nomiyama, Paul Simao, Andrea Ricci Organizations: REUTERS, Commerce Department, Federal, Nationwide, Reuters, U.S, Treasury, National Association of Home Builders, Oxford Economics, Realtors, LPL Financial, Thomson Locations: Rancho, San Diego , California, U.S, WASHINGTON, Columbus , Ohio, homebuilding, Northeast, Midwest, Wells Fargo, New York, Charlotte , North Carolina

☆ These are the 11 sectors that comprise the S&P 500 — and the stocks we own in each
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +28 min

.GSPF YTD mountain S & P 500 Financials Sector YTD performance Club stocks in the Financials sector: Morgan Stanley ( MS): The bank's services include investment banking, wealth management and investment management. Communication Services Sector market weight: 8.85% Market cap: $3.3 trillion YTD performance: up 44.5% Industries: Diversified telecommunication services; entertainment; interactive media & services; media; wireless telecommunication services. .GSPTS YTD mountain S & P 500 Communication Services Sector YTD performance Club stocks in the Communication Services sector: Walt Disney (DIS): The entertainment giant reported another mixed quarter last month, even against low expectations. Real estate Sector market weight: 2.44% Market cap: $909 billion YTD performance: up 0.9% Industries: Equity real estate investment trusts; real estate management & development. .SPLRCR YTD mountain S & P 500 Real Estate Sector YTD performance While we don't own any real estate stocks, investors have historically invested in the sector for its reliable cash flow from income-generating properties.

Persons: Jim Cramer's, Jim, Salesforce, reenergized, Marc Benioff, Wolfe, Palo, Eli Lilly, Cantor Fitzgerald, Bausch, bioprocessing, Morgan Stanley, Morgan Stanley's, Eaton Vance, Wells Fargo, Wells, TJX, Wynn, Locker, We've, Mary Dillon, Walt Disney, Bob Iger's, Emerson, Davidson, Vimal Kapur, Stanley Black, Decker, Estee Lauder, Gillette —, Elliott, Coterra, Linde, Jim Cramer, Mandel Ngan Organizations: Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust, CNBC, Club, Technology Sector, Industries, Communications, Technology, Information Technology, Apple, Wedbush Securities, Microsoft, UBS, Deutsche Bank, Nvidia, Broadcom, VMware, Palo Alto Networks, Wolfe Research, Palo Alto, Oracle, Mizuho, Amazon Web Services, Google, Health Care, Biotechnology, Health, Bausch Health, Leerink Partners, GE Healthcare Technologies, General Electric, GE, Financials, Bank of America, United Auto Workers, Detroit, Ford, Starbucks, TJX, Marshalls, Wynn Resorts, WYNN, Communication Services, Communication, Hollywood, Charter Communications, Disney, JMP Securities, Facebook, Industrials, Aerospace, Emerson, Caterpillar, Honeywell, Consumer Staples Sector, Consumer, Consumer Staples, Costco Wholesale, Procter & Gamble, Gillette, Constellation Brands, Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, Elliott Management, Energy Sector, Energy, Coterra Energy, Natural Resources, West Texas, Utilities Sector, Electric, Companies, Sempra Energy, Materials, Chemicals, Linde, LIN, DuPont, Sector, Equity, Real, Jim Cramer's Charitable, New York Stock Exchange, AFP, Getty Locations: U.S, FactSet, bioprocessing, Wells Fargo, China, Maxx, Macao, Asia, Pacifico —, California, Texas

☆ The housing market is about to take a hit as student loan payments restart
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The restart of student loan payments is about to hit the housing market. 58% of polled experts believe that the resumption of student loan payments could have a significant impact on mortgage affordability, according to a recent analysis conducted by Pulsenomics. Student loan payments will kick back in at a time when housing affordability is already strained. The effects of the student loan payment restart may be felt for years to come, too. AdvertisementAdvertisementStudent loan payments are set to resume on October 1, ending a three-year payment pause that began during the pandemic.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, That's Organizations: Service, Pulsenomics, Inside Mortgage Finance, US Department of Education, Education Data Initiative Locations: Wall, Silicon, delinquencies

☆ A key stat suggests the housing market won't see 'cascading' price drops anytime soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Fannie Mae reported that the single-family serious delinquency rate is down 0.54% in July. Housing expert Bill McBride pointed to the data as reason not to expect widespread home price declines. AdvertisementAdvertisement"Freddie's serious delinquency rate peaked in February 2010 at 4.20% following the housing bubble and peaked at 3.17% in August 2020 during the pandemic," McBride wrote. Single Family Serious Delinquency Rates Calculated RiskThe decline in serious delinquencies point to low rates of foreclosures, which in turn suggest stable prices. The dynamic was on display in 2008, when a wave of bank foreclosures dragged the US housing market down, with prices plummeting as much as 20% in parts of the country.

Persons: Fannie Mae, Bill McBride, Freddie Mac, McBride Organizations: Service Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ US existing home sales drop, but prices up from a year earlier
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Safiyah Riddle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sales fell in the Northeast, Midwest and South, but rose in the West. Home resales, which account for a big chunk of U.S. housing sales, fell 16.6% on a year-on-year basis in July. At July's sales pace, it would take 3.3 months to exhaust the current inventory of existing homes, up from 3.2 months a year ago. The median existing house price rose 1.9% from a year earlier to $406,700 in July, the fourth time it has topped $400,000. "Two factors are driving current sales activity - inventory availability and mortgage rates," said Lawrence Yun, the NAR's chief economist.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Freddie Mac, Lawrence Yun, Safiyah Riddle, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, National Association of Realtors, Reuters, Federal, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Northeast, Midwest

☆ US 30-year fixed mortgage rate jumps to near 21-1/2-year high
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Safiyah Riddle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Octavio Jones/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 17 (Reuters) - U.S. mortgage rates surged this week, with the popular 30-year fixed rate hitting the highest level in more than 21 years, further complicating the housing market outlook. The average 30-year rate shot up to 7.09%, the highest level since April 2002, from 6.96% in the prior week, mortgage finance agency Freddie Mac said on Thursday. But sky-high mortgage rates could temper recent building trends, keeping supply tight and house prices elevated. Higher mortgage rates were blamed for the ebb in confidence among homebuilders in August. "The housing market has been surprisingly resilient, confounding expectations for the last year," said Bright MLS chief economist Lisa Sturtevant.

Persons: Octavio Jones, Freddie Mac, Freddie Mac's, Sam Khater, Lisa Sturtevant, Safiyah Riddle, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Federal Reserve, U.S, Commerce Department, MLS, Thomson Locations: Tampa , Florida, U.S

☆ US housing starts surge in boost to economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The sharp rebound in groundbreaking on single-family housing units reported by the Commerce Department on Wednesday was another sign of the economy continuing to defy dire forecasts of a recession. Single-family housing starts, which account for the bulk of homebuilding, jumped 6.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 983,000 units last month. The increase in groundbreaking was led by the West, where single-family starts soared 28.5%. Overall housing starts increased 3.9% to a rate of 1.452 million units in July. TIGHT SUPPLYDespite the rise in starts, housing supply is likely to remain tight.

Persons: Mike Blake, homebuilding, Christopher Rupkey, Freddie Mac, Nancy Vanden, Daniel Silver, Goldman Sachs, Lucia Mutikani, Chizu Organizations: REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Commerce Department, Federal, National Association of Home Builders, Reuters, Oxford Economics, Treasury, Realtors, U.S, Fed, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: San Marcos , California, U.S, New York, homebuilding, Nancy Vanden Houten, Midwest

☆ U.S. consumers saying 'bad time to buy' a house hits 13-year high in July
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Safiyah Riddle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A newly constructed home available for sale is pictured in a new housing development area in Vista, California March 20, 2012. Consumers' outlook also appears to have taken a hit, with a net 17% of respondents expecting price increases in the next 12 months, the highest percentage in over a year. Persistently high home-buying costs are in large part due to limited housing stock, which has remained at historically low levels. Many homeowners are now unwilling to buy a new home that would require more expensive financing compared to mortgage costs locked in before the Fed started raising rates. Reporting by Safiyah Riddle; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mike Blake, Fannie Mae, Doug Duncan, Safiyah Riddle, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, Fed, Thomson Locations: Vista , California, U.S

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