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☆ Existing-home sales hit a 14-year low as homebuyers hold out for lower rates that may not come
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-23 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Existing-home sales dropped by 1% last month, reaching their lowest level since October 2010. Homebuyers stayed on the sidelines in anticipation of lower mortgage rates. AdvertisementUS existing-home sales dropped to a nearly 14-year low in September as prospective homebuyers held back in anticipation of lower mortgage rates. AdvertisementAccording to Mortgage News Daily, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate has climbed by 70 basis points since then, to 6.85% from 6.15%. Related storiesIf this trend continues, those prospective homebuyers holding out for lower mortgage rates will be waiting a while.

Persons: Homebuyers, —, Redfin Organizations: Service, National Association of Realtors, Federal Reserve, Mortgage News

☆ The housing market is seeing its biggest logjam since before the pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The housing market is in the midst of its biggest slowdown since the pandemic, according to Redfin. Homes stayed on the market for the longest in West Palm Beach, Florida, with listings taking a median 79 days before being sold. That was followed by Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Jacksonville, Florida, where homes stayed on the market for a median 75 and 65 days respectively. Seattle was the hottest housing market in the nation last month, with homes staying on the market for a median of 12 days, per Redfin's report. "Anyone who has been paying attention to the housing market over the past few years knows that desirable homes sell right away," Fairweather said.

Persons: It's, Darryl Fairweather, Redfin's, " Fairweather, Redfin Organizations: Business, . Homes, Federal Reserve, Buyers Locations: Towns, Florida, Texas, Palm Beach , Florida, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Jacksonville , Florida, Seattle, Indianapolis , Indiana, Warren , Michigan

☆ 9 cities where lower mortgage rates are actually pushing home prices more than 10% higher
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Christine Ji | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewHomebuyers may have breathed a premature sigh of relief last month when mortgage rates dropped. In the last six weeks, mortgage rates have fallen over half a percentage point to 6.2%, according to Freddie Mac. AdvertisementAccording to Redfin Senior Economist Sheharyar Bokhari, prices are increasing because the drop in mortgage rates has spurred demand for houses while supply remains low. Year-over-year, prices rose in almost every one of the top 50 metro areas. Below are the 9 cities where home prices have risen the most in the last year, increasing at double-digit rates.

Persons: —, Freddie Mac, it's, Sheharyar, Bokhari, Skylar Olsen, homebuyers, Olsen, Austin — Organizations: Service, Fed, Business, Redfin Locations: San Antonio

☆ Small apartments are in, and it's causing rents in new buildings to drop
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Developers have built a lot of new small apartments over the last few years, and the boost in supply has driven rents down. Rents for newly finished one-bedroom apartments are also falling — the median rent fell 11.9% year over year in the first quarter of 2024, the report found. More than 90,000 new apartments came online in the fourth quarter of 2023, finishing a big year of apartment construction, Redfin noted. The Redfin report is based on US Census data on "unfurnished, unsubsidized, privately financed rental apartments in buildings with five or more units." Studios and one-bedrooms tend to be more profitable for developers to build than larger apartments, and developers aren't building enough apartments suitable for big families.

Persons: Redfin, you've, Sheharyar Bokhari, — Organizations: Service, Business, Harvard Locations: Redfin

☆ This US region is seeing the biggest rent declines as owners struggle to fill vacancies, Redfin says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Metros in the Sun Belt are notching the steepest rent declines in the country, Redfin reported. The pandemic-era demand that led to accelerated construction has since subsided, leading to more vacancies. These declines are happening as rent rises nationwide. AdvertisementThe country's steepest rent declines are happening in metro areas across the Sun Belt as pandemic-era demand spikes subside, Redfin reported Friday. "But the boom is over, and now property owners are struggling to fill vacancies, which is causing rents to fall."

Persons: —, Redfin, Sheharyar Bokhari Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Austin , Texas, Nashville , Tennessee, Jacksonville, Miami, San Diego

☆ Investors bought a record 26% of the affordable houses in the US last quarter
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Yuheng Zhan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US property investors snapped up 26.1% of low-priced homes in the fourth quarter, a record share. Single-family homes accounted for more than two-thirds of investors' purchases in Q4, at 68.6%. Zooming in, low-priced homes accounted for 46.5% of investor purchases, with mid-priced homes at 24.6% and high-priced homes at 28.8%. Inventory is still low across the country as sellers cling to lower mortgage rates they locked in years ago. It's worth noting though that big institutions make up a small percentage of investors in the market buying homes.

Persons: —, Redfin, Carrie Caruthers, Sheharyar Organizations: Service, Department of Housing, Urban Development Locations: California

☆ Boomers won’t part with their homes, and that’s a problem for young families
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

As a result, empty-nest Baby Boomers own 28% of large homes — and Milliennials with kids own just 14%, according to a Redfin analysis released Tuesday. Ten years ago young families were just as likely as empty nesters to own large homes. But even then empty nest Baby Boomers had the most large homes. Where Millennials own the most larger homesYoung families take up the smallest share of large homes in coastal areas like California and Florida, where large homes tend to be more expensive. Empty nesters own at least 20% of large homes everywhere in the country.

Persons: Baby, Gen, ”, Sheharyar Bokhari, Zers, Millennials, Gen Xers, “, Boomers Organizations: DC CNN, Baby Boomers, Boomers, CNN, ICE Mortgage Technology Locations: Washington, doesn’t, U.S, California, Florida, Midwest, Riverside , California, Salt Lake City, Austin , Texas

☆ Home prices in Austin, Texas, are down after an expensive few years — see homes you can buy for under $400,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Home prices in Austin, Texas, are coming down after a pandemic hot streak, according to Realtor.com. Here's what you can buy in Austin now for less than the national median home price of $416,100. AdvertisementAdvertisementHome prices in the pandemic boomtown of Austin, Texas, are starting to come back down to earth. In May 2019, the median list price for a home in Austin was $371,056, according to Realtor.com. That's a 2% decrease year-over-year, which may not sound like much, but is enough to rank Austin as the No.

Persons: —, Sheharyar Bokhari, Austin Organizations: Service, Austin Chamber of Commerce, Lone Star State Locations: Austin , Texas, Austin, That's

☆ 'Where ambition goes to die': These tech workers flocked to Austin during the pandemic. Now they're desperate to get out.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Ben Bergman | Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Many tech workers in California moved to Austin during the pandemic in search of a new lifestyle. Some tech workers say they regret moving there, given its middling tech scene and "fake" atmosphere. They cited several contributing factors, including extreme temperatures, traffic, overcrowding, and — perhaps most surprising — a middling tech scene that fails to live up to the hype. From Silicon Valley to the Silicon HillsNot long ago, Austin's tech scene was ascendant, with national headlines suggesting it could take on Silicon Valley. He acknowledged there's not much of a tech scene there but will take that over what he perceived as Austin's smoke and mirrors.

Persons: Austin, Mike Chang, Chang, Tesla, Danielle Fountain, Fountain, Elon Musk, Jim Breyer, Joe Lonsdale, Bill Gurley, Musk, Gurley, Emily Chang, John Andrew Entwistle, who's, John Andrew Entwistle Entwistle, Entwistle, oversold, Nicholas Falldine, there's, Nick Thomas, Austin doesn't, Thomas, he's, Sam Parr, I'm, Sheharyar, Redfin, Bokhari, It's, frolic Organizations: Oracle, Facebook, Google, Apple, Breyer Capital, Austin Chamber, Austin, Lone Star, US Postal Service Locations: California, Austin, Los Angeles, Bay, Silicon, Silicon Valley, Austin's, Palo Alto, Westchester County , New York, Fayetteville , Arkansas, Austin , Texas, San Francisco

☆ 'Guppies' are the latest real estate phenomenon: young people giving up on ever buying homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

More Gen Z and millennials are opting out of the rat race and sticking to renting instead. British real estate company Zoopla has dubbed the new generation of non-buyers as "guppies"Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. The term, coined by British real estate company Zoopla, is a play on the 1980s phrase "yuppie," which meant a young, financially successful professional. This mirrors a similar situation in the US, where competition is also heating up between potential first-time homebuyers. AdvertisementAdvertisementInstead of stressing over down payments and mortgage rates, guppies are comfortable renting for the foreseeable future even though they're making good money, MarketWatch reported.

Persons: Zoopla, They're, Zers, homebuyers, Sheharyar Bokhari Organizations: Service, National Association of Realtors, MarketWatch Locations: British, Wall, Silicon, guppie, California, Sacramento

☆ Looking to buy a starter home? They're more expensive than ever.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

In June, the median sale price for the typical starter home reached an all-time high of $243,000. The income needed to purchase a typical starter home has increased 13% from 2022, to $64,500. That's because starter homes are disappearing from the market as homeowners with low, locked-in monthly payments refrain from listing their homes for sale, and homebuilders focus on more lucrative projects. It means the few that are making their way to the market are priced way higher than they once were. Here's the state of starter homes right now.

Persons: Gen Zers Organizations: Service Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ The price of a typical starter home fell in San Francisco, Austin, and Phoenix, bucking a national trend — here's why
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The cost of starter homes has grown in every US metro but three since last year, Redfin said. San Francisco, Austin, and Phoenix starter home prices declined by 13.3%, 12.2%, and 9.7%, respectively. That doesn't mean that these starter homes are cheap, or the incomes needed to afford them are minuscule. Similar to Austin and San Francisco, Bokhari chops it up to the ebb and flow of supply and demand. While starter home prices decreased in San Francisco, Austin, and Phoenix, Redfin found that the typical starter home sold for a record $243,000 in June.

Persons: Redfin, they're, Sheharyar, Bokhari, Manus Clancy, Austin, Tesla Organizations: Phoenix, Service, Apple, Google, Oracle Locations: San Francisco, Austin, Wall, Silicon, Phoenix, Francisco, homebuyers, Redfin

☆ You need to make at least $64,500 a year to afford your first home, says Redfin
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Buying your first home has become even less affordable, Redfin said. Buyers now need to make at least $64,500 a year to afford a starter home, up 13% in 12 months. Many on lower budgets can no longer stretch to even the most affordable homes, per Redfin. The real estate brokerage revealed first-time buyers must make about $64,500 a year to afford a starter home – 13% more than a year ago. "The most affordable homes for sale are no longer affordable to people with lower budgets due to the combination of rising prices and rising rates.

Persons: Redfin, Buyers, Sheharyar Bokhari Organizations: Service, Federal Reserve Locations: Wall, Silicon, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, Austin, Phoenix

☆ Soaring home prices mean first-time buyers need to be making 13% more money than a year ago to afford a 'starter' home
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A first-time homebuyer needs to earn 13% more money to afford a starter home, per a Redfin analysis. The average starter home cost $243,000 in June, sending the income needed to afford it to $64,500 per year. "The most affordable homes for sale are no longer affordable to people with lower budgets" due to rising prices and rates. The average starter home cost $243,000 in June, up 2% from the average price last year and up 45% from before the pandemic. Experts say affordability won't improve until mortgage rates pull back more significantly, though that's unlikely to happen anytime soon.

Persons: Sheharyar Bokhari, Redfin, That's, Freddie Mac Organizations: Service Locations: Wall, Silicon

The case for falling rentSomething strange is happening in the apartment market. More than 971,000 apartment units were under construction across the US at the end of 2022, the second-largest number on record. There's only so much people are willing to pay,'" said Jon Leckie, a researcher for Rent, a platform that helps landlords market their properties. For now, though, the wave of supply that's already underway should keep rents in check over the next couple of years. Now, as landlords shift their focus from jacking up rents to filling up units, renters can once again look ahead to better days.

☆ Bidding wars no more: Regular people have a better shot at scoring a home as investors flee once-hot cities from Phoenix to Atlanta
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Aj Latrace | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But investors have backed off, especially in formerly hot areas like Phoenix, Redfin found. The significant drop in investor purchases means less competition for regular homebuyers. Investors purchased approximately $31 billion worth of properties — equivalent to 48,445 homes —nationwide in the last three months of 2022. They include Las Vegas, Phoenix, the New York City suburb of Nassau County, Atlanta, and Charlotte, all of which saw investor purchases fall over 60% year-over-year, the report said. But the drop in home prices and investor purchases last year could signal even more dire conditions in 2023, some analysts and experts predict.

☆ Billionaire Grant Cardone says he and other real estate investors will 'save the day' and prevent a home price crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

High home prices and mortgage rates have sparked a downturn in US real estate. Grant Cardone, a billionaire real estate manager, says investors will prevent that from happening. While the housing slump is escalating this year, there's a brighter future ahead, billionaire real estate fund manager Grant Cardone told Benzinga, as published by Yahoo Finance. As the real estate market softens, strategists at Goldman Sachs projected various markets, including Austin and Phoenix, will likely see peak-to-trough home declines of more than 25%. Single family homes may be a new frontier for the billionaire known for authoring books such as How to create wealth investing in real estate.

☆ Regular homebuyers in Las Vegas and Phoenix stand a chance now that investors are fleeing pandemic boomtowns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Pandemic boomtowns like Phoenix and Las Vegas are seeing investors retreat as home prices fall. Phoenix led the nation with a staggering 49% decline in investor activity in Q3, followed by Portland, Oregon and Las Vegas, which saw their investor activity drop by 47% and 45%, respectively. For example, Phoenix had the nation's highest inflation rate in Q3 at 13% in Q3 2022, according to Redfin data. Meanwhile, home prices in the city have fallen by 5.4% to a median price of $435,000 since June 2022. Redfin data also shows that home prices in Las Vegas have fallen by nearly 10% since June 2022 down to a median sale price of $390,000.

☆ Investors' home purchases drop 30% as price increases slow down
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Home sales have dropped for nine straight months, driven by surging mortgage rates, and now investors are pulling back even more than traditional homebuyers. The drop in investor sales outpaced the drop in overall home purchases, which were down roughly 27% in the third quarter. The investor share in the overall market also fell to 17.5% of all sales from 18.2% a year ago. Non-investor homebuyers are facing much higher mortgage rates and a shortage of affordable homes for sale. Investors tend to use cash more often than traditional buyers, so they are not quite as influenced by mortgage rates.

☆ Home purchases by investors plunged 30% in the 3rd quarter as high prices and rising rates drive housing slump
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The typical home bought by investors cost $451,975, up 6.4% from a year earlier but down from the second quarter. Meanwhile, investor purchases of high- and mid-priced homes declined more than those of low-priced houses during the July-through-September period. The potential for substantial declines in home prices puts investors at risk of losing money, stoking their pullback in purchases, Redfin said. Investors lost market share for the second consecutive quarter in buying about 17.5% of all homes that were purchased. Those buying rates were higher in the second quarter and a year ago, at 19.5% and 18.2%, respectively, but were still up from 15% before the pandemic.

☆ Sorry, millennials, you're never getting a good home
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Like a lot of millennials, Enrique Gonsalves is a victim of poor timing. For most millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, the path to homeownership has been fraught with pitfalls and false starts. Add it all up, and the homeownership rate among millennials is lagging that of previous generations. Compared with these generations, millennials have more debt, a lower net worth, and a worse chance of making more than their parents. Those factors, particularly the rise in student debt, have prevented millennials from getting a home.

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