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☆ Why Builders Are Renting Out New Houses Instead of Cutting Home Prices
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Builders, meanwhile, are luring buyers with some perks but are barely budging on prices. That's partly because these companies have another place to turn: the rental market. Opportunistic investors — mostly small and midsize players, who own the vast majority of single-family rentals in the country — are happy to oblige. Builders have also started developing entire communities of single-family homes to be rented out rather than sold, a strategy known as build-for-rent. Their embrace of the rental market says more about the obstacles for buyers than for builders.

Persons: homebuilders, John Burns, Keith Hughes, —, Horton, Don Mullen, they've, Adam Stern, Sean Morgan, Alex Offutt, Ray Sturm, Sturm, Selma Hepp, It's Organizations: John Burns Research, Consulting, Builders, John, Houston, Owners, SFR, Sun, Dallas, Local, Business Purpose, Offutt Locations: Tampa , Florida, Carolinas, Nashville, Horton

☆ This city has the largest percentage of $1 million homes—it's not New York
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The number of million-dollar homes is increasing across the U.S., but they're highly concentrated in certain places, according to a November LendingTree analysis. San Jose, California, tops the list of U.S. metros with the highest share of million-dollar homes with 72% of owner-occupied homes worth over $1 million, according to LendingTree. San Jose isn't the only California metro area with a large share of million-dollar homes. However, it's worth pointing out while New York has a lower percentage of million-dollar homes, it has a higher total number of them than San Jose or San Francisco. Here are the 10 U.S. metro areas with the highest share of $1 million homes, according to LendingTree.

Persons: Jose isn't Organizations: Census, American, Survey, U.S, metros, Homes, San Diego Locations: U.S, San Jose , California, It's, San Jose, California, San Francisco , Los Angeles, New York, Jose, San Francisco

WASHINGTON — As a candidate, Donald Trump promised to relieve consumers of high interest rates. Trump repeatedly said during the campaign that he would bring down interest rates without elaborating on how. He has suggested the president should have a say in determining rates set by the Federal Reserve and publicly berated the central bank and its chairman, Jerome Powell, for not lowering rates sooner. Trump has no direct control over the interest rates set by the Federal Reserve, which is determined by a committee that includes seven members appointed to 14-year terms along with five regional Reserve Bank presidents. “There aren’t a lot of policies that the president has at his disposal that can really lower rates,” said McLaughlin.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Jerome Powell, ”, Kent Smetters, “, isn’t, Ralph McLaughlin, McLaughlin, Powell, Xi Jinping, ” Powell, he’s, ” Trump, reappoint Powell, Scott Bessent, Barron’s, Bessent Organizations: WASHINGTON, Federal Reserve, United, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, Federal, Realtor.com, Reserve Bank, Fed’s, Governors, Twitter, Trump, Chicago Economic, Senate, Republicans, Fed Locations: United States, America, U.S, China

☆ A mansion that was once America's priciest home just got another price chop. See inside the $165 million estate.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-08 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An LA mansion that was once the most expensive in America got another price cut, to $165 million. The seller is the widow of telecom tycoon Gary Winnick, who paid $94 million for it in 2000. Related Video Inside the most expensive neighborhoods of Singapore, home to TikTok CEO Shou Zi ChewNow the property is $30 million off. This week, the 60-room mansion cut its ask to $165 million, a 34% drop from its highest price tag. With the latest price cut, it's no longer the most expensive listing in California.

Persons: Encantada, it's, Gary Winnick, —, Conrad Hilton, Jeff Bezos, Shou Zi Chew, Casa Encantada, It's, John Donahue, Karen Winnick, Encantada's, Josh Flagg, Flagg Organizations: Service, Bel Air, Hilton Hotels, Pritzker, Global, Business, Bel, Air Country Club Locations: America, Los Angeles, Singapore, Naples, Florida, California

☆ Mortgage rates surge higher on Trump victory, causing housing stocks to fall
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-06 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"The expectation among bond traders coming into the election was that rates would move higher in the event of a Trump victory and especially a red sweep. "The builder stocks are highly sensitive to mortgage rates and mortgage rate expectations. Big builders have been buying down mortgage rates for their customers, but that has been cutting into their margins. Mortgage rates don't follow the Fed, but do react to the central bank's thinking on the economy. Stronger-than-expected economic reports in September and October caused bond yields, and consequently mortgage rates, to move higher.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Matthew Graham, Horton, PulteGroup, Lowe's, John Burns, Trump, Carl Harris, Graham Organizations: Mortgage News, Trump, . Housing, John Burns Real Estate Consulting, National Association of Home Builders, Federal Reserve, National Association of Realtors Locations: U.S, D.R

☆ A Controversial Vacation Homes Tax Is Dividing Lake Tahoe
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-05 | by ( Amanda Yen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

My grandparents' vacation cabin in Lake Tahoe is the stuff of legend. My grandparents' little house in South Lake Tahoe, which they bought for $113,000 in 1984, quickly became a haven for my family. Framers of the Tahoe tax measure took inspiration from Berkeley, California, which adopted a vacancy tax this year. Since the city of South Lake Tahoe was incorporated in 1965, it's been populated by a healthy mix of year-round and seasonal residents. As of October 2024, the median sales price for homes in South Lake Tahoe was $750,000, according to Realtor.com.

Persons: George Rose, it's, Amelia Richmond, —, Steve Teshara, Teshara, Frederic Lewis, Sherri Maslyar, Jeff Cowen, we'd, Amanda Yen, I'd Organizations: of Commerce, South Tahoe Association of Realtors, BI, Colorado and, Survey, Tahoe Chamber of Commerce, Realtors ' Association, Business, Tahoe, Planning Association Locations: Tahoe, South Lake, Berkeley , California, Oahu, Colorado, Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge, Bay, Colorado and Utah, Park City , Utah, Richmond, Emerald

☆ Hawaii has the highest cost of living in the U.S.: The state has 'really high home prices' and expensive goods, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-03 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The most expensive state in the U.S. isn't New York or California. Realtor.com published its list of the states with the highest cost of living based on data from Stacker and Hawaii took the No. We know that places like California, Washington D.C., and Massachusetts are very expensive because the major expensive cities they all have," Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com, tells CNBC Make It. The cost of living was calculated using the average price of goods and services in that state's metro areas and cities. The report found that the most expensive states in America are predominately on the West and Northeast coasts.

Persons: Realtor.com, Hannah Jones Organizations: isn't, Washington D.C, CNBC, Council for Community, Economic Research Locations: U.S, York, California, Stacker, Hawaii, Washington, Massachusetts, state's, America, Northeast

☆ 7 major US cities where homes are both affordable and easy to find
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-03 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Home transaction activity is up since mortgage rates are down from their peak. The US housing market perked up after mortgage rates plunged from their mid-summer peak through mid-September, even though they've experienced a remarkable resurgence since then. Pending home sales rose 7.4% in September, which was the largest leap since the spring, a late-October report from the National Association of Realtors found. "Further gains are expected if the economy continues to add jobs, inventory levels grow, and mortgage rates hold steady." 7 affordable cities with home inventoryEven though homeowners have been reluctant to give buyers a discount, there are still places where aspiring proprietors can find fair deals.

Persons: —, they've, Lawrence Yun, Realtor.com, Ralph McLaughlin Organizations: Service, National Association of Realtors Locations: Realtor.com

☆ A California couple built a $500,000 ADU in their parents' backyard when they couldn't afford to buy a traditional house
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-01 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementNewlyweds Aislyn and Ali Benjamin felt they couldn't afford to buy a traditional property in their corner of California — Danville, a small city just over an hour's drive east of San Francisco. Financing and building the ADU cost a total of $500,000, paid by the couple with help from their parents. Advertisement"The main reason we chose to do this is to stay close to our work," Ali Benjamin told Business Insider. An overview of the Benjamins' ADU in the Bay Area, where the couple lives full-time. The kitchen of the Benjamins' ADU.

Persons: Aislyn, Ali Benjamin, —, Realtor.com, San Ramon — Aislyn, Ali, Villa, ADU, Ali Benjamin's, Ali Benjamin said Organizations: Service, Danville ., Benjamins, Business, Urban Institute, Villa Villa, Backyard, Villa Locations: California — Danville, San Francisco, Danville, San Ramon, Bay, California, Los Angeles, San Jose

☆ Inside Realtors' Fight for Control of America's for-Sale Home Listings
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Agents might be emboldened to share listings among private networks of in-the-know brokers rather than market them to everyone. And if the goal is a transparent market that prioritizes consumers, the clear-cooperation policy is a flawed tool. Redfin estimated that in the second quarter of 2019, about 1.7% of listings, or some 18,000 homes, were likely pocketed. In a hot market, it's easier for brokers to market a home off the databases and still get it sold. What has changed since the rule went into effect is brokerages' eagerness to control access to home listings.

Persons: Smart, —, they'll, Brian Boero, Goliath, Davids, MLSes, doesn't, weren't, Joe Schmo, Saul Klein, Howard Hanna's, Howard Hanna IV, Robert Reffkin, Mauricio Umansky, Redfin, Glenn Kelman, Kelman, haven't, Victor Lund, There's, Buckle Organizations: MLS, National Association of Realtors, NAR, Coldwell, Network, San Diego, Compass, Service, of Justice

☆ 19 cities where rent is falling fast, even as price hikes continue to frustrate consumers
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-27 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The glass-half-full view is that price increases for single-family rental units are rather low, at least compared to the surges early in the pandemic. There's a similar dynamic going on in the single-family rental market, according to Rentometer. Fewer single-family units to choose from means that tenants have less bargaining power and may be forced to accept rent increases. 19 cities where rent is quickly slidingAlthough rent broadly is on the upswing, there are many cities where single-family rental units are getting cheaper, even if they're admittedly few and far between. Below are those places, along with their average rent and rent growth in the third quarter, plus their region.

Persons: homebuyers, —, Rentometer Organizations: Service, Savings, Business Locations: Midwest, Northeast, Southeast

☆ This Texas city has the lowest cost of living in the U.S.: There is 'investment in the area keeps home prices low,' expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-27 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

This month, Realtor.com released its ranking of the top 10 cities with the lowest cost of living based on the latest regional price parities data from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). The regional price parities measure the differences in price levels of goods and services across states and metropolitan areas and are shown as a percentage of the overall national price level, the BEA states. Home prices tend to be lower in the South and the Midwest," Jones says. "Markets in the South and the Midwest can expand as demand picks up, which helps keep housing costs low. The price of housing is relatively affordable because of their ability to adapt to demand."

Persons: Realtor.com, Hannah Jones, Jones Organizations: U.S . Department of Commerce's, Analysis, BEA, CNBC

☆ 10 US cities with the lowest cost of living, where things from buying a home to a grocery run are relatively affordable
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-26 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Realtor.com identified the top 10 places in the US with the lowest cost of living. Small cities in the South and Midwest dominate the list, with a Texas city taking the top spot. While the cost of living varies widely from state to state and city to city, several spots across the US can offer residents a comfortable standard of living with prices that don't break the bank. "Home prices in these areas were $100,000 or more below the national median in September," Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com, said in the report. Below are the 10 US cities with the lowest cost of living.

Persons: Realtor.com, —, Hannah Jones Organizations: Service, Realtor.com Locations: South, Midwest, Texas, United States, Ohio

☆ Down payments are plunging in 10 places, giving homebuyers another affordability win
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The trajectory of mortgage rates may help determine what happens to down payments. Borrowing costs, savings rates sway down paymentsAny analysis of down payments that doesn't mention mortgage rates would be incomplete. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate hit a two-decade high of 7.8% last October and has steadily fallen for most of the last 12 months. AdvertisementBut there's a less rosy explanation for lower down payments: buyers can't afford to pay more. The personal savings rate in the US was 4.8% in August, according to Realtor.com, which was up from the inflation-stretched low of 2% in June 2022.

Persons: —, Hannah Jones, Buyers, Jones Organizations: Service, homebuyers, Federal Locations: Texas, Florida, Montana, Washington

☆ 'Flexible co-living' could help bring down office-conversion costs and add housing supply, new study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Kelly Cloonan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A study finds that dorm-style housing could be an efficient path to convert vacant office space. The study comes as office vacancies rise and housing supply remains constrained. The report comes as companies reevaluate their need for office space in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The national office vacancy rate is set to rise to around 20% by the end of this year, according to commercial real estate firm CBRE. The report comes as the number of office spaces set for residential conversions is on the rise, up to 55,000 this year.

Persons: —, Wes LeBlanc, Alex Horowitz Organizations: Service, Pew Locations: Denver, Minneapolis, Seattle

☆ The top 5 'relatively affordable' U.S. cities where you can find a home for under $300,000: 'We're seeing sellers cutting prices'
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-19 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the median home price in the U.S. was $280,000. Homebuyers took advantage of mortgage rates below 3% to find great values. With mortgage rates above 6% and the median home price clocking in at $425,000, good deals are harder to come by. A recent report from Realtor.com has identified the top five U.S. cities with median home prices below $300,000. "There are isolated pockets of places that still remain relatively affordable on a national perspective."

Persons: Homebuyers, Realtor.com, it's, Ralph McLaughlin Organizations: CNBC Locations: U.S

☆ 24 major cities where renters can save at least 10% compared to the national median
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-17 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Here are 24 real-estate markets where rent is at least 10% below the national median. Median rent in the 50 largest US metropolitan areas dipped to $1,743 last month, according to an October 16 report from Realtor.com. Asking prices were lower year-over-year for the 14th straight month, though they were only a few dollars cheaper than in September 2023. Business Insider reviewed Realtor.com's list of the 50 biggest US cities and narrowed it down to the two dozen cities where rent was at least 10% less than the national median of $1,743 last month. Below are those 24 major US cities, along with each location's median rent in September, the year-over-year and month-over-month changes, and the savings versus the national median rate.

Persons: —, Jiayi Xu, Danielle Hale, Xu, Hale Organizations: Service, Nashville's, Dallas Locations: Southern, Denver, Austin, Birmingham, Midwest, Chicago, Detroit

☆ Buying a home? Here are some key steps to consider from top-ranked advisors
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Therefore, if you are looking to buy a home, there are certain steps you should take to prepare for the purchase, according to several advisors ranked in CNBC's 2024 Financial Advisor 100 List. 23 on the 2024 CNBC FA 100 list. 61 on the 2024 CNBC FA 100 list. 7 on the 2024 CNBC FA 100 list. 38 on the 2024 CNBC FA 100 list.

Persons: you'll, It's, Brian Brady, Stephen Cohn, Ron Brock, Shaun Williams, Ryan D, Dennehy, Bankrate, Realtor.com, Steven LaRosa, Williams, Angi, Brady, it's, Cohn Organizations: Obermeyer, Investment, CNBC, Sage Financial Group, Brock Investment, Paragon Capital Management, California Financial Advisors, Edgemoor Investment Locations: Aspen , Colorado, West Conshohocken , Pennsylvania, Indianapolis , Indiana, Denver , Colorado, California, San Ramon , California, Bethesda , Maryland, Florida

☆ Home prices are down as much as 12% in boomtowns in Florida, Texas, and other popular states
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Metros in Florida, Texas, and other states are seeing prices fall by as much as 12%, per Realtor.com. Miami, FloridaPedro Portal/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty ImagesMedian list price: $525,000Change from last year: -12.4%2. Orlando, FloridaSmithlandia Media/Getty ImagesMedian list price: $429,950Change from last year: -5.6%Advertisement9. Tampa, FloridaJohn Coletti/Getty ImagesMedian list price: $414,948Change from last year: -5.5%10. Nashville, TennesseeJohn Coletti/Getty ImagesMedian list price: $547,865Change from last year: -5.4%

Persons: —, Miami , Florida Pedro, Swapan Jha, San Francisco , California Nicholas Klein, Kansas City , Missouri Edwin Remsberg, Austin , Texas RYAN KYTE, Jacksonville , Florida Dan Reynolds, Tampa , Florida John Coletti, Nashville , Tennessee John Coletti Organizations: Metros, Service, metros, Miami Herald, Tribune, Getty, Kansas, Orlando , Florida Smithlandia Locations: Florida , Texas, Realtor.com, Florida, Texas, Miami , Florida, Cincinnati , Ohio, San Francisco , California, Kansas City , Missouri, Austin ,, Jacksonville , Florida, Denver , Colorado, Orlando , Florida, Tampa , Florida, Nashville , Tennessee

☆ 31-year-old had to go nearly $200,000 over budget to become a homeowner: '6 figures nowadays is nothing'
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-10 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In early 2024, Kelly Diehr and her husband set out to buy their first home in Denver. With no kids, six-figure income and a budget of $600,000, the couple felt like they were in a solid position to afford a single detached home where they could raise a family. However, like many first-time buyers, they were disappointed by what they could afford, as median home prices almost immediately started rising from $599,000 to $639,000 between January and May, according to Realtor.com. And like many first-time buyers, the couple were forced to compromise by stretching their budget far beyond what they originally planned. Such concessions are common in new developments, where developers often need to sell units quickly — even in a competitive market like Denver.

Persons: Kelly Diehr, Diehr, you'd Locations: Denver

☆ 22 cities where homebuyers and owners will benefit most as interest rates tumble
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Mortgage rates are down, but many owners and buyers are waiting for them to fall more. That should help thaw a real-estate market that had frosted over due to elevated mortgage rates. AdvertisementProperty owners are also poised to benefit from lower rates, Xu and her colleagues noted. Many owners are currently locked into the rock-bottom mortgage rates that were common in the late 2010s and early 2020s. "Although mortgage rates have eased, market rates continue to exceed current rates for most homeowners, keeping them locked in 'golden handcuffs,'" said Danielle Hale, Realtor.com's chief economist, in a statement for the report sent to Business Insider.

Persons: it's, —, Realtor.com, homebuyers, Jiayi Xu, Xu, Danielle Hale, she's, David Burt Organizations: Service, Business

☆ Homebuyers Have Hope With Lower Mortgage Rates, More Houses Available
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Wild swings in mortgage rates discouraged almost everyone from venturing out into the market. As I wrote earlier this year, a gummed-up housing market — the Ice Age I was talking about — is good for nobody. When mortgage rates hit multidecade lows during the pandemic, millions of people were able to snag or refinance their way into cheaper monthly costs. That'd be within spitting distance of what the experts at John Burns Research and Consulting, a housing-research firm, call the "magic mortgage rate." In other words, trying to predict mortgage rates — and buying or selling a home accordingly — is a fool's errand.

Persons: Green, that's, Skylar Olsen, everyone's, it's, there's, Fannie Mae, John Burns, they'd, Ralph McLaughlin, Olsen, Lawrence Yun, Altos, Mike Simonsen, Chen Zhao, Zhao, We're, Mark Palim, Palim Organizations: Federal Housing Finance Agency, Federal Reserve, John, John Burns Research, Consulting, National Association of Realtors, Altos Research, Builders, Sun Locations: Sun Belt, Midwest

Vice presidential candidates JD Vance and Tim Walz faced off in their first and only debate Tuesday night, squaring off over everything from foreign policy and the economy to the 2020 election and abortion rights. Contemporaneous newspaper reports — first reported by Minnesota Public Radio News and APM Reports — place Walz in Nebraska at the time. Fact-check: Is housing 60% more expensive during the Biden administration? “Iran, which launched this attack, has received over $100 billion in unfrozen assets thanks to the Kamala Harris administration," Vance said. As part of a prisoner exchange the Biden administration negotiated with Iran last year, $6 billion more in Iranian assets were unfrozen.

Persons: Vance, Tim Walz, Walz, “, America —, ”, —, That’s, Kamala Harris, Biden, Harris, hasn’t, " Walz, Harris “, she’s, Donald Trump’s, You’ve, Donald Trump, Obama, Harris wasn’t, unfroze, Trump, Trump “, I’ve, Mike Pence Organizations: America, CNN, Minnesota Public Radio, APM, U.S, Center for American Progress, Economic, Global, Washington Post, Social Security, Immigration, Department of Homeland Security, NBC News, Biden, Democratic, Health Affairs, Customs, Capitol, Centers for Disease Control, Minnesota Health Locations: China, Nebraska, Hong Kong, Beijing, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Lechleitner, U.S, Iran, Minnesota, ”

Experts believe mortgage rates will hold steady for the rest of the year in the low 6% range. After spending the first half of the year at record highs, mortgage rates have finally been trending down for several months now. According to Freddie Mac, 30-year mortgage rates are now just above 6%. But Fed officials have indicated that we may only get 50 basis points worth of cuts by December. What would need to happen for mortgage rates to drop further?

Persons: —, Freddie Mac, Danielle Hale, Realtor.com, Hale, Scott Haymore, Haymore, Will, Dan Burnett, Phil Crescenzo, We're, that's, Crescenzo, there's, refinance Organizations: Service, Federal, Traders, TD Bank, Hometap, Nation One Mortgage Corporation

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. 30-Year Mortgage Rates TodayAverage 30-year mortgage rates are hovering near 5.70% today, according to Zillow data. 15-Year Mortgage Rates TodayAverage 15-year mortgage rates remain right around 5%, according to Zillow data. 5-Year Mortgage Rate TrendsHere's how 30-year and 15-year mortgage rates have trended over the last five years, according to Freddie Mac data. Mortgage rates are unlikely to drop back down to the historic lows of 2020 and 2021, when 30-year fixed rates fell below 3%.

Persons: We're, there's, you'll, Freddie Mac, it's, they've, They'll Organizations: Zillow, Fed Locations: Realtor.com, Chevron

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