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Mickey Todiwala | CNBC Make ItShe first learned about the program from her husband, who'd read about it online. Mickey Todiwala | CNBC Make ItRubia Daniels says her background in construction is helpful to envision what her final space will look like. On one recent visit to Mussomeli, Daniels brought along two fellow Californians, Alfredo Ramirez and his mother, Elena, to tour the houses. Meredith Tabbone 1-euro homeowner from ChicagoTabbone flew to see her new home for the first time in June 2019. Mussomeli, Sicily, has seen its population decline from roughly 16,000 in the 1950s to less than 10,000 today.

Persons: Rubia Daniels, Daniels, who've, Vittorio Sgarbi, Mickey Todiwala, Toti, who'd, didn't, she's, Alfredo Ramirez, Elena, Meredith Tabbone, Tabbone, Chicago Tabbone, I've, Danny McCubbin, who's, Jamie Oliver, McCubbin, Mussomeli, Prezioso, Natalie Milazzo, Milazzo, Nigrelli, Martina Giracello, Gianluca Militello, Giracello, It's, Meredith Tabbone Tabbone Organizations: CNBC, realtors, U.S Locations: Sicily, Berkeley, Calif, Italy, Salemi, Towns, Sicily's, Palermo, Belgian, Mussomeli, California, Petaluma , Calif, Sambuca, Sicilia, Chicago, United States, Australia, London, Mussomeli's, Milan, Cammarata, Caltanissetta, Europe, Africa, Airbnbs

☆ Home sales and prices rose in January as eager homebuyers returned to the market
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

January is usually a sleepier month for home sales, but prices reached a record high for the month. First time homebuyers face steep challengesIn January the share of first-time home buyers dropped to 28%, falling under a healthy market share of 30%. In addition to rising mortgage rates, elevated prices and still stubbornly low inventory levels, first-time homebuyers are facing steep competition from other buyers. Homeowners with ultra low rates are unwilling to sell and buy a home during a time of higher prevailing market rates. And while a drop of rates in December and January boosted sales, rising rates may cool buyer’s interest even as the spring selling season is underway.

Persons: —, ”, Lawrence Yun, Yun Organizations: DC CNN —, National Association of Realtors, NAR, “ Locations: Washington, Boston, Carolinas

☆ Existing home sales rose 3% to start the year, but higher mortgage rates are already hurting
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sales of previously owned homes rose 3.1% in January to 4 million units on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, according to the National Association of Realtors. The count is based on closings, so the contracts were likely signed in November and December, when mortgage interest rates backed off their October high of 8%. "Listings were modestly higher, and home buyers are taking advantage of lower mortgage rates compared to late last year." While lower mortgage rates helped boost January sales, today's higher rates are already once again weighing on the market. Correction: The 32% all-cash share of January 2024 home sales was up from 29% in January 2023.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, Yun, It's Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Mortgage News, NAR, Redfin

☆ Homeownership gap between Black and White owners is worse now than a decade ago
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The Black homeownership rate saw a modest annual uptick to 44.1% in 2022 from 44% in 2021, but remains significantly behind the White homeownership rate of 72%, the report found. A stubborn racial homeownership gapEven with some improvement in the Black homeownership rate, the change has done little to close the yawning gap between Black and White homeownership. Over the past decade, the gap between the two groups’ homeownership rates has worsened, expanding from 27 points to 28 points. Other states with high Black homeownership rates include South Carolina and Delaware, each at 55%. Plus, the median household income for Black Americans was $47,800 in 2022, while the median income for White Americans was $75,700.

Persons: Sharan White, Jenkins, “, ”, ” White, Black, homeownership, Jessica Lautz, Black homebuyers, ” Lautz Organizations: DC CNN, National Association of Realtors, American, Survey, Census Bureau, NAR, Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, Black, White Locations: Washington, Jamaica, Queens, New York City, Virginia, Brooklyn, Queens , New York, Wyoming, North Dakota, Mississippi, Black, South Carolina, Delaware

☆ More Black women are becoming homeowners — it doesn’t mean it's easier, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Black women are outpacing Black men when it comes homebuying. Single female homebuyers are most common among Black women, representing 27% of Black homebuyers, according to the 2023 Snapshot of Race and Home Buying in America report by the National Association of Realtors. More from Personal Finance:Rental markets are cooling, but it 'doesn't mean they're falling'What renters need to know to make rent count for credit'Housing affordability is reshaping migration trends,' economist saysBut single Black women buyers still face plenty of challenges. "There are instances where Black people are buying homes, Black women are buying homes. That doesn't mean that it's easy for them and that doesn't mean that it's not being made unnecessarily difficult by certain societal hurdles that stand in the way, that should not exist," said Jacob Channel, a senior economist at LendingTree.

Persons: Realtor.com, Jacob Channel Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Finance Locations: America

☆ Why it’s so hard to find an apartment you can afford
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Washington, DC CNN —Finding a new apartment to rent can be a slog. In New York City, the rental vacancy rate, which is the share of habitable unoccupied units, has dropped to a record low 1.4%. In Boston, the rental vacancy rate was a very tight 2.6% at the end of last year, according to the Census Bureau. However, the most recent vacancy rate is also lower than the more typical 3.6% from prior to the pandemic. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the rental vacancy rate was 6.6%.

Persons: Maria Torres, ”, Orphe Divounguy, “, that’s, Lawrence Yun, Yun Organizations: DC CNN, New York City Department of Housing Preservation, Development, Census, New York City, Springer, Real Estate Investment Services, Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, National Association of Realtors Locations: Washington, Northeastern, New York, Boston, New York City, Yorker, Manhattan, Northeast, Southern, Austin , Texas

☆ Higher-for-longer interest rates favor large companies over their smaller rivals in many ways
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

High interest rates squeeze companies of all sizes, but that’s especially the case for smaller firms, unlike large companies better equipped to weather the storm. Before the Bell: How do the effects of higher-for-longer interest rates on companies vary by size? I think it might be a stretch to say that M&A activity picks up because of higher interest rates, so instead, it’s that if good businesses are beginning to suffer because of higher interest rates, then they might be more likely to be a target. Gas prices always rise as winter winds down because demand increases and gas stations must switch over to more expensive summer fuel. No matter the cause, rising gas prices are bad news for consumers already frustrated by the cost of living.

Persons: It’s, Bell, Lauren Goodwin, Matt Egan, ”, Patrick De Haan, doesn’t, ” Read, Raphael Bostic, Michelle Bowman, Philip Jefferson, Patrick Harker, Lisa Cook, Neel Kashkari, Christopher Waller Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, DC CNN, Federal Reserve, New York Life Investments, AAA, ’, HSBC, Walmart, Home Depot, Barclays, Caesars Entertainment, Nvidia, Rivian, Fidelity, Marriott, Intuit, Pacific Gas & Electric, Global, Chicago Fed, US Labor Department, National Association of Realtors, Warner Bros ., Icahn Enterprises Locations: Washington, Wingstop, United States

☆ Why Reparations For Slavery Are Long Overdue - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Maura Cheeks | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

In my debut novel, a family retraces their lineage in order to be eligible for the nation’s first federal reparations program for Black Americans. The idea that the United States could ever collectively support a national reparations policy for Black people seemed, well, the stuff of fiction. Since then, reparations task forces and commissions have been created in California, Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania. To address systemic inequalities rooted in federal law, a federal reparations policy is required. I decided to write about reparations after researching the racial wealth gap, the statistics of which continue to paint a picture of widespread systemic failure.

Persons: Jim Crow Organizations: Black Americans, Consumer Finances, National Association of Realtors, White Americans, White Locations: Evanston, Ill, United States, California , Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, State

☆ New student loan repayment plan could make it easier for borrowers to become homeowners
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Row of townhouses in Alexandria, Virginia Grace Cary | Moment | Getty ImagesA new, more affordable repayment plan for federal student loan borrowers may come with another advantage: It could make it easier to become a homeowner. Half of student loan borrowers — including 60% of millennial borrowers — who haven't yet purchased a home say their education debt is delaying them from doing so, according to a 2021 report by the National Association of Realtors. Previously, someone who made $40,000 a year would have a monthly student loan payment of around $151. watch nowIn the past, most mortgage lenders assumed that a borrower's monthly student loan payment was a certain percentage of their loan balance, even if the actual payment was lower, Kantrowitz said. There's one catch: Many mortgage lenders won't use a $0 monthly student loan payment in their underwriting process, which the SAVE plan could leave many borrowers with.

Persons: Alexandria , Virginia Grace Cary, Biden, Mark Kantrowitz, Christelle Bamona, Barmona, Kantrowitz, Bamona Organizations: Valuable Education, National Association of Realtors, Here's, Center for, SAVE, Finance, Lending Locations: Alexandria , Virginia

☆ Opinion: How to solve the nation’s affordable housing crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Opinion Jim Parrott | Mark Zandi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Not only has that made mortgages much more expensive, it’s exacerbated the long-standing shortage in housing supply, particularly at the lower-priced part of the market. The market machinery that cranks out housing supply at the bottom of the market has effectively ground to a halt. But falling rates will not solve the underlying structural problems that caused the housing shortfall in the first place. Once rates normalize, housing affordability will simply return to where we were prior to the pandemic, going from dismal to just bad. Lawmakers should complement this support to increase the supply of housing with targeted help for those looking to buy their first home.

Persons: Jim Parrott, Parrott Ryan, Mark Zandi, Jim Parrott Ella Parrott, Mark Zandi Moody's, it’s Organizations: Urban Institute, Moody’s, CNN, National Association of Realtors, Congress

☆ My boyfriend is 27 years older than me. I kept our age-gap relationship a secret at first, but I regret not being open about it sooner.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Julia Pugachevsky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I was never someone who was attracted to older men or thought about dating someone with a significant age gap . That all changed when I met my boyfriend at our brokerage’s 2022 Christmas party — one neither of us wanted to go to. He’s also felt more mature than the men I’ve dated who were my age. Our relationship feels both secure and excitingJess LewisAs we were easing into the relationship, we started out with simple drinks and dinner dates. I kept the relationship a secret more than he didAt first, we both kept the relationship under wraps as we saw each other.

Persons: Jess Lewis, He’s, I’ve, we’ve, It’s, could’ve Organizations: realtors Locations: Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, New York

☆ US office buildings are facing a 30% price drop as remote work continues to upend the sector, Morgan Stanley says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US commercial real estate is headed for a $2 trillion wall of maturing debt in the next few years. America's office market is in flux and prices have further to fall amid "secular" challenges facing the sector, Morgan Stanley analysts said in a note. Commercial real estate pain has been a source of anxiety for the US banking sector, and regional banks in particular. Thus, the challenges facing CRE in general and office loans in particular are intricately linked to the regional banking sector." Real estate pros have been sounding the alarm on commercial real estate since early 2023 when the sector was in the spotlight following a spate of regional bank failures.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, That's Organizations: Real Capital, National Association of Realtors, Mortgage, Association, New York Community Bank

☆ Home prices are falling in these 32 real estate markets as affordability improves after the toughest quarter in 38 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Modest yet meaningful declines in home prices and mortgage rates gave aspiring homeowners some much-needed relief in the fourth quarter, according to recently released data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). The third quarter of 2023 was the worst three-month stretch for home affordability in 38 years , according to data from the NAR’s housing affordability index. In nearly half of US markets, families bringing in less than $100,000 couldn’t afford to buy a standard home on a 10% down payment last quarter, according to the NAR. 32 cities where home prices are fallingProperty value gains were widespread and significant in the fourth quarter. Below are those 32 US cities where single-family homes got cheaper in the fourth quarter compared to the prior year, according to the NAR.

Persons: —, ”, Lawrence Yun, Yun, That’s, ” Yun Organizations: Service, National Association of Realtors, Business, NAR, ” Homeowners Locations: Northeast

☆ It seems like everyone you know is moving. But our grandparents' generation actually did it much more.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

But while overall migration is down, state-to-state moves are slowly on the rise again. Nearly 20% of all Americans moved each year from the mid-1940s through the 1960s, according to census data . The Great Recession in 2008 hobbled the economy and slowed migration, sending the overall rate to 11 or 12%, according to census data. Getty ImagesLong-distance moves are on the upWhile the overall migration rate is low, big moves are slowly on the rise. Younger people are more likely to make big moves, according to census data.

Persons: —, James Gregory, Gregory, Gregory said, Jim Crow, Gregory . Migration, deindustrialization, Brookings, Matthew, he’s, Rose Kemp, millennials, Florida ., X, Zers, Marie Bailey, Dallas, ” Bailey Organizations: Service, University of Washington, Gregory ., Brookings Institution, Golden State, realtors, Community Survey, Realtors, Business, Matthew Bank, ” Bank, Orlando Regional Realtor Association, Survey, University of Minnesota's Locations: Texas, New York, California, Florida, Detroit, California , Oregon, Washington, Midwest, nonresponse, Golden State for Texas, Georgia, X . Texas, migrators, millennials, homeownership

☆ Spring home buying season is near. Real estate pros say this year's rush could push prices up 5% after a weak 2023.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The housing market will see a stronger, prolonged spring homebuying rush this year, real estate pros say. Buyers and sellers are slowly wading back into the market as mortgage rates edge lower. That's not what economists had originally expected for the housing market this year. "Until we see mortgage rates really improve, we don't expect owners to come back very, very quickly." Affordability conditions have been steadily improving after a bad year for the housing market.

Persons: —, Redfin, Daryl Fairweather, Fairweather, Skylar Olsen, Olsen, Zillow, " Fairweather, Freddie Mac, That's, –, aren't Organizations: Service, National Association of Realtors Locations: Zillow

☆ Storms in California hit homeowners already facing an insurance crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Washington, DC CNN —The storms pummeling California this week hit a part of the US already being battered by a home insurance crisis. With insurers strained by climate change and inflation, many are demanding higher premiums, making it much harder to find affordable (or any) home and fire insurance. But it is not just California; homeowners in other areas prone to weather events like Florida, Louisiana, and Texas are also facing challenges. Meanwhile, in hurricane-battered Florida, Farmers Insurance deemed it too risky to continue insuring homes and pulled out of that market entirely. “This isn’t just climate change, it is climate-change-plus,” Bach said.

Persons: ”, Amy Bach, United, Michael Monaghan, Sellers, you’ve, Jennifer Branchini, Bach, Hurricane Andrew, ” Bach, mitigations Organizations: DC CNN, Allstate, Farmers Insurance, Coldwell, California Association of Realtors, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Hurricane, FAIR, California Department of Insurance Locations: Washington, California, Florida , Louisiana, Texas, San Francisco, California’s, Golden State, Florida, Vermont, Colorado, Pleasanton, United, “ Florida, Louisiana

☆ Mortgage rates jump back over 7% as stronger economic data rolls in
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Mortgage rates have been on a wild ride since the summer, briefly crossing to a 20-year high of 8% in October. Mortgage rates do not follow the Fed directly, but they follow loosely the yield on the 10-year Treasury, which is heavily influenced by the central bank's impression of the economy at any given time. As mortgage rates fell over the past two months, buyers seemed to be returning to the market. Mortgage applications to purchase a home had been rising steadily, but fell back in the last few weeks, as mortgage rates edged higher. "If we see more data like last Friday's jobs report, rates will have a hard time getting back below 7%.

Persons: Li Jianguo, Matthew Graham, Michael Fratantoni, Graham Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Getty, Mortgage News, Federal, Treasury, Fed, Mortgage, Association . Mortgage, CNBC PRO Locations: Millbrae , California, United States, Xinhua

☆ Baby Boomers are approaching 'peak burden' on the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A wave of retiring Boomers means the generation will soon be at "peak burden" to the economy. It's the Baby Boomers, who are aging fast and approaching their "peak burden" years in regard to their drag on the economy and the resources of younger generations. Advertisement"The peak burden is [when] all the baby boomers have hit retirement," Millar told Business Insider. And it isn't the case that Baby Boomers will derail economic growth nearly as much as, say, a full-blown recession, according to Dean Baker, an economist who described the Baby Boomers as a "time bomb" in a 1998 paper. In 2022, empty-nester baby boomers owned 28% of large homes in the US, a Redfin analysis found, double the share of millennial families.

Persons: —, Zers, Jonathan Millar, Millar, Dean Baker, That's, Boomers, David Rosenberg, Baker, Gen Organizations: Boomers, Service, Barclays, National Association of Realtors, Chamber of Commerce, Rosenberg Research, Social, Insurance Trust Fund, Social Security Administration Locations: Millennials

☆ A soft landing is now likely. But Americans will still deal with unaffordable housing
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In a letter days before the Fed’s decision Wednesday to hold interest rates steady at a 23-year high, Democratic US senators blasted the central bank for America’s housing woes. In 2021 when the Fed’s key interest rate was near zero, home-price growth soared at a historic double-digit pace, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index. Divounguy said that the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate will likely not fall below 6% this year. That way we can actually start heading in the right direction with affordability and have that be sustainable and not just a short-term interest rate phenomenon,” she said. Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin delivers remarks.

Persons: Valerie Plesch, Orphe Divounguy, Freddie Mac, it’s, Fannie Mae, Divounguy, ” Daryl Fairweather, Trump, Jerome Powell, Donald Trump, Powell, David Goldman, Alexandra Ross, ” Trump, Maria Bartiromo, Joe Biden, Estee Lauder, Tyson, Raphael Bostic, Eli Lilly, Loretta Mester, Walt Disney, Adriana Kugler, Thomas Barkin, Michelle Bowman, Ralph Lauren, Armour Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, DC CNN, Federal Reserve, Democratic, Eccles Federal Reserve, Bloomberg, Getty, CNN, National Association of Realtors, Fox Business, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Trump, Fed, Caterpillar, Tyson Foods, P Global, Institute for Supply Management, Atlanta Fed, Toyota, UBS AG, Chipotle, Cleveland Fed, Walt, CVS, PayPal, Brands, Fox, The Carlyle, News Corporation, New York Times Company, Mattel, Spirit Airlines, US Commerce Department, China’s National Bureau of Statistics, ConocoPhillips, Unilever, Duke Energy, Expedia, Warner Music Group, Tenet Healthcare, Richmond Fed, Pepsico, Honda Locations: Washington, Washington , DC, CAVA

☆ An affordability crisis is making some young Americans give up on ever owning a home
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Washington, DC CNN —Americans are living through the toughest housing market in a generation and, for some young people, the quintessential dream of owning a home is slipping away. Mortgage rates surged in recent years, hitting the highest levels in more than two decades last fall. CNN spoke with some young Americans about their thoughts on the current state of the US housing market and their plans for the future. “The housing market is not a single person’s market.”What typically happens when a regional housing market becomes too unaffordable is that people without the means simply move somewhere cheaper, such as a suburb an hour away, for example. Still, affordability takes into account mortgage rates, family incomes and single-family home prices, which remain a vexing pain point.

Persons: It’s, Baby, Brandie Grant, Grant, ”, “, ” Brandie Grant, Brandie, Ross, Emily Bunton, Ross Bunton, That’s, ” Bunton, I’m, Corey Griffis, ’, hasn’t, ” Griffis, Shyahm Aguilar, Shyahm Aguilar Shyahm Aguilar, Aguilar, we’ve, ” Aguilar, that’s, there’s, Fannie Mae’s, ” Mark Palim, Fannie Mae, Mario Tama, Daryl Fairweather, Redfin’s, Sofiya Vyshnevska, Vyshnevska, “ Young Organizations: DC CNN, Baby Boomers, CNN, San Francisco Bay Area, National Association of Realtors, Housing Administration, Montana State University, Federal, Housing Survey, “, NAR Locations: Washington, San Francisco Bay, United States, St, Louis , Missouri, Portland , Oregon, Mexico, Santa Fe , New Mexico, Santa Fe, Merida, Colorado, Phoenix, Queen Creek , Arizona, Minneapolis, Houston, Dallas, Austin , Texas, Tampa, Jacksonville, Orlando, Florida, Atlanta

LOS ANGELES (AP) — One of the nation's largest real estate brokerages has agreed to pay $70 million as part of a proposed settlement to resolve more than a dozen lawsuits across the country over agent commissions. In October, a federal jury in Missouri found that the National Association of Realtors and several large real estate brokerages, including Keller Williams, conspired to require that home sellers pay homebuyers' agent commission in violation of federal antitrust law. More than a dozen similar lawsuits are pending against the real estate brokerage industry. Two other large real estate brokerages agreed to similar settlement terms last year. In their respective pacts, Anywhere Real Estate Inc. agreed to pay $83.5 million, while Re/Max agreed to pay $55 million.

Persons: brokerages, ”, Michael Ketchmark, Keller Williams, homebuyers, “, ” Gary Keller, Max Organizations: ANGELES, Keller Williams Realty Inc, National Association of Realtors, Inc Locations: Illinois, Missouri, Austin , Texas

Home prices declined slightly in November while posting yearly gains, suggesting the housing sector has cooled somewhat heading into 2024. The house price decline came at a time where mortgage rates peaked, with the average Freddie Mac 30-year fixed rate mortgage nearing 8%, according to Federal Reserve data. But as more inventory comes on the market and mortgage rates remain elevated, sale prices may be beginning to wilt. That has led some analysts to say that the market could bounce back as the traditional spring buying season begins. The index tracks a three-month period when mortgage rates were zig-zagging and ended on a down note, said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com.

Persons: ”, Brian Luke, San Francisco, Cleveland –, Luke, “, Freddie Mac, Selma Hepp, Danielle Hale Organizations: Dow Jones, Seattle, Cleveland, Midwest, Federal Reserve Locations: “, San, Miami, Tampa, Atlanta, Charlotte , New York

☆ American's housing shortage won't be solved for years to come
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThe tight housing market has shown recent signs of easing, but Moody's Analytics still anticipates Americans will face inventory snags for years to come. Based on data from the end of December, the monthly sales pace implies 3.2 months' of housing inventory, according to the National Association of Realtors. That shortage suggests a recovery in the housing market remains years away, the researchers said. "One good year of 'excessive' supply was only in its relative term when compared with affordability-constrained demand," Moody's researchers said. Ultimately, to Moody's, increasing housing inventory and rebalancing the market will take years of "joint effort and creativity" across the public and private sectors.

Persons: —, Nick Villa, Moody's Organizations: Service, Business, National Association of Realtors, NAR

☆ Elizabeth Warren rips Fed for fueling affordability crisis in housing, calls for rate cuts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —America has a housing affordability crisis and Elizabeth Warren blames Jerome Powell and his colleagues at the Federal Reserve. To fight inflation, the Fed spiked interest rates at the fastest pace since the early 1980s. However, the Fed’s war on inflation set off shockwaves in the housing market. The one-two punch of elevated borrowing costs and record-high home prices has made the housing market historically unaffordable. “High interest rates have aggravated the country’s crisis of housing access and affordability,” the Senate Democrats wrote.

Persons: Elizabeth Warren, Jerome Powell, Powell, Warren, ” Warren, Democratic Sens, John Hickenlooper, Jacky Rosen, Sheldon Whitehouse, Freddie Mac, “, Tom Barkin didn’t, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Reserve, CNN, Democratic, Democrats, Fed, National Association of Home Builders, Mortgage Bankers Association, National Association of Realtors, Richmond Fed Locations: New York, America, White

☆ The office apocalypse will see a wave of buildings demolished or converted to residential, New York City real estate exec says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The New York City property exec and veteran real estate broker pointed to potential trouble heading for the US office space, thanks to the plunging demand for office buildings since the pandemic, and poor lending conditions across the commercial real estate sector. AdvertisementExperts have been warning of trouble in the commercial real estate sector for the last year as credit conditions in the economy tighten. Many commercial real estate mortgages are financed at interest rates around 3.5%-4%. New York City alone has around 100 million square feet of empty office space, Knakal estimated. Office buildings, meanwhile, could soon double the price decline they saw in 2023, the real estate firm Cohen & Steers estimated.

Persons: —, Bob Knakal, Knakal, Banks, Cohen, Steers Organizations: Service, Business, New, CNBC, National Association of Realtors . New Locations: New York City, National Association of Realtors . New York City

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