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☆ US home prices just hit a record high. Americans are still buying
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The situation could improve somewhat later this year, when the Federal Reserve is expected to begin paring back interest rates from a 23-year high, which should bring down mortgage rates. But Fed officials have penciled in just one rate cut for this year, and the days of ultra-low interest rates are long gone. Economists don’t expect the average mortgage rate to fall below 6% in 2024. However, there have been some steps in the right direction: Total housing inventory has steadily increased throughout this year, according to NAR data. New home construction also contributes to housing supply, but high interest rates seem to have pumped the brakes on homebuilding.

Persons: ”, Lawrence Yun, “, don’t, That’s, NAR’s Yun Organizations: Washington CNN — Homes, National Association of Realtors, NAR, “, Federal Reserve, Fed, Housing Locations: America

Mortgage rates have been holding relatively steady this month, though 30-year mortgage rates inched up slightly this week. 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. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates were 6.36% this week, according to Freddie Mac data, which is a 12-basis-point increase from the previous week. Now that the Fed has paused hiking rates, mortgage rates have come down a bit. Once the Fed starts cutting rates, which is likely to happen this year, mortgage rates should fall even further.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, Freddie Mac Organizations: National Association of Realtors, NAR, Zillow, Federal Reserve, Fed Locations: Chevron

☆ Pending home sales in April slump to the lowest level since the start of the pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

According to a report by the National Association of Realtors, pending home sales fell 1.5 percent in October to their lowest level in 20 years. These so-called pending sales are a forward-looking indicator of closed sales one-to-two months later. Pending sales were 7.4% lower than in April of last year. Because the count is based on signed contracts, it shows how buyers are reacting to mortgage rates in real time. With home prices still climbing and supply very low, leading to increased competition, that jump in rates had a huge effect on sales.

Persons: Justin Sullivan, Lawrence Yun, Yun, Hannah Jones Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Mortgage News, NAR, West, Realtor.com Locations: CALIFORNIA, San Anselmo , California, Midwest, Redfin

☆ A look at US economic data including inflation, jobless claims, and Treasury yields
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —US economic data released Thursday was broadly disappointing. And mortgage rates inched higher this week, thrusting the average rate back above the psychological 7% threshold. HousingHousing data released Thursday mostly showed that the market remains tough, especially for first-time buyers. The Fed doesn’t directly set mortgage rates, but its actions, which influence yields, do. There were 219,000 first-time claims filed during the week ended May 25, according to Labor Department data released Thursday.

Persons: ” Oren Klachkin, it’s, Freddie Mac, They’re, ” Lawrence Yun, hasn’t Organizations: Washington CNN, Treasury, Federal, Nationwide, Commerce, Housing, Fed, National Association of Realtors, ” Jobs, Labor Department, Dow, Nasdaq Locations: American

☆ Mortgage rates fall for the third straight week, dipping below 7%
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —Mortgage rates declined for the third consecutive week in a shred of good news for Americans dealing with a still-tough housing market. Mortgage rates track the benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield, which moves in anticipation of the Federal Reserve’s decisions on interest rates. Stubbornly high inflation this year has dashed hopes that the Fed could cut interest rates in the spring or in the summer. Some Fed officials said earlier this week that they likely won’t raise interest rates again and a few have said they expect to cut rates this year. With mortgage rates still elevated, some homeowners are deciding to stay put.

Persons: Freddie Mac, inflation’s cooldown, there’s, homebuyers, ” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s, That’s, ” Lawrence Yun, ”, Yun, Joe Biden Organizations: Washington CNN —, Treasury, National Association of Realtors, Fed, Housing Locations: San Diego, Chicago, Detroit

☆ Home sales slipped unexpectedly in April, despite big gains in supply
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Sales of homes priced below $100,000 fell 7.1% year over year, while sales of those priced over $1 million jumped 40%. The median price of an existing home sold in April was $407,600, an increase of 5.7% year over year. The median price in the Northeast was $458,500, up 8.5% year over year. The median price in the West was $629,600, up 9.3% from April 2023. Correction: The supply of homes priced at more than $1 million was up 34% year over year.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, Yun Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Realtors Locations: Issaquah Highlands, Issaquah , Washington, US, Midwest, West

☆ Home sales: Prices in the US housing market continue to climb
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —Rising US home prices are heightening the housing affordability crisis for Americans, especially first-time buyers. Housing affordability takes into account prices, household incomes and mortgage rates. Sales fell in April for the second month in a row as mortgage rates surged past 7%. Mortgage rates track the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note, which moves in anticipation of the Fed’s decisions on interest rates. Low housing affordability typically crimps demand.

Persons: it’s, ”, Lawrence Yun, Freddie Mac Organizations: Washington CNN —, National Association of Realtors, Global, NAR, Federal Reserve, Fed, Treasury Locations: San Diego, Chicago, Detroit, America, ”

☆ 10 U.S. cities where home prices increased the most this year—4 are in Illinois
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Home prices are on the rise again after declining for the second half of 2023, with 93% of all major metro areas posting gains so far in 2024, a National Association of Realtors report reveals. Roughly one-third of the 223 major metro markets NAR examined had a double-digit price increase in the first three months of 2024. The surge in prices is largely due to pent-up demand for homes, says Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist. "In the current market, rising prices are the direct result of insufficient housing supply not meeting the full demand," Yun says. Here are the 10 metro areas where home prices have increased the most so far in 2024.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, Yun Organizations: National Association of Realtors, NAR Locations: U.S

☆ Affordable homes haven't been this hard to find in years despite lower mortgage rates — but prices are declining in these 15 cities
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Price growth was partially offset by lower mortgage costs, as 30-year fixed rates hung between 6.6% and 6.94% in the first quarter. That's a small win for buyers, considering that rates peaked at 7.8% late last year and were above 7% until mid-December. At the first sight of lower mortgage rates, that widespread price appreciation has returned — much to the chagrin of buyers who thought they were going to catch a break. Conversely, prices fell outright only in 15 cities, versus 32 in the fourth quarter of 2023. 15 cities where home prices are downBelow are those 15 US real-estate markets where single-family home prices fell from last year.

Persons: —, Lawrence Yun Organizations: Service, National Association of Realtors, Business, NAR Locations: That's

☆ Americans say it’s the worst time ever to buy a home
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Just 21% say it’s a good time to buy a house, according to a Gallup survey released Thursday. An overwhelming majority of Americans — 76% — say it’s a bad time to buy a house. Young Americans seeking to buy a home have been confronted by a toxic one-two punch of record-high home prices and painful mortgage rates. For context, in April 2019, the final reading before Covid-19, 61% of Americans polled by Gallup said it was a good time to buy a house. Mortgage rates top 7%Americans started to sour on the housing market as mortgage rates spiked and home prices surged after Covid.

Persons: ” Jeffrey Jones, White, ”, Lawrence Yun, ” Yun Organizations: New, New York CNN, Gallup, Young, homebuyers, National Association of Realtors, Federal Reserve, NAR Locations: New York, That’s

Mortgage rates should go down later this year, increasing affordability for many hopeful homebuyers. 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 Fixed Mortgage RatesThe average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 7.17% this week, according to Freddie Mac. 15-year Fixed Mortgage RatesThis week, average 15-year mortgage rates were 6.44%, a five-basis-point increase from the previous week, according to Freddie Mac data. Once the Fed cuts rates, mortgage rates should fall even further.

Persons: Freddie Mac, Lawrence Yun, homebuyers, you'll, it's Organizations: National Association of Realtors, NAR, Zillow, Federal Reserve Locations: Chevron

☆ Stagflation fears just hit Wall Street. Now for the next crucial report on prices
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —The Federal Reserve’s favorite inflation reading is due Friday morning. Investors are nervously awaiting the report after first-quarter US GDP came in softer than expected Thursday. Stocks tumbled as the slowdown in GDP, coupled with stubbornly high inflation data, stoked fears of stagflation. Wall Street earlier this year expected that the central bank would ease rates as many as six times in 2024, beginning in March. Yellen said the weaker reading was not “concerning,” mentioning that measures of underlying growth were strong in Thursday’s report.

Persons: Stocks, ”, Ayako Yoshioka, Janet Yellen, Alessandra Galloni, Alicia Wallace, ” Yellen, “, we’ve, Yellen, Read, Freddie Mac, Bryan Mena, Lawrence Yun Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Gross, Commerce Department, Atlanta, Fed, Thursday’s, Group, Traders, Bank of America, Reuters, National Association of Realtors Locations: New York, Yellen

☆ US pending home sales jumped in March, beating expectations by a mile
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —Home sales based on contract signings jumped in March despite elevated mortgage rates that month. Contract signings rose across the country in March from the prior month, except in the Midwest. Hotter-than-expected inflation readings in recent months are now keeping the Federal Reserve from cutting interest rates anytime soon. Those are the so-called “golden handcuffs” of low mortgage rates. They began to climb in early 2022 when the Federal Reserve started to hike interest rates in a bid to tamp down high inflation.

Persons: ”, Lawrence Yun, ” Oliver Allen, it’s, Yun Organizations: Washington CNN —, National Association of Realtors, Federal Reserve, Treasury, Pantheon

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

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

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

☆ March homes sales dropped despite a surge in supply. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Rising mortgage rates are likely the cause of the slowdown. Mortgage rates stayed lower in January, in the mid 6% range on the popular 30-year fixed loan. Inventory did improve slightly, rising 4.7% month to month to 1.11 million homes for sale at the end of March. Investors pulled back a bit, making up 15% of sales, compared with 21% in February and 17% in March of last year. Mortgage rates have moved even higher this month, with the average rate on the 30-year fixed hovering around 7.5%, according to Mortgage News Daily.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, It's, Yun Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Investors, Mortgage News Locations: West, That's

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

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

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

Housing gloomThe higher-for-longer inflation predicament has hit the U.S. housing market like a thunderbolt. More economists are paring their bets that the Fed will cut rates after the latest Consumer Price Index report. They all argue that sticky inflation will force the Fed to keep borrowing costs higher for longer. The country is growing faster than many peers, but voters are zeroing in on inflation to explain their disapproval of President Biden’s handling of the economy. (Some DealBook readers in recent days have emailed to say that they’re strongly feeling the pain of housing inflation.)

Persons: Goldman Sachs, ” Lawrence Yun, Biden’s Organizations: Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, National Association of Realtors

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

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

☆ Why buying a home isn't likely to get much cheaper even under Biden's housing plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Biden has a plan to make housing more affordable, but prices might be stuck in the stratosphere. "The effect on the housing affordability crisis is going to be muted. Some of Biden's housing affordability measures would fuel demand further at a time when supply is still historically tight, according to Lawrence Yun, the chief economist of NAR. But the problem with the housing market isn't really that there isn't enough money going toward housing. It's more the red tape and the local opposition that has been the biggest barrier to building housing," Fairweather said.

Persons: Biden, —, Joe Biden's, That's, Daryl Fairweather, Fairweather, Lawrence Yun, Yun, who's Organizations: Service, NAR, Department of Housing, Urban Locations: America

☆ February home sales spike 9.5%, the largest monthly gain in a year, as supply improves
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sales of existing homes surged 9.5% in February from January to 4.38 million units, on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, according to the National Association of Realtors. Sales were down 3.3% year over year, but it was the largest monthly gain since February 2023. Sales surged the most in the West, up 19.4%, and the South, up 16.4%. "Additional housing supply is helping to satisfy market demand," said Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist. Inventory rose 10.3% year over year to 1.07 million homes for sale at the end of February.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, Yun Organizations: National Association of Realtors . Housing, Mortgage News Daily Locations: West, California, Florida, Georgia

☆ The American Dream is under siege
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Parents of young children are making difficult choices to afford child care — or they’re opting to evade it by dropping out of the workforce altogether. Even as the inflation rate has cooled across the US economy, child care remains a sore spot for many families. The weekly price of day care for a toddler surged 9% in 2023, according to Care.com, a marketplace for child care. Of course, Allison is hardly alone in feeling like the American Dream has been more difficult — and expensive — to attain than imagined. “The American dream is being taken away from the younger generation by the housing affordability challenges,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors.

Persons: Hana Husković, Price, Hana, Michelle, they'll, ” Hana, “, It’s, they’ll, ’ Allison Powell, Liam Kelly, ” Allison, Allison Powell, Corinne ., ”, Allison, I’ll, homebuyers, Lotfi Karoui, Goldman Sachs, Lawrence Yun, Yun, Priscilla Almodovar, Fannie Mae, ” Almodovar, that’s, Almodovar, they’d, Homebuilding, Mark Zandi, Biden, ” Lael Brainard, Brainard, ” Brainard, ‘, Rachael Gambino, Garrett Mazzeo, Rachael, Deborah Brunswick, John General, ” Rachael, won’t, they’ve, – Organizations: New, New York CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wall, CNN, Federal, Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, Bloomberg, Getty, Rust Belt, National Association of Realtors, North, NAR, That’s, Baby Boomers, Homeowners, Federal Reserve, Moody’s Analytics, White, National Economic Council, American, Target, Starbucks, Facebook Locations: New York, United States, Atlanta, Peachtree Corners , Georgia, Decatur, Decatur , Georgia, Carolina, Yugoslavia, Italy, Mexico, Oakland , California, Livermore, San Francisco, California, Los Angeles, San Diego, Francisco, Miami, Honolulu, Rust, Des Moines , Iowa, Dayton , Ohio, Cleveland , Ohio, Scranton , Pennsylvania, Los Angeles , California, North America, America, States, Lansdale , Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

☆ Mortgage rates edge closer to 7%, dampening start of spring homebuying season
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington, DC CNN —Mortgage rates climbed for the fourth week in a row, inching closer to 7% just as peak homebuying season gets underway. Since reaching a 20-year high of 7.79% in October, mortgage rates have been slowly falling. The average mortgage rate is based on mortgage applications that Freddie Mac receives from thousands of lenders across the country. Last week, mortgage applications dropped 5.6% from the week before, according to the MBA. Higher home prices pushed loan amounts higher in January, offsetting what was a monthly decline in mortgage rates, said Edward Seiler, MBA’s associate vice president for housing economics.

Persons: Freddie Mac, ”, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s, Khater, Bob Broeksmit, Mike Fratantoni, Edward Seiler, MBA’s, Lawrence Yun Organizations: DC CNN —, “, Federal Reserve, Mortgage, Association, National Association of Realtors Locations: Washington

Thanks to high mortgage rates, mortgage refinance rates, and even higher home prices, the mood among hopeful homebuyers has been fairly bleak. Is there a chance the housing market will crash anytime soon? Though a large number of Americans believe the housing market is at risk of crashing, the economists who study housing market conditions overwhelmingly do not expect a crash in 2024 or beyond. The US is currently between 2.3 million and 6.5 million units short of a healthy housing supply, according to Realtor.com. What a housing market crash would mean for homebuyersAnything is possible, and nobody has a crystal ball to see for certain what will happen in the housing market in the coming months and years.

Persons: —, homebuyers, Fannie Mae's, Lawrence Yun, Yun Organizations: Service, Housing Survey, National Association of Realtors, Housing Locations: Chevron

☆ Everyday investors are feeling good about the market again
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Retail investors are optimistic about the stock market again despite a backdrop of geopolitical and economic uncertainty. CNN’s Fear & Greed Index, which measures seven barometers of market sentiment, closed at an “extreme greed” reading on Thursday. Unsurprisingly, investors are largely bullish on artificial intelligence-related stocks over the next three months, according to the Schwab survey. The job market has also stayed remarkably strong even as interest rates hover around a 23-year high, helping keep recession worries at bay. About 48% of traders believe the US will likely avoid a recession this year, up from 23% last quarter, according to the Schwab survey.

Persons: Charles Schwab, Schwab, ”, James Kostulias, stoking, Anna Bahney, —, Lawrence Yun, Read, Henri Nestlé, Wegovy, Hanna Ziady, Mark Schneider, ” Read Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Retail, “, Dow Jones, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal, National Association of Realtors, NAR Locations: New York, United Kingdom, Japan, Washington, Swiss

☆ 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

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