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☆ More than half of American renters who want to buy a home fear they’ll never afford one
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Matthew Egan | Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Among those same renters who can’t afford to buy a home right now, 54% think it’s unlikely they’ll ever be able to, the poll found. The CNN poll found that 90% of renters younger than 45 say they’d like to buy but can’t afford it, compared with 79% of those age 45 and above. Most adults (53%) younger than 45 who want to buy but can’t afford it believe it’s at least somewhat likely they’ll eventually be able to buy a home. Among renters who want to buy but can’t afford it, 40% say the biggest barrier is saving for a down payment, according to the CNN poll. Seventy percent of Americans call owning a home essential to achieving the American dream, the CNN poll found.

Persons: SSRS, Brent Bjornsen, ” Bjornsen, Hurricane Harvey, We’re, ”, Baby, ’ Jeremy Andersson, Millennials, ” Andersson, “, Andersson, I’m, “ I’m, Zillow, they’ll, they’d, “ I’ve, “ It’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Baby Boomers, Federal Reserve, National Association of Realtors, Covid Locations: New York, United States, America, Phoenix , Arizona, Houston, Atlanta , Georgia

☆ These homeowners are ‘hacking’ their pools and lawns to earn extra cash
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Now, newer offerings allow homeowners to rent out portions of their homes on an even shorter-term basis, often by the hour. One of these platforms is Swimply, an online marketplace for private pool rentals that launched in 2020, just as the pandemic halted travel and more people looked to get their kicks locally. Peer-to-peer rental marketplaces of all kinds have popped up: RentMyCourt (private tennis and pickleball court rentals), SniffSpot (backyard rentals for dogs), CurbFlip (driveway and parking space rentals) and Vanly (driveway and shower rentals for people traveling in camper vans or RVs). Younger homebuyers are keenly aware of the opportunity to offset their expenses with extra cash. While the extra income is a focus for many homeowners, some participating in this budding industry say they’ve found something unexpected: community.

Persons: Alexis Hammond, ” Hammond, Hammond, she’s, it’s, Kellie Finch, Michael Kukuk, Kukuk, “, ” Swimply, ” Derek Callow, homebuyers, Peerspace, Rony Chammas, they’ve, Leslie Garabedian's, Stevie, Eddie, Leslie Garabedian Leslie Garabedian, West, ”, Garabedian, ” Garabedian Organizations: CNN, Baltimore, Baltimore Ravens, SniffSpot Locations: Peerspace, Houston, West Caldwell , New Jersey

Mortgage rates have been prohibitively high this year for many would-be homebuyers. But as mortgage affordability improves throughout the next few months, more buyers should be able to find a home and mortgage payment that fits their budget. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowToday's refinance ratesMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. This is a significant slowdown compared when it peaked at 9.1% in 2022, which means mortgage rates should start trending down soon. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: you'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: Zillow, Mortgage, Association, Sky Locations: Chevron

It's also looking increasingly likely that mortgage rates will drop even further in the coming months. As inflation continues to slow and the Fed is able to start lowering the federal funds rate, mortgage rates should trend down. This will remove some of the upward pressure off of mortgage rates and allow them to fall a bit. 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. Mortgage Rates for Buying a Home30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Inch Up (+0.08%)The current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.38%, up eight basis points from where it was this time last week, according to Zillow data.

Persons: It's, you'll, refinance, they've Organizations: Commerce Department, Federal, Zillow, FHA Locations: Chevron

☆ Climate change is gentrifying neighborhoods. In Miami, residents fear high prices — and a lost soul
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-27 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +16 min

Part of the building site of the Magic City development in Little Haiti. Among the properties is Sixty Uptown Magic City, billed as a collection of luxury residential units. Plaza Equity Partners, a real estate developer and one of the Magic City partners, did not respond to CNBC's requests for comment. Magic City development site in Little Haiti. Magic City investors also invested $31 million in the Little Haiti Revitalization Trust, created and administered by the City of Miami to support community revitalization in Little Haiti.

Persons: Greg Iacurci, Greg Iacurci MIAMI — Nicole Crooks, James Brown, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis, Overtown, Crooks, Nicole Crooks, Carl Gershenson, Gershenson, Moody's, Robert Zangrillo, Princeton's Gershenson, Andrew Rumbach, Chris Rogers, Rumbach, Brown, Fredericka Brown, Carolyn Donaldson, Greg Iacurci Carolyn Donaldson, Donaldson, David Arditi, Greg Iacurci Flood, Arditi, homebuyers, Han Li, Richard J, Grant, Todd Crowl, Urban Institute Paulette Richards, Richards, who's, Carl Juste, Greg Iacurci Carl Juste's, — Viter, Maria Juste, Little, Little Haiti —, " Juste, Juste, Neil Fairman Organizations: Lyric, Greg Iacurci MIAMI, Catalyst Miami, Princeton University Eviction, Magic City, Liberty City —, Dade, Harvard University, Florida International University, Magic City Innovation, Dragon, Miami ZIP, Liberty City, Miami, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Urban Institute, Marshall Fire, Photodisc, Georgia Institute of Technology, Brookings Institution, Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, Macedonia Missionary Baptist, Grove Rights, Community Equity, Development, Developers, City, Aria Development, Federal Emergency Management Agency, University of Miami, Florida International University Institute of Environment, Women, Leadership Miami, Little Haiti, Magic City Innovation District, Dragon Global, Magic, Plaza Equity Partners, Lune, Lambert, Little Haiti Revitalization Trust Locations: Miami's Overtown, Miami, Overtown , Miami, Magic, Little Haiti, U.S, Zillow, Overtown, Allapattah, Liberty, Dade County, Kendall, West Palm, Delray, Honolulu, Louisville , Colorado, Colorado, Coconut Grove, Macedonia, West, West Grove, Bahamas, Grove, City of Miami, Brickell, Caribbean, Liberty City, Haitian Diaspora, Magic City, Lune Rouge

☆ A $1 million starter home is now the norm in more than 200 US cities
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

A Thursday report from Zillow indicates that a typical starter home is now worth $1 million or more in 237 cities, up from 84 cities in 2019, underscoring America’s ongoing home affordability crisis. “We see the largest number of million-dollar starter homes in expensive coastal markets. To further complicate things for first-time buyers, the value of starter homes has grown at a faster pace than the average home. According to Zillow, starter home values have grown 54.1% over the past five years, while the average US home has increased by 49.1%. The nationwide average price tag for a starter home is $196,611, according to Zillow.

Persons: underscoring, ” Orphe, “, It’s, homebuyer, Zillow, Jeffrey Jenkins, Divounguy, “ That’s, ”, Lawrence Yun Organizations: CNN, Gallup, National Association of Realtors, University of Southern Locations: Zillow, California , New York, New Jersey, University of Southern California, United States

The summer is usually a peak time for the housing market, but rising prices and still-high mortgage rates have kept demand relatively low. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage Refinance Rates TodayMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's interest rates will affect your monthly payments. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesLast week's average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.78%, according to Freddie Mac. Mortgage rates increased dramatically over the last two years, but they're expected to go down at some point this year.

Persons: Freddie Mac, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's, you'll, it's Organizations: Federal Reserve, National Association of Realtors, Zillow Locations: Chevron

☆ Defining a buyer's market 'is always a bit tricky,' real estate expert says: 4 signs to monitor
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Despite those headwinds, some indicators show the housing market is shifting away from a seller's market. That doesn't mean it's a buyer's market — yet: "The term buyer's market is always a bit tricky to work with," said Chen Zhao, the economic research lead at Redfin, an online real estate brokerage firm. There are "rules of thumb" to define a buyer's market, like having more than four months of supply, she said. "We're still nationwide somewhat in a seller's market, not a buyer's market yet," he said. Here are four signs that can help you recognize if the housing market in your area is more in buyers' favor: 1.

Persons: Freddie Mac, Chen Zhao, Zhao, they're, We're, Daryl Fairweather, Redfin, Julie Zubiate, Selma Hepp, Sellers Organizations: National Association of Realtors, NAR, Federal, Zillow, CNBC, Finance, Sdi, San Francisco Bay Area Locations: U.S, Redfin, San Francisco Bay

☆ Starter homes cost more than $1 million in a record 237 cities
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Typical starter homes are worth at least $1 million in a record 237 US cities, Zillow reported. Nearly half of these cities are in California, with New York and New Jersey also heavily represented. AdvertisementA record number of US cities now have typical starter homes worth at least $1 million, Zillow reported. On average, homebuyers can find seven-figure starter properties in 237 metros, the firm said, a considerable jump from where values stood five years ago. Zillow defined typical starter homes as properties in the lower third of values.

Persons: —, Zillow Organizations: Service, metros, Business Locations: California, New York, New Jersey

Average 30-year mortgage rates continue to hover in the mid-6% range after dropping earlier this month, according to Zillow data. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.77% last week, according to Freddie Mac. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesLast week, average 15-year mortgage rates were 6.05%, a 12-basis-point decrease from the previous week, according to Freddie Mac data. Once the Fed cuts rates, mortgage rates should fall even further.

Persons: homebuyers, myFICO, you'll, Freddie Mac, it's Organizations: Federal Reserve, Zillow Locations: Chevron

Mortgage rates haven't moved much in recent days, with average 30-year mortgage rates sticking around 6.51% so far this week, according to Zillow data. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates were 6.05% this week, according to Freddie Mac data, which is a 12-basis-point decrease from the previous week. As inflation comes down and the Federal Reserve is able to start cutting the federal funds rate, mortgage rates should fall further as well. Now that the Fed has paused hiking rates, mortgage rates have come down a bit.

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

Mortgage rates are up slightly today but they remain below their early-July highs. Mortgage rates are expected to trend down throughout the remainder of 2024 as long as inflation continues to slow. As mortgage rates drop, borrowers with rates in the 7% or 8% range should be able to save money by refinancing. 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. As inflation slows and the Federal Reserve is able to start cutting the federal funds rate, mortgage rates are expected to trend down as well.

Persons: Fannie Mae Organizations: Zillow, Federal Reserve, Mortgage, Association, ARM Locations: Chevron

☆ A New Hampshire couple who wants to retire by age 35 shares the 'house-hacking' strategy that's grown their net worth to over $800,000
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewIn 2019, at the age of 23, Lauren Simpson and her husband Ian decided to pursue an ambitious goal: retire by age 35. The rest is from the equity they've built in four properties they've purchased over the last three years: one primary residence and three rental properties. These properties also provide the couple with rental income that they put toward their savings. When someone buys a second home or investment property, mortgage lenders often require a downpayment of at least 10%. In addition to buying investment properties, Simpson said she and Ian have done whatever they can to grow their savings.

Persons: —, Lauren Simpson, Ian, Simpson, Roth, they've, New Hampshire — Simpson, we've Organizations: Service, Business, FIRE, Roth IRA, baseball Locations: New Hampshire, Florida, —

☆ The worst may be over for homebuyers
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But there are now signs that maybe, just maybe, the worst could be over for homebuyers. “June, in particular, has started to show the housing market slowing down in favor of buyers,” said Skylar Olsen, Zillow’s chief economist. While the Fed doesn’t directly set mortgage rates, its actions do influence borrowing costs throughout the economy. For the past two years, potential homebuyers have faced a double whammy of high prices and high mortgage rates. “We’re sitting today at probably, if not the worst affordability ever, really close to the worst affordability ever — so we almost have nowhere to go but up,” Sharga said.

Persons: ”, Skylar Olsen, Green, Rick Sharga, CJ Patrick Company, “ We’re, ” Sharga, “, ” Olsen, “ That’s, Sharga, Leslie Heindel, ” Heindel Organizations: CNN, homebuyers, Federal Reserve, Fed, Reserve, CJ, Homes, Wall Street Locations: New Orleans

Mortgage rates have steadily been decreasing for several months now. Mortgage rates are determined by a variety of factors, including economic trends, Fed policy, investor demand, and more. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowToday's refinance ratesMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. This is a significant slowdown compared when it peaked at 9.1% in 2022, which means mortgage rates should start trending down soon. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: they've, Freddie Mac, you'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: Federal Reserve, Zillow, Mortgage, Association, Sky Locations: Chevron

Determining your budgetYou can figure out how much house you can afford to buy using our free mortgage calculator. While you may already have an idea of what you think you can afford, you'll need to find out how the bank sees you. It will include a list of all of your finalized closing costs and how much cash you'll need to close. The final walkthroughBefore closing, you'll also get a chance to view the home one more time. How to buy a house FAQsHow much down payment do I need to buy a house?

Persons: You'll, George Chedid, Dana Bull, They're, Bull, you've, Don't, it's, They'll, you'll, they've, Chedid Organizations: Compass, Federal Housing Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs, US Department of Agriculture, you'll, Homeowners Insurance Allstate, Insurance Locations: Kendall Park , New Jersey, Chevron, Boston

You can find foreclosed properties for sale on online listing sites or in your local newspaper. Often, you can browse foreclosed properties in your area using the same methods you would to buy a regular home, such as online listing sites like Zillow. Foreclosed properties owned by the government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can also be found online. Fannie Mae's program for Fannie-owned foreclosed properties is called HomePath, while Freddie Mac's is called HomeSteps. Just be prepared for repair costs, as many foreclosed properties need significant updates before they're habitable.

Persons: they're, they'd, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae's, Freddie Mac's, you'd, Kofi Nartey, it's Organizations: Fannie, HUD, REO Locations: Chevron

☆ A millennial couple overcame 3 challenges turning a ruined chapel into a $250-a-night Airbnb. Take a look.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-22 | by ( Maria Noyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

"We were like, 'Oh, look at that cute little church," O'Mara, a 39-year-old real-estate agent, told Business Insider. AdvertisementThey didn't think of the chapel again until O'Mara stumbled upon it when scanning real-estate listings for work. The Dunnigans turned the chapel into an event space and an Airbnb that they said brings in $40,000 in revenue a year. The chapel was built by volunteers in the early 1900s to be a place of worship for Norwegian-speaking Lutherans. Paulette Hagen Simple Website CreationsThey then found a local contractor whose father had built church altars.

Persons: —, O'Mara, Adam Dunnigan, " O'Mara, Adam, Dunnigans, Paulette Hagen, wouldn't, Adam's, they've, — O'Mara Organizations: Service, Detroit, Business Locations: Detroit Lakes , Minnesota, Minnesota, Fargo , North Dakota, Minneapolis, Audubon, Detroit Lakes, Portugal

As long as inflation continues to slow, mortgage rates should tick down further throughout the remainder of 2024. 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. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Barely Tick Up (+0.02%)The average 15-year mortgage rate is 5.68%, just two basis points higher than last week. Mortgage Refinance Rates30-Year Fixed Refinance Rates Fall (-0.37%)The average 30-year refinance rate is 7.08%, 37 basis points down from last week. Mortgage rates also rose dramatically in 2023, though they started trending back down toward the end of the year.

Persons: you'll, It's, refinance, they've Organizations: Federal, Zillow, FHA Locations: Chevron

☆ The salaries you'd need to afford iconic TV and movie homes from 'Full House', 'The Godfather' and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-21 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

This year, the Chicago-area house from "Home Alone" and the iconic "Full House" townhouse in San Francisco hit the market with asking prices in the millions. In June, CardRates.com examined 25 iconic houses featured on screen. Using Zillow's estimated home values and Bankrate's mortgage calculator, the report determined the monthly mortgage rates and the annual income required to afford each property. The mortgage rates were determined assuming a 20% down payment, a 30-year fixed loan, and the current interest rate as of June 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Some of the properties in CardRates.com's report are currently on the market and the amounts indicated are the current list prices.

Persons: you've, CardRates.com, Louis . Organizations: Federal Reserve Bank of St Locations: Chicago, San Francisco

☆ The housing market is close to a rare buying opportunity with prices set to drop in pandemic boom towns, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-21 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewProspective homebuyers may be better off staying on the sidelines: the housing market is on its way to a rare buying opportunity, with steep home price declines bound for key areas of the real-estate market in the coming years, according to one analyst. That's an additional ingredient on the top, which just makes it more likely that prices fall," Gerli told BI. AdvertisementThe situation in the South's housing market also bears some similarities to previous housing bubbles, Gerli noted. In key boom towns, home prices have shot up 50%-70% since the pandemic, though incomes have only risen 10%-20%, he said, citing municipal data. It'll take a long time for housing to become more affordable overall, given how overvalued the market is, Gerli said.

Persons: —, Nick Gerli, Gerli, Freddie Mac, That's, Southern homebuilders, we've, it's, Redfin, Homebuyers, It's Organizations: Service, Business, National Association of Realtors, Builders Locations: Florida, Southern, Texas

Mortgage rates have been trending down this month, and they could fall further throughout the remainder of 2024. This should remove some of the upward pressure off of mortgage rates and allow them to decrease. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's interest rates will affect your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates fell to 6.05% last week, according to Freddie Mac data. Mortgage rates increased dramatically over the last two years, but they're expected to go down at some point this year.

Persons: you'll, Freddie Mac, it's Organizations: Federal, Zillow, Federal Reserve Locations: Chevron

In America's 20 biggest cities, a 20% down payment ranges from $39,127 in Oklahoma City to $263,392 in San Jose, California. On a $200,000 home, a 3% down payment means you'll need $6,000. FHA mortgage: 3.5%To get an FHA mortgage, you'll need at least a 3.5% down payment. The exact amount you'll pay depends on your down payment and whether you've gotten a VA loan previously. PMI protects lenders on mortgages with high loan-to-value ratios, and it's added to the borrower's monthly mortgage payment.

Persons: you'll, Insider's, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, you've, You'll, it's Organizations: Phoenix, Fort, Oklahoma, PMI, Opportunity, National Association of Realtors, Chevron, USDA Locations: Oklahoma City, San Jose , California, Government, York City, NY, Angeles, LA, Chicago, Houston, AZ, Philadelphia, Antonio, Diego, Dallas, Austin, Jacksonville, Jose, Fort Worth , TX, Columbus, Charlotte, NC, Indianapolis, Francisco, Seattle, WA, Denver, homeownership, Chevron

☆ Could a dumb phone that's also a vape help break my iPhone addiction? I tried the Swype vape phone that's going viral.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

I first learned of the Swype vape on social media, where a few doctored images of its screen had gone viral. AdvertisementNow, an obvious disclaimer: Business Insider does not endorse vaping or starting to vape simply because it seems like it would be funny to have a vape phone. (Samatha Cole of 404 Media also tried out the Swype vape; we didn't plan this. The touchscreen does display notifications when you swipe up — I could see messages from Signal, news push alerts, X notifications, and texts. This app seems designed not for the Swype vape but for some sort of wearable fitness tracker.

Persons: I'm, Vape, vaping, Pina Colada, Samatha Cole, Katie Notopoulos, it's, Samantha Cole, I've, Insider's Jordan Hart, Tim Cook Organizations: Service, Business, Media, Bluetooth, Aircraft, Google, Shenzhen Communication Technology, Apple Watch Locations: Shenzhen, China

☆ The housing market is close to a rare buying opportunity as prices are set to drop in pandemic boom towns, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

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