The Federal Reserve announced June 19 that it would not make changes to targets for its key interest rate, the federal funds rate, which influences what banks charge for consumer loans including mortgages. However, in line with some projections,

Numbers released June 18 by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development show that housing starts fell during the month of May, although building permit issues increased. Privately-owned housing starts dropped by 0.9

Newly appointed mortgage finance regulator Mark Calabria has made no secret of his goal to overhaul Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two government-controlled corporations with enormous sway over the U.S. mortgage market. However, it remains unclear exactly what the

The trend toward lower mortgage rates doesn’t appear to be a short-lived phenomenon, and has already boosted loan application activity to historically high levels. As a result, lending industry executives are responding with their most optimistic outlook on the

In every decision they make, parents tend to make their children their top priority. And according to new research from Zillow, the same goes for the considerations they make when shopping for a new home More than the life

HUD confirms ‘Dreamers’ are ineligible for FHA loans The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development confirmed for the first time that undocumented immigrants given temporary residence under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy (known as Dreamers) are

A new report by home remodeling website Fixr lists the top 20 metropolitan areas in the country for the number of construction permits filed in 2018. The list includes many “usual suspects” like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago

Two recent measures of Americans’ confidence in the national housing market improved in the last month, showing that more homeowners as well as consumers are generally feeling more optimistic about this key segment of the U.S. economy. One of

A new report by John Burns Real Estate Consulting attempts to quantify and forecast the real estate impact of 2017’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and takes stock of some measurable aspects of the law’s effects about a year

The eighth annual Houzz & Home Study, released June 5, revealed the trends, desires, budgets and challenges of homeowners taking on remodeling projects. These takeaways will help you assist clients who are looking to upgrade their living spaces. Spending

Fannie, Freddie conservatorship plans in final stages Long-discussed plans to take Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac out of their government-controlled conservatorship status and return ownership to private shareholders may be nearly complete. The Wall Street Journal reported May 30

A surge in demand for homes combined with a widespread shortage of supply caused home prices to surge beyond the reach of many buyers in the last year. Fortunately for prospective buyers and the U.S. housing market at large,

Ridesharing and house flipping: A perfect pair? Houses suitable for a flip can be in short supply these days, but services are sprouting up to find them using a unique business model. In a recent article, The Wall Street

It’s clear we’re in a transitional real estate market at the moment, but the destination isn’t quite as obvious. While this year has been notoriously difficult to predict in terms of home sales, there are three indicators that can

While much of the buzz around the National Association of Realtors’ Legislative Meetings revolved around the fact that President Donald Trump would be the first sitting president to accept the organization’s invitation to address members in their annual pilgrimage

Tariffs cause growing concern in remodeling industry The escalating trade dispute between the U.S. and China continues to make headlines. While the actual effects of the new tariffs introduced by both countries are myriad, they are having a discernible