National News

Realtor survey shows importance of tech in pandemic

Looking forward, 37% of the survey’s respondents expect drones to be the most-impactful technology over the next 24 months, followed by cyber security (34%), 5G (31%) and virtual reality (30%).

Share of international homebuyers fell last year

International buyers purchased 107,000 residential properties from April 2020 through March 2021, marking a 31% decline from the 154,000 residences bought the previous year.

New-home sales fall 6.6% in June

The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that the median sales price slid to $361,800 from $380,700 in May.

Mortgage applications fall as interest rates rise

Meanwhile, the seasonally adjusted purchase index declined 6% from the previous week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.

Housing starts tick higher in June

Privately owned housing units authorized by building permits in June came in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of
1,598,000, down 5.1 % from the revised May rate of 1,683,000, but 23.3% above the year-ago rate of 1,296,000.

NAHB: Builder confidence drops again on materials costs, supply-chain woes

July’s reading of 80 was down one point from June, but still signaled strong demand for housing, the National Association of Home Builders said.

Redfin: Housing market could be reaching something of an equilibrium

During the four-week period ended July 11, the average weekly share of homes for sale with a price drop passed 4% for the first time since September 2020.

Pandemic reshuffles homebuyers’ amenity priorities

Adjectives reflecting the desire for privacy and physical isolation gained a place of prominence: “private,” “covered,” “quiet,” “separate” and “enclosed” were among the top 100 most-used description terms.

DOJ withdraws from antitrust settlement with NAR

The department determined that the settlement would not do enough to protect its ability to investigate other conduct by the association affecting competition in the real estate market.

NAHB: Residential construction spending rises in May thanks to single-family sector

Strong growth of single-family construction spending drove the increase, while spending on multifamily construction was flat, the National Association of Home Builders said.

Realtors Relief Foundation launches 20th anniversary campaign

In light of the increasing number of natural disasters in recent years, the foundation commemorated its 20th anniversary by launching Hope Rising, “a campaign designed to ensure the foundation can respond to disasters as quickly and effectively as possible.”

Lenders accused of maternity-leave discrimination

Denying a mortgage to a woman because she is on or plans to be on maternity leave is against the law, but some lenders are accused of doing just that.

NAR: U.S. housing market is short 5.5 million homes

The shortage of housing in America is more “dire” than previously expected, and the NAR’s new report puts pressure on lawmakers to provide additional public funding and policy incentives to fix this massive underbuilding gap.

70% of homebuyers face bidding war
70% of homebuyers still facing bidding wars

Market competition has eased up recently, but seven in 10 buyers still face bidding wars, according to a new report from Redfin.

Asian-American homeownership grows but shows disparities between different ethnic groups

The number of Asian-headed households grew 83% in the past two decades, but economic inequality and inequity between different Asian ethnic regions is still an issue.

COVID savings fuels millennial down payments

First-time homebuyers found their long-term plans changed due to COVID.

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