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The problem of stolen manhole covers in Turkey might seem an unlikely starting point for a new way for buildings to withstand earthquakes and tackle the construction industry’s environmental issues, but when a Turkish businessman heard about a new material that prevented the thefts, it sparked an idea. Cast iron is traditionally used to make

Interest rates moved lower near the end of 2024 as the Federal Reserve cut rates three times, shaving a full percentage point off the federal funds rate since September. In 2025, that trend is likely to continue. But with inflation still above the Fed’s 2% target, a strong labor market and a new administration, the central

Flames and smoke from the Palisades Fire surround a home (C) in the community of Topanga, California, on January 9, 2025.  David Swanson | Afp | Getty Images Firefighters are still working to contain the record-breaking fires that have been raging for more than a week in Southern California. The fires in the Greater Los

A completed planned development is seen in Ashburn, Virginia, on Aug. 14, 2024. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images Mortgage demand started this year stronger than it did last year, even though interest rates are higher. Total mortgage application volume last week was 7% higher than the same week one year ago, according to

Sunlight illuminates the front of a row of Victorian-era houses in a terraced street in Bristol, England.  Matt Cardy | Getty Images News | Getty Images LONDON — Hundreds of thousands of U.K. homeowners are facing the prospect of higher mortgage rates after a spike in U.K. borrowing costs. Major high street lender Virgin Money

Houses along a hillside outside Marbella on the sunny coast, Costa del Sol, in Spain. Marcus Lindstrom | Istock | Getty Images Spain is planning to impose a tax of 100% on homes bought by non-EU residents as it looks to tackle an entrenched housing crisis in the country. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on

First-time homebuyers may struggle to find adequate starter homes when the 2025 buying season begins this spring. The homes that once gave Americans a stepping stone into real estate are disappearing, according to experts. While the exact definition of a starter home varies, they’re typically under 1,400 square feet. In 2023, just 9% of the

Residential homes in Discovery Bay, California, US, on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. Mortgage rates in the US increased to the highest level since July.  David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Mortgage rates last week moved higher for the fourth week in a row. That caused already very weak mortgage demand to drop even

Housing surveyors have reported the largest fall in new buyer inquiries in October since the financial crisis, excluding the period during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Isabel Infantes | Afp | Getty Images LONDON — U.K. house prices fell for the first time in nine months in December, as the country’s Budget and higher mortgage rates dampened

Residential 19th century style residential buildings in historic center of Paris, France. Kolderal | Moment | Getty Images Europe’s real estate sector is poised for further recovery in 2025, as investment activity picks up and growth returns across key market segments, analysts have predicted. A gradual uptick in transactions in 2024 looks set to gain

A for sale sign is displayed outside of a home for sale on August 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. United States real estate industry rules governing agent commissions will change on August 17 as part of a legal settlement between the National Association of Realtors and home sellers. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon /

Home Depot navigated a challenging 2024 marked by elevated interest rates and a cautious consumer. But as the year progressed, signs of recovery emerged, setting the stage for a rebound in 2025, fueled by increased housing turnover and pent-up demand in the home improvement market. Year-to-date performance: up 12% Forward price-to-earnings multiple: 25 versus a

A home available for sale is shown in Austin, Texas, on May 22, 2024. Brandon Bell | Getty Images There’s good news in the housing market to close out 2024: There’s a lot more supply. The bad news: A lot of that supply is stale, sitting unsold for much longer than usual.  Active listings in

The Federal Reserve lowered its interest rate target three times in 2024. This has many Americans waiting for mortgage rates to fall. But that may not happen for some time. “I think the best case scenario is we’re going to continue to see mortgage rates hover around six and a half to 7%,” said Jordan

Homebuyers touring a house with a real estate agent. sturti | Getty The Federal Reserve on Wednesday cut interest rates for the third time in 2024. Despite the move, mortgage rates increased. The 30-year fixed rate mortgage spiked to 6.72% for the week ending Dec. 19, a day after the Fed meeting, according to Freddie

Investors own more than 131,000 homes in the Las Vegas Valley now. Las Vegas Review-journal | Tribune News Service | Getty Images Sales of previously owned homes rose 4.8% in November compared with October, according to the National Association of Realtors. That put them at a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of 4.15 million units. Sales

We’re buying 50 shares of CrowdStrike at roughly $354 each and 25 shares of Home Depot at roughly $390. Following Thursday’s trades, Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust will own 200 shares of CRWD, increasing its portfolio weighting to 2% from 1.5%. The Trust will also own 225 shares of HD, increasing its weighting to 2.5% from

Eyecrave Productions | E+ | Getty Images Buying a house is not easy or cheap, especially in today’s market.  But while it’s too soon to tell whether the housing market is going to favor buyers or sellers next year, some areas will offer more favorable market conditions than others, according to a new report by

Tim Kitchen | The Image Bank | Getty Images There may not be a lot of homes for sale these days, but there is a lot of housing space sitting empty. In fact, the most in recorded history. The number of extra bedrooms, which is defined as a bedroom in excess of the number of

The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it will lower its benchmark rate by another quarter point, or 25 basis points. This marks the third rate cut in a row — all together shaving a full percentage point off the federal funds rate since September. For consumers struggling under the weight of high borrowing costs after

Jeff Greenberg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images Mortgage rates moved markedly higher last week, causing overall mortgage demand to drop. Total application volume fell 0.7% compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. That was the first decline in five weeks. The average contract interest rate for

We’re buying 25 shares of Home Depot at roughly $407 each and 14 shares of Blackrock at roughly $1,041. Following Tuesday’s trades, Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust will own 200 shares of HD, increasing its weighting to 2.25% from about 2%. The Trust portfolio, used by the CNBC Investing Club, will own 75 shares of BLK

The Federal Reserve is expected to lower interest rates by another quarter point at the end of its two-day meeting on Dec. 18. That would mark the third rate cut in a row — altogether shaving a full percentage point off the federal funds rate since September. So far, the central bank has moved slowly as they recalibrate policy after

Mortgage rates fell again last week, and while the drop wasn’t huge, it was enough to spur current homeowners to look for some savings. The surge in refinances was behind a 5.4% increase in total mortgage demand compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. The average contract interest

Tal Alexander (L) and Oren Alexander (R). Getty Images Federal prosecutors accused top real estate agents Tal and Oren Alexander and their brother, Alon, of drugging and raping “dozens of victims” over more than a decade. The brothers were arrested in Miami Wednesday on sex trafficking charges related to the alleged assaults. They face charges of

Sdi Productions | E+ | Getty Images A number of factors can get your mortgage application denied. So-called “unverifiable income” is one of them.  Mortgage lenders want to know if you’re financially capable of paying back the loan. One way they’ll do that is by requesting documents like your federal income tax returns, W-2 and

After the deadly collapse of a 12-story condominium tower in the Surfside suburb of Miami, Florida, in 2021, state lawmakers implemented new requirements for older condominiums. Buildings at least 30 years old, like the Champlain tower that fell, have to undergo special inspections, make repairs and gather reserve funds for future maintenance. The deadline is

Miniseries | E+ | Getty Images Housing is not cheap — whether you’re buying or renting.  In October, the median sales price for a single-family home in the U.S. was $437,300, up from $426,800 a month prior, according to the latest data by the U.S. Census.  Meanwhile, the median rent price in the U.S. was

Mithrl is among a wave of startups coming back to San Francisco and working in person four days or more each week. Courtesy: Mithrl When Noah Jackson began his search for a new software engineering job at the start of 2024, there was one quality he knew he wanted in his next employer: office culture.

Feeling shut out of this hot market? Maybe some FOMO — fear of missing out. You’re not alone. The S & P 500 keeps plowing through record highs in the first week of December after November posted the best monthly gains of the year. All that buying, however, has pushed the market into overbought territory,