A sign is posted in front of a home for sale in San Rafael, California, on Aug. 7, 2024. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Mortgage rates dipped slightly last week, but so did mortgage demand, as housing affordability continues to sideline potential buyers. Total mortgage application volume fell 6.6% for the week, according to the
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It’s still too soon to fully calculate the cost of the Los Angeles wildfires, but one thing is clear: The cost of insurance will go up, and that will affect not just the value of LA real estate but of real estate across the nation. The losses from those wildfires may seem unimaginable now, but
In this article FMCC FNMA Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two pillars of the U.S. mortgage market, are currently controlled by the federal government. Some in Washington, D.C. expect President Trump to push for the end of their conservatorship. “We have a mortgage finance system that works really well
Sentiment among the nation’s single-family homebuilders dropped to the lowest level in five months in February, largely due to concern over tariffs, which would raise their costs significantly. The National Association of Home Builders’ Housing Market Index, or HMI, dropped a sharp 5 points from January to a reading of 42. Anything below 50 is
Martin Barraud | Ojo Images | Getty Images As U.S. home equity climbs, owners are more likely to face capital gains taxes from selling property. But a lesser-known tax strategy could help shrink your bill, experts say. When selling your main home, there’s a special tax break that shields up to $250,000 of profits for
It can cost on average of $2,050 to live in Tokyo for a month as a single person, according to Numbeo’s data. Jackyenjoyphotography | Moment | Getty Images Moving to a major city often comes with big benefits and opportunities, but it’s important to figure out if it makes sense financially before taking the leap.
Patchogue, N.Y.: A For Sale sign hangs in front of a house in Patchogue, New York, on June 1, 2024. Steve Pfost | Newsday | Getty Images Mortgage rates moved slightly lower again last week, keeping refinance demand on the rise. Applications to refinance a home loan jumped 10% compared with the previous week and
People walk by a sign for Freddie Mac headquarters on July 14, 2008 in McLean, Virginia. AFP Photo/Paul J. Richards (Photo credit should read PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images) Paul J. Richards | Afp | Getty Images Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — the two giant mortgage finance firms controlled by the federal government
The city of New Orleans is still rebuilding and repairing homes that were damaged in the fallout from 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. The storm flooded hundreds of thousands of homes in New Orleans, killed over 1,800 people and displaced millions. It remains the costliest tropical cyclone in U.S. history, with an estimated $201.3 billion in associated
Maskot | Maskot | Getty Images Renters should reap the benefits of a lower-cost rental market while they can. It might not last, experts say. As of December, the median asking rent price in the U.S. was $1,695, down 0.5% — or $8 — from November, according to a report by Realtor.com. The latest rent price
A Ferrari-inspired mansion known as Casa Maranello in Delray Beach, Florida, shattered a local record last week when it traded for $50.5 million. Not only was the megadeal the biggest the area has ever seen, but it was also one of the most unusual: The sale included a mansion swap, bespoke furniture, elaborate chandeliers, art,
Single-family homes in a residential neighborhood in San Marcos, Texas. Jordan Vonderhaar | Bloomberg | Getty Images Homebuyers are seeing very little reason to get a jump on the all-important spring housing market, even with more listings coming up for sale. Mortgage rates haven’t moved much in the last few weeks, and home prices continue
The U.S. housing market was already struggling under the weight of high mortgage interest rates, a low supply of existing homes for sale and historically high home prices. Now tariffs on building materials are adding even more pressure. Roughly 30% of softwood lumber consumed in the U.S. is imported, largely from Canada. Wallboard, known as
Vesnaandjic | E+ | Getty Images The cost to rent is coming down faster in some areas of the U.S. than others. Overall, rent affordability is improving thanks to a combination of factors, said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. One is, there’s more supply. “There are more apartments for rent now because there was
Remains of Karen Bagnard’s Altadena, California, house after it burned in the January 2025 Los Angeles-area wildfires. Courtesy: Chelsea On the night of Jan. 7, Karen Bagnard sat in her Altadena, California, house in the dark. Forceful winds had caused her home to lose power, and she also had no running water, save for one
Homes burn above Pacific Coast Highway during the Palisades Fire on Jan. 8, 2025, in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Photo by Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images Alicia Kalvin awoke the morning of Jan. 7 to an urgent text from a friend: “There’s a fire on your street.” She hurried outside, alarmed to see
In this article SLG Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT The Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and One Vanderbilt are seen among other buildings in midtown Manhattan in New York City on Jan. 11, 2024. Angela Weiss | Afp | Getty Images Demand for New York City office space has finally returned to pre-pandemic
Vgajic | E+ | Getty Images If you’re a renter, the market may be shifting in your favor. As of December, the median asking rent price in the U.S. was $1,695, down 0.5% — or $8 — from November, according to a new report by Realtor.com. The latest rent price is 1.1% lower — or
Signed contracts on existing homes dropped a sharp 5.5% in December from the previous month and fell 5% from the prior year, according to the National Association of Realtors. The drop followed four straight months of gains and is the index was at its lowest level since August. These so-called pending sales are an indicator
The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday it will leave interest rates unchanged as inflation continues to run above the Fed’s 2% mandate. The move comes after the central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by a full percentage point last year and in the wake of President Donald Trump‘s comment during his first week back in office that he’ll
A for sale sign is displayed outside of a home for sale on August 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty Images Mortgage rates didn’t move last week, but demand for new home loans continued to weaken. Both home buyers and current homeowners are hampered by today’s higher interest
An aerial view of the sun rising above homes that burned in the Eaton Fire on January 21, 2025 in Altadena, California. Mario Tama | Getty Images A few weeks ago, the home of Dr. Damon Raskin in Los Angeles’ wildfire-stricken Pacific Palisades neighborhood burned to the ground. Yet even as he, his wife and
The Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates steady at the end of its two-day meeting next week, despite President Donald Trump’s comments on Thursday that he’ll “demand that interest rates drop immediately.” So far, the central bank has moved slowly to recalibrate policy after hiking its key benchmark 5.25 percentage points between 2022 and 2023 in an
Eleganza | E+ | Getty Images It’s exciting to find a new place to rent in your neighborhood or in a new city. That is, of course, unless you get duped. In so-called rental listing scams, scammers will make up listings that aren’t available for rent or simply do not exist in order to fraudulently
Burned trees from the Palisades Fire and dust blown by winds are seen from Will Rogers State Park, with the City of Los Angeles in the background, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Jan. 15, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Apu Gomes | Getty Images Insurance premiums were surging well before this year’s massive wildfires
The Good Brigade | Digitalvision | Getty Images Mortgage rates have risen in recent months, even as the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates. While those opposing movements may seem counterintuitive, they’re due to market forces that seem unlikely to ease much in the near term, according to economists and other finance experts. That may
Cofotoisme | E+ | Getty Images How long it takes you to save for a 20% down payment on a home depends in part on where you live. In a pricey area such as New York City, it could take the typical buyer roughly 10.85 years to save $173,000, which is 20% of the median
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
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