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The U.S. economy has remained remarkably strong even amid persistent inflation and high interest rates. And yet, 59% of Americans falsely believe that the U.S. is currently in a recession, according to a recent survey of 2,000 adults by Affirm in June. Citing higher costs and difficulty making ends meet, most respondents said they think

Brandi Schmitt and her family pose for a 2018 Christmas card in front of their Maryland home wearing protective gear, alluding to the water and mold damage in their home. Each year, Schmitt said they try to capture the family’s situation through their Christmas card. Courtesy: Brandi Schmitt When a nor’easter struck in 2018, intense

Democratic vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (L), and Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH). Getty Images With the major party tickets finalized, many voters are watching the candidates for personal finance policy that could impact their wallets.  Vice President Kamala Harris this week unveiled her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim

An aerial view shows a subdivision that has replaced the once rural landscape in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois. Scott Olson | Getty Images Mortgage interest rates dropped last week to the lowest level since May 2023, causing a surge in mortgage demand from both homebuyers and especially current homeowners. Total mortgage application volume rose 6.9% last

Record inflation may have people questioning whether homeownership is still a good investment. Home prices have been rising faster than incomes, which can be a problem for homeowners because as the value of a home rises, so does the cost to maintain it. More than 1 in 4 homeowners with mortgages are considered “cost-burdened,” meaning

A for sale sign in front of a home in Arlington, Virginia, on August 22, 2023. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images The average rate on the popular 30-year fixed mortgage dropped 22 basis points to 6.4% Friday, according to Mortgage News Daily. That is the lowest rate since April 2023. The 15-year fixed

A row of traditional houses on a street in London’s Muswell Hill suburb, located to the north of London, with views of the Canary Wharf on the horizon. Georgeclerk | Istock | Getty Images LONDON — Britain’s major high street lenders have begun slashing their mortgage rates in a sign that financial pressure on households

Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 30, 2024. Elijah Nouvelage | Afp | Getty Images “Building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency,” Vice President Kamala Harris said at a political event in Atlanta on Tuesday evening. “When our middle

The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it will leave interest rates unchanged. However, recent signs of economic growth and cooling inflation are paving the way for a widely anticipated September rate cut, which is welcome news for Americans struggling to keep up with sky-high interest charges. “Consumers should feel pretty good about the U.S. economy,”

Sdi Productions | E+ | Getty Images Home affordability has slightly improved for buyers this summer, according to a recent report.  The median new mortgage payment was $2,167 in June, a 2.4% decline from $2,219 in May, according to new data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The index measures how new monthly mortgage payments change

Valentinrussanov | E+ | Getty Images The Federal Reserve is poised to make the first interest rate cut in years this fall, which can influence mortgage rates to go down. Even small cuts in interest rates could make a meaningful difference in what a homebuyer will pay. To that point, people in the market to

A view of flooded streets after 24 hours of continuous heavy rain over Fort Myers, Florida, United States on June 13, 2024. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images Consumers preparing to renew their homeowners insurance policy may experience some unexpected sticker shock. Between May 2022 and May 2023, home insurance prices rose an average of

A development towers over the Lyric Theater in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood. Greg Iacurci MIAMI — Nicole Crooks stood in the plaza of the historic Lyric Theater, a royal blue hat shielding her from the midday sun that baked Miami. In its heyday, the theater, in the city’s Overtown neighborhood, was an important cultural hub for

A view of the Central Park Tower at 217 West 57th St. in New York City. Source: Cody Boone, SERHANT Studios A version of this article first appeared in CNBC’s Inside Wealth newsletter with Robert Frank, a weekly guide to the high net worth investor and consumer. Sign up to receive future editions, straight to your inbox.

Even as home prices hit new highs, experts say there are signs that the housing market is becoming better for buyers in some locations. The median cost of an existing, single-family home in the U.S. was $426,900 in June, a new all-time high, according to the National Association of Realtors. About 3.89 million homes were

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks during a campaign event at West Allis Central High School in West Allis, Wisconsin, on July 23, 2024. Kevin Mohatt | Reuters “Building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency,” Vice President Kamala Harris said at a political event in West Allis, Wisconsin, on Tuesday

Monthly rent in Shanghai’s city-center costs approximately $2,700, according to data by Numbeo. Zorazhuang | E+ | Getty Images Living in a major city can come with a hefty price tag, so it’s best to be informed before you make that big move. In Asia, Hong Kong and Singapore top the list for cost of

US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, July 22, 2024. Ting Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images As she is poised to be the Democratic nominee for president, it remains to be seen how much Vice President Kamala Harris’ policies will mirror

Rana Robillard, an Oakland-based tech executive, in front of the home in Orinda, CA that she attempted to purchase earlier this year. Courtesy: Rana Robillard After a yearlong search, Rana Robillard was elated to learn she’d beaten three other bidders for a house in the leafy California suburb of Orinda, just outside of San Francisco. So

An aerial view shows a subdivision that has replaced the once rural landscape on July 19, 2023 in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois. Scott Olson | Getty Images Mortgage interest rates eased very slightly last week, but not enough to get today’s potential homebuyers off the fence. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with

Heat waves this summer have slowed down open house foot traffic in some areas, according to a recent report. Summertime home sellers may need to get creative to beat the heat. Pending home sales are down 5.6% from a year ago, the biggest decline in eight months, according to Redfin, a real estate brokerage firm. While

Two renters pose in front of their new home that they’re renting from Roots, a program that helps renters invest in real estate. Courtesy: Katie Curran When Will Hunnicutt was searching for an apartment in Atlanta earlier this year, pricey leases and application rejections left him feeling defeated. “The three-and-a-half times income-to-rent ratio is kind

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 Sales of previously owned homes dropped 5.4% in June compared with May, to 3.89 million units on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis, according to the National Association of

KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN – JULY 17: US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a moderated conversation with former Trump administration national security official Olivia Troye and former Republican voter Amanda Stratton on July 17, 2024 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Harris’ visit, following the attempted assassination of former President Trump, makes this her fourth trip to Michigan this

Halbergman | E+ | Getty Images Are you ready to buy a home? Many renters have no idea. Millions of renter households in 2022 would have been able to buy a house that year, according to a new analysis by Zillow, which is based on estimates from the American Community Survey by the U.S. Census

Housing is the most considerable expense for U.S. consumers — and while high rents and home prices are obstacles to saving for potential homebuyers, access to affordable credit is another significant roadblock.  An estimated 50 million Americans are “credit invisible,” according to a 2022 fact sheet from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s

International buyers of U.S. residential real estate are running into the same hurdles as domestic buyers — namely high prices and tight supply — but they’re also up against a strong U.S. dollar, which makes the properties even more expensive for them. As a result, international buyers are pulling out. They purchased 54,300 existing homes

Courtney Keating | Getty Images Mortgage rates dropped to the lowest level since March last week, sparking swift demand in refinancing. Homebuyers, however, seemed unimpressed. Applications to refinance a home loan jumped 15% last week, compared with the previous week, to the highest level since August 2022, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted

America is embroiled in a housing crisis. The supply of homes is tight. The supply of affordable homes is even tighter, and persistently high mortgage rates make things even worse. But the extent of the problem varies from state to state. That is why companies take the local residential real estate market into account when

With San Francisco facing record high commercial vacancies, one mayoral candidate has a plan to reshape the city’s business district and surrounding areas. Democrat Mark Farrell, former interim Mayor, is proposing a 20-year vision to revitalize San Francisco’s downtown in a bid to help the city bounce back from challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. His