Tag Archives: Urban Institute

Real estate industry welcomes FHA premium cuts, with caveats

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Cuts are expected to save borrowers $678 million a year but don’t apply to existing loans or release homeowners who have built up equity from “life-of-loan” requirements. Continue reading →

Why super long mortgages won’t be a thing, and why that’s good news

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Longer loans, including a 50-year concept recently floated in the U.K., are sometimes framed as a way to improve housing affordability. But the experts aren’t convinced. Continue reading →

How equitably is housing wealth distributed in your city?

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A new interactive tool from the Urban Institute compares housing wealth equity in cities across America, tracking disparities in homeownership rates, home values, and the distribution of housing wealth by race and ethnicity. Continue reading →

These are the most family-friendly suburbs in the US

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Looking at schools and infrastructure, realtor.com identified the most family-friendly suburb for each of the country’s 11 biggest cities. Continue reading →

Homeowners are cashing out equity like it’s 2005

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With home values soaring and mortgage rates still near historic lows, homeowners are cashing out home equity at volumes not seen since the height of the housing bubble. Continue reading →

7 facts about FHA loans you should know

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Knowing more about how FHA works — and how to work with FHA — helps agents identify opportunities for their first-time buyer clients, who make up one in three buyers today. FHA is not for everyone, but for millions of young families, it is the piece th… Continue reading →

Are low down payment loans really riskier?

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Higher down payments, coupled with poor savings habits, are making it very hard for millions of first-time buyers to save enough to buy a home. But new research shows that lenders and others might want to rethink the parameters around down payments mad… Continue reading →

Applying for a mortgage? How you repay your student loan is crucial

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Student loan borrowers who use an income-driven repayment plan could be at disadvantage for taking on a mortgage, a study by the Urban Institute shows. Continue reading →

Outlook for US mortgage rates remains stable, housing crunch continues

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Mortgage rates will remain stable for the next two and a half years, predicts an economist from the Mortgage Bankers Association. But the national housing shortfall continues to be a problem primarily because of the lack of building sites, according to… Continue reading →