Homeseller sentiment is lukewarm as spring homebuying ramps up

Elevated mortgage rates and home prices have made sellers leery about listing this spring. As a result, 50 percent of homesellers said they’ll be aligning their sales with a late-year rate drop. Continue reading

Biden set to propose $5K tax credit for first-time buyers

The President will reveal a set of new housing initiatives during the State of the Union address on Thursday that will include a tax credit of $5,000 per year for two years to first-time homebuyers and a one-year tax credit of up to $10,000 to househol… Continue reading

Scarce inventory, falling rates could boost home prices

In December, a Pulsenomics panel of more than 100 housing experts expected homes to appreciate by 2.4 percent in 2024. Now they’re predicting prices will go up by 3.8 percent. Continue reading

Warren Buffett: ‘You want a bad number’ to get good market news

In 2010, the Berkshire Hathaway Inc. CEO said that fewer housing starts can help lay the foundation for a more balanced market down the line. His own company’s recent investments in home builders show commitment to that principle. Continue reading

Gary Keller says ‘right now, real estate is in a recession’

The real estate industry took a beating in 2023 — rising mortgage rates froze home sales, consumer sentiment slid to new lows, several landmark lawsuits threatened buyer-broker commissions, and the National Association of Realtors couldn’t keep itself … Continue reading

Home prices hit high in December as ‘solid, steady growth’ wins out

Home prices rose 5.5 percent on an annual basis in December, up from 5 percent in November, according to dueling data points released Tuesday by S&P Global and the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Continue reading

Rising rates and home prices stifle January market: Redfin

The Federal Reserve’s policy shift depressed homebuyer and homeseller activity in January, according to Redfin. Monthly new and active listing growth dropped to the lowest levels since last summer. Continue reading

Strength in home prices helped boost Fannie, Freddie 2023 profits

With a combined net worth of $125 billion after earnings this week, the mortgage giants remain on a path that could lead to eventual release from government conservatorship if political winds shift. Continue reading

Falling rates helped drive home price growth in Q4, NAR says

U.S. home prices shot up in 86 percent of the 221 metropolitan areas tracked by the National Association of Realtors and rose 3.5 percent in the fourth quarter, according to data released Thursday by NAR. Continue reading