General News - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

Southern California Lost 4,600 Real Estate Jobs in March

In this typically good month for housing, hires between 2015-19, averaged a gain of 3,460 positions.Southern California bosses in real estate-related industries cut staff in March amid wet weather and a sluggish property market.Real estate employment in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties was 763,100 in March, off 4,600 for the month and off 10,100 over 12 months – or a 1.3% one-year drop.March is typically a good month f

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US New Home Sales Soar to One-Year High in March

WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - Sales of new U.S. single-family homes jumped to a one-year high in March, likely as a retreat in mortgage rates boosted demand.New home sales surged 9.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 683,000 units last month, the highest level since March 2022, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday. February's sales pace was revised lower to 623,000 units from the previously reported 640,000.New home sales are counted

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Mortgage Rates Rise, Putting Buyers on Edge

Economists say even minor movement in borrowing costs will continue to have an impact on housing activity.After weeks of declines, the interest rate for a 30-year mortgage reversed course, jumping to a 6.39% average this week, Freddie Mac reports. “For the first time in over a month, mortgage rates moved up due to shifting market expectations,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Home prices have stabilized somewhat, but with

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More are Losing their Homes as Foreclosures Rise Across the U.S.

US foreclosure filings jumped 22% in the first quarter compared to the same period a year ago, according to a report from real estate data analytics firm ATTOM.While still below pre-pandemic levels, foreclosure activity has increased on an annual basis for 23 straight months. The uptrend reflects higher jobless rates, ongoing economic challenges and backlogged foreclosures working through the pipeline after the lifting of government interventions

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Existing-Home Sales Nudge Down in March

Existing-home sales fell 2.4% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.44M — 22% lower than a year earlier, according to data released Thursday by the National Association of Realtors After an unexpected uptick in February, sales of existing homes dipped again in March as buyers contended with a market bereft of supply, according to data released Thursday by the National Association of Realtors.Existing-home sales fell 2.4 percen

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Biden to Hike Payments for Good-Credit Homebuyers to Subsidize High-Risk Mortgages

Homebuyers with good credit scores will soon encounter a costly surprise: a new federal rule forcing them to pay higher mortgage rates and fees to subsidize people with riskier credit ratings who are also in the market to buy houses.The fee changes will go into effect May 1 as part of the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s push for affordable housing, and they will affect mortgages originating at private banks across the country. The federal

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Homebuilder Sentiment Rises in April, as Builders Grab Near-Record Share of the Market

Builder sentiment in the market for newly built homes rose in April for the fourth straight month, as the supply of existing homes for sale remains scarce.The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index climbed to 45 in April, a 1-point gain. Anything below 50 is considered negative.The reading is the highest since September. The index stood at 77 in April 2022.Builders in the report cited a lack of listings on the resa

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New-Home Construction Up Slightly in March

Builders pushed forward with more single-family projects for the second month in a row, but remained far less active than in 2022, according to data issued Tuesday by the US Census BureauHomebuilders continued a slow ramp-up in new single-family construction projects last month, but the number of new projects remained near the lowest levels since mid-2020.Privately owned single-family starts in March rose to a seasonally adjusted annual

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Save for a Down Payment and Retirement, All at Once? It can be Tricky

With mortgage rates and prices high, first-time home buyers find these competing goals aren’t always doable, at least at the same time. Here are points to consider. Jade Akintola and Brandon Thomas Brown are balancing three competing financial priorities — preparing for the birth of their first child, saving up for a down payment on their first home and contributing to their retirement fund. Something, they decided, had to give, so in the sho

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Mortgage Rates Continue to Slide

As NAR economists predict a fall below 6% by year’s end, new data reveals the rate threshold at which the market would likely be flooded with buyers.Mortgage rates fell for the fifth consecutive week, continuing to help improve affordability for budget-conscious home shoppers this spring. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage decreased to 6.27% this week, Freddie Mac reports. Rates could be headed below 6% in the coming months as inflation

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