Home prices continue to climb, adding to homeowner wealth and putting buyers into the position of considering how much home they can afford.The median sales price of single-family existing-home sales increased nearly 15% year over year to $361,700 in the fourth quarter, the National Association of REALTORS® reported Thursday. That is down slightly from a 15.9% gain in the prior quarter.“Homebuyers in the last quarter saw little relief as home
Building material prices, production bottlenecks, and labor shortages will continue to dampen the pace of construction and affect home prices this year, economists told a crowd at the 2022 International Builders’ Show in Orlando.Building material costs have surged 21% compared to a year ago. Further, more than 300,000 job openings went unfilled in the construction industry in December 2021. The National Association of Home Builde
Buyers who have been preapproved for a mortgage may be tempted to shop for homes at that lender allowance amount. But real estate pros and financial experts advise setting a limit somewhat lower than that figure.House hunters should look at homes with list prices that fall below the top of their price range because they likely will need to leave room in their budget to bid up in the competitive housing market.“These days, houses are selling for
Many renters are making moves toward homeownership as quickly rising mortgage rates and rents have them feeling increased pressure.Average monthly rents climbed more than 14% year over year in December 2021, reaching $1,877. Miami and Austin, Texas, have seen rents surge more than 30% over the past year.Economists point to homeownership as a way to stave off inflation and build wealth, The Wall Street Journal reports. But higher rents a
Homeowners are seeing soaring profits when they sell. Home sellers nationwide saw a profit of $94,092 on a typical sale in 2021, according to a recent report from ATTOM Data Solutions. That is up 71% from two years ago when it was $55,000.Seller profits rose in more than 90% of housing markets analyzed by researchers. Some markets are seeing seller profits surge at even higher rates than others, particularly in several California markets.ATT
Mortgage rates held steady overall this week, a welcome relief to home shoppers who may have been watching them rise week after week since the beginning of the year.The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.55% this week, Freddie Mac reports.“Following a month-long rise, mortgage rates effectively stayed flat this week,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Recent rate increases have yet to significantly impact purchase deman
Home sellers in 2021 may have been a little shocked at the profit they made selling their homes. A report shows that home sellers nationwide realized a profit of $94,092 on a typical sale in 2021, up 71% from two years ago, according to ATTOM Data Solutions, a real estate data firm.Home seller profits rose in more than 90% of the housing markets tracked based on median purchase and resale prices, marking the highest level since 2008.The $94,
Rental demand surged in 2021, partly because many higher-income households turned to renting after unsuccessful searches in the for-sale market, according to America’s Rental Housing 2022, a report released by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. Those households have driven nearly 70% of total renter growth over the past decade. The growing number of amenity-rich rentals in desirable locations is attracting higher-income renters but a
U.S. commercial property sales soared in 2021 as investors snatched up warehouses, apartment buildings, resorts and hotels, and more, according to new data from Real Capital Analytics.Commercial property sales reached a record high of $809 billion in 2021, nearly double 2020’s total. It also pushed ahead of the previous record set in 2019 of $600 billion."Everything's lining up for another strong year," Carly Tripp, head of real estate investme
The average dollar amount of a mortgage purchase application hit a record of $418,500 as higher home prices force buyers to borrow more, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported this week.“The continued rise in purchase loan application sizes is driven by high home price appreciation and the lack of housing inventory on the market—especially for entry-level homes,” says Joel Kan, vice president of economic and industry forecasters for the
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