NPR, March 24, 2024–Barbara Sprunt, Deirdre WalshPresident Biden signed a $1.2 trillion funding package that the Senate approved in the early hours Saturday morning to prevent a partial government shutdown. …
Category: Top National News
Micro-Apartments Are Back After Nearly a Century, as Need for Affordable Housing Soars
Associated Press, March 21, 2024-Hallie Golden and Claire RushEvery part of Barbara Peraza-Garcia and her family’s single-room apartment in Seattle has a double or even triple purpose.Click here for more …
The Lock-in Effect Has Cost the Housing Market 1.3 Million Home Sales and Affected Home Prices, Finds FHFA Research
Fast Company, March 25, 2024-Lance LambertThis week, researchers at the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) published a 52-page working paper titled, The Lock-In Effect of Rising Mortgage Rates.Click here for …
The New Normal for Mortgage Rates Will Be Higher Than Many Hope
Interest rates are likely to come down later this year, with the Federal Reserve on track to start cutting rates. But mortgage rates might not follow as quickly.Click here for …
Fitch: Plunge In U.S. Office Values Could Match Or Exceed 2008 Real Estate Fallout
BisNow, March 22, 2024-Dees StriblingOffice property values face further losses ahead and a recovery even longer than after the Global Financial Crisis, according to Fitch Ratings.Click here for more (subscription)
First HEi Issuance in 2024 is Biggest Since at Least 2020
Home Equity Lending News, March 19, 2024This year’s first home-equity investment issuance is the largest HEi transaction since at least 2020.Click here for more (subscription)
The New Normal for Mortgage Rates Will Be Higher Than Many Hope
Wall Street Journal, March 22, 2024–Telis DemosChanges across the market for mortgage-backed bonds mean rates can stay elevated even once the Fed starts cuttingClick here for more (subscription)
MBA Chief Economist Addresses Industry Challenges in House Testimony
HousingWire, March 21, 2024-Connie KimMike Fratantoni, the chief economist and senior vice president of research and industry technology at the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), addressed three major challenges in the …
Average Long-Term U.S. Mortgage Rate Climbs Back to Nearly 7% After Two-Week Slide
The Associated Press, March 21, 2024-Alex VeigaThe average long-term U.S. mortgage rate climbed back to nearly 7% this week, pushing up borrowing costs for home shoppers with the spring homebuying …
Biden Suggests a Bigger Federal Role to Reduce Housing Costs
The New York Times, March 21, 2024-Jim Tankersley and Conor DoughertyEconomists in the Biden administration are calling for more aggressive federal action to drive down costs for home buyers and …