An increasing number of Americans believe the situation is improving for both homebuyers and sellers, according to the latest survey from NAR.

The Federal Reserve announced it would not make changes to targets for its key interest rate, but in line with some projections, the Federal Open Market Committee made significant revisions to forecasts on future interest rate adjustments in response to new concerns that economic growth is slowing.

Single-family housing starts fell in the Northeast, Midwest and West, but rose in the South, where majority of house building takes place. Still, there’s a reason for optimism going forward.

This is the first quarter since Q3 2016 that more respondents saw a positive rather than negative outlook for profitability, and is the second-highest margin of optimism recorded in the survey’s six-year history.

In every decision they make, parents tend to make their children their top priority. The same goes for the considerations they make when shopping for a new home. Find out how the way families search for and finance a home might differ from your single and non-parent clients.

Dreamers are now officially being denied loans, foreclosure rates fall to a 20-year low, NAR invests in blockchain and much more in our weekly roundup of real estate news.

Two recent measures of Americans’ confidence in the national housing market improved in the last month, showing that more homeowners as well as consumers are generally feeling more optimistic about this key segment of the U.S. economy. One of

The practice of home flipping in the U.S. is declining in strict numbers, even as it grows as a share of all home sales. The theory behind the decline is that home flippers may be pulling back due to fear of a worsening real estate market on the horizon.

Before the passage of the Trump Administration’s tax reform measures, experts had predicted that they would disproportionately benefit those in Republican-leaning states in the South and Midwest. The latest research largely supports this prediction, with a few notable exceptions.

Plans to end government-controlled conservatorship of the GSEs, lower mortgage rates, the valuation of “gayborhoods” and more are all featured in our national real estate news round up this week.

According to a recent report from CoreLogic, the share of listings sold at or above list price fell to within historical averages after peaking last year. As of Q1 2019, around 31 percent of sales closed above list, down from a recent peak of 40 percent seen in Q2 2018.

Stories about home flippers hiring Uber and Lyft drivers, more people taking on remodeling projects, the passage of a hero to homeowners and the importance of grocery stores to home sales all figure in this week’s national roundup.

When examining forward-looking data like pending home sales, new-construction activity and listing traffic, the news for the market overall isn’t stellar. But there are a few bright spots for Chicagoland real estate professionals in particular: The Midwest is proving to be more robust than other regions, and moderately priced homes are still in high demand.

The mortgage lending industry and its public referees have responded to short-term rentals with more accommodation than restriction, a positive development for homeowners who hope to earn income through a short-term rental platform. Not only is it possible for homeowners to potentially secure more favorable financing terms on their primary residences if they are renting them out — they also have the same opportunity to do so if they purchase a second home.

Whether you work in property management or your clients are looking for advice on how to capitalize on these opportunities, it’s important to consider the ways managing a short-term rental property differs from managing one for long-term tenants. Here are a few key factors to weigh before making a decision.

Home renovations are getting more expensive due to tariffs, the real FHA problems beyond the to-do over REOs and Oreos, and the DOJ digs into buy-side competition: All items we’re monitoring in this week’s national news roundup.