National News

Real Estate in Brief: Mortgage reform, house flipping and more

Chase CEO urges mortgage reform In his most recent annual letter to shareholders, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon expressed concerns about the current state of mortgage industry regulation in the U.S. “The country desperately needs mortgage reform,” Dimon wrote

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Southern cities lead in new construction

The Census Bureau recently released a report for February 2019, showing a shortage of homes on the market. Despite a national drop in construction of new homes, a few cities have still been able to push permits for new

Consumer confidence in housing market surges

Surveys of American consumers continue to point to renewed optimism in the housing market. Fannie Mae’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index approached an all-time high reading in March, gaining five points over February to reach 89.8. This was driven by

Real Estate in Brief: Rent burden, global affordability and more

Housing affordability is an issue that dominates discussions of local politics, but the data on the topic can be hard to interpret. Studies from multiple sources regularly

What new tax laws mean for homeowners this year

April 15 this year marks the first Tax Day under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, one of the most significant overhauls of the federal tax code in decades. While Tax Day is the deadline for most Americans,

Home sales surge ahead of spring

For real estate agents, spring may have arrived early this year. After a string of anemic reports through the winter, home sales numbers picked up across the U.S. in February. The National Association of Realtors reported that existing-home sales

Redfin: Bidding wars down dramatically from a year ago

Only 16 percent of buyers so far this month faced competition, according to a study by Redfin. That’s down from 61 percent over the same period last year, and it’s one more sign among many that buyers may be

Will buyers rule the market this spring?

The coming spring season, when home sales usually take off, could be a great one for buyers as the stars align in their favor: Mortgage rates are low, inventory levels are higher and price growth has slowed. Already, home

FHA changes may tighten credit for homebuyers

First-time homebuyers hoping to utilize the popular Federal Housing Administration loan program may find it more difficult to be approved for a mortgage this year, as the agency moves to reduce growing risks related to the program. FHA loans

More Americans say now is a good time to buy a home

The state of the U.S. housing market has shifted rapidly in the last few months, but are consumers keeping up? A new survey from the National Association of Realtors makes the case that low mortgage rates and increased inventory

Real Estate in Brief: Broker alliances, rebranding and more

RE/MAX to partner with Redfin through referrals RE/MAX announced in a March 18 press release that it had entered into a “strategic alliance” with Redfin to boost sales at both nationwide brokers through referral incentives. In about 5,000 ZIP

New insight from Fed meeting could keep mortgage rates low

In a positive sign for homebuyers planning on taking out new mortgages, the Federal Reserve sent its clearest signals yet that it will hold off on interest rate increases for the foreseeable future and perhaps the rest of 2019.

Congress still trying to pass long-term flood insurance solution

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has been a subject of debate for years in Congress, gaining temporary funding multiple times without any permanent solutions. Recently, representatives across political lines have shown interest in finally reaching a long-term resolution,

Remote workers more likely to own than rent

For most Americans, the average commute is less than 90 minutes. However, extreme commuters exist on either end of this spectrum, with telecommuters (who work from home) experiencing no travel time and so-called “super commuters” traveling over 90 minutes

Real Estrange: Space for your helicopter and cows

This farm, which sits off the coast of the Pacific Ocean, comes with two Spanish-style villas, an avocado and persimmon farm, and 120 cows.

Real Estrange: A brick beauty, space for your helicopter and cows

This old power plant in Astoria, Oregon, was recently converted into a residence with an industrial farmhouse flair.

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