Real Estate

d3sign | Moment | Getty Images Inflation continued to retreat in July, aided by easing price pressures for consumer staples like food and energy and physical goods like new and used cars. The consumer price index, a key inflation gauge, rose 2.9% in July from a year ago, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Wednesday.

The U.S. economy has remained remarkably strong even amid persistent inflation and high interest rates. And yet, 59% of Americans falsely believe that the U.S. is currently in a recession, according to a recent survey of 2,000 adults by Affirm in June. Citing higher costs and difficulty making ends meet, most respondents said they think

Brandi Schmitt and her family pose for a 2018 Christmas card in front of their Maryland home wearing protective gear, alluding to the water and mold damage in their home. Each year, Schmitt said they try to capture the family’s situation through their Christmas card. Courtesy: Brandi Schmitt When a nor’easter struck in 2018, intense

Democratic vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (L), and Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH). Getty Images With the major party tickets finalized, many voters are watching the candidates for personal finance policy that could impact their wallets.  Vice President Kamala Harris this week unveiled her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim

An aerial view shows a subdivision that has replaced the once rural landscape in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois. Scott Olson | Getty Images Mortgage interest rates dropped last week to the lowest level since May 2023, causing a surge in mortgage demand from both homebuyers and especially current homeowners. Total mortgage application volume rose 6.9% last

A for sale sign in front of a home in Arlington, Virginia, on August 22, 2023. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images The average rate on the popular 30-year fixed mortgage dropped 22 basis points to 6.4% Friday, according to Mortgage News Daily. That is the lowest rate since April 2023. The 15-year fixed

A row of traditional houses on a street in London’s Muswell Hill suburb, located to the north of London, with views of the Canary Wharf on the horizon. Georgeclerk | Istock | Getty Images LONDON — Britain’s major high street lenders have begun slashing their mortgage rates in a sign that financial pressure on households

The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it will leave interest rates unchanged. However, recent signs of economic growth and cooling inflation are paving the way for a widely anticipated September rate cut, which is welcome news for Americans struggling to keep up with sky-high interest charges. “Consumers should feel pretty good about the U.S. economy,”

Sdi Productions | E+ | Getty Images Home affordability has slightly improved for buyers this summer, according to a recent report.  The median new mortgage payment was $2,167 in June, a 2.4% decline from $2,219 in May, according to new data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The index measures how new monthly mortgage payments change

Valentinrussanov | E+ | Getty Images The Federal Reserve is poised to make the first interest rate cut in years this fall, which can influence mortgage rates to go down. Even small cuts in interest rates could make a meaningful difference in what a homebuyer will pay. To that point, people in the market to

Even as home prices hit new highs, experts say there are signs that the housing market is becoming better for buyers in some locations. The median cost of an existing, single-family home in the U.S. was $426,900 in June, a new all-time high, according to the National Association of Realtors. About 3.89 million homes were

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks during a campaign event at West Allis Central High School in West Allis, Wisconsin, on July 23, 2024. Kevin Mohatt | Reuters “Building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency,” Vice President Kamala Harris said at a political event in West Allis, Wisconsin, on Tuesday

Monthly rent in Shanghai’s city-center costs approximately $2,700, according to data by Numbeo. Zorazhuang | E+ | Getty Images Living in a major city can come with a hefty price tag, so it’s best to be informed before you make that big move. In Asia, Hong Kong and Singapore top the list for cost of

US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, July 22, 2024. Ting Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images As she is poised to be the Democratic nominee for president, it remains to be seen how much Vice President Kamala Harris’ policies will mirror

An aerial view shows a subdivision that has replaced the once rural landscape on July 19, 2023 in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois. Scott Olson | Getty Images Mortgage interest rates eased very slightly last week, but not enough to get today’s potential homebuyers off the fence. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with

Two renters pose in front of their new home that they’re renting from Roots, a program that helps renters invest in real estate. Courtesy: Katie Curran When Will Hunnicutt was searching for an apartment in Atlanta earlier this year, pricey leases and application rejections left him feeling defeated. “The three-and-a-half times income-to-rent ratio is kind

Heat waves this summer have slowed down open house foot traffic in some areas, according to a recent report. Summertime home sellers may need to get creative to beat the heat. Pending home sales are down 5.6% from a year ago, the biggest decline in eight months, according to Redfin, a real estate brokerage firm. While

Halbergman | E+ | Getty Images Are you ready to buy a home? Many renters have no idea. Millions of renter households in 2022 would have been able to buy a house that year, according to a new analysis by Zillow, which is based on estimates from the American Community Survey by the U.S. Census

International buyers of U.S. residential real estate are running into the same hurdles as domestic buyers — namely high prices and tight supply — but they’re also up against a strong U.S. dollar, which makes the properties even more expensive for them. As a result, international buyers are pulling out. They purchased 54,300 existing homes

Courtney Keating | Getty Images Mortgage rates dropped to the lowest level since March last week, sparking swift demand in refinancing. Homebuyers, however, seemed unimpressed. Applications to refinance a home loan jumped 15% last week, compared with the previous week, to the highest level since August 2022, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted