White House Acts to Boost Housing
The Biden administration is taking steps to help create more affordable houses and apartments, which could help fill the inventory gap that plagues the housing sector.
The Biden administration is taking steps to help create more affordable houses and apartments, which could help fill the inventory gap that plagues the housing sector.
The existing home market has been stymied – by mortgage rates in the 8 percent range and ultra-low inventory – and it’s created an opening for builders to take credit for double their normal share of sales.
It has long been suspected that some agents engage in “steering” – guiding their buyer-clients away from low-paying listings. And the authors of a new, large-scale study say they’ve unearthed proof.
I am old enough to remember how the soldiers returning from Vietnam were “welcomed” home. Fast-forward 50 years or so, the country – and the housing sector – can’t seem to do enough for our fighting heroes.
The common wisdom is that would-be homebuyers with lower credit scores benefit the most from improving them. But that’s not the case, says a new survey.
Attaching a check to the offer on a house you hope to purchase is the right way to signal your intentions to the seller. But that means you need to keep your side of the bargain, too.
It’s not an everyday occurrence. But once in a while, a homebuilder abruptly shuts down, leaving customers holding the proverbial bag.
It happens every election cycle: “If that guy wins,” one side or the other vows, “we’re moving to Canada.” It turns out that’s a lot harder than you might think in practice.
Every homeowner who is considering hiring a contractor to do some work in or around their house should become familiar with the mechanic’s lien laws in their home state.
Features that were once sought-after can now leave a house feeling woefully out-of-date. But some still pine for sunken living rooms, 2-story foyers and 8-foot ceilings.
The much-discussed recent exodus to the hinterlands hasn’t included everyone. But some places, in need of fresh blood and a greater tax base, will actually pay you to move there.
Homeowners, which of these consumes more energy in your house: space heating or water heating? Either way, Uncle Sam is ready to help you pay for some energy-efficient upgrades.
Prior to World War II, many extended families, lived together under one roof. And over the last few years, it has gained steam because of a number of factors – the pandemic and high housing costs among them.
Homebuyers who focus solely on the cost of their mortgage’s interest and principal are doing themselves a disservice. There are other recurring costs that should be factored into the decision.
According to a new report from the CFPB, all buyers, not just rookies, can save a significant amount of money if they shop for the best deal on their mortgage.
Once in a blue moon, a cancellation works out to the seller’s advantage. For the most part, though, sellers have no choice but to grin and bear it. The first step is to determine what went wrong.
A new report suggests unskilled and incompetent real estate agents drain 25 percent to 30 percent of commission income away from the better agents in each housing market on top of the other headaches they cause.
The ability of lenders to come up with creative new products that seize would-be borrowers’ attention is never-ending. Anything to get a customer in the door.
Most would-be homebuyers want to move into a house that’s pristine. Most sellers? “Eh, let ‘em fix the place up after they move in.” But each approach is a bit wrongheaded.
Imagine if your first house lasted your entire lifetime – that you’d never have to leave, uprooting your family in the process, and that you could even pass the place down to your descendants. Here’s how to do it.