Affordable housing is a critical issue in the United States that has gained significant attention from policymakers. Vice President Kamala Harris recently unveiled her economic policy pitch, which included proposals to lower the costs of owning and renting a home in the U.S. However, the housing plans put forth by both Harris and former President
Real Estate
The homebuilding sector in the United States has faced several challenges in recent years, impacting the performance of top companies such as D.R. Horton and Lennar. While shareholder returns for these companies outpaced the S&P 500 between August 2014 and August 2024, analysts have downgraded their investment outlook this summer. Despite this, some investors remain
The housing market saw a 1.3% increase in closed sales of previously owned homes in July, breaking a streak of five months of decline. Despite this slight improvement, sales were still 2.5% lower compared to the same time last year. The Northeast experienced the largest gains in sales, while the Midwest remained flat. Additionally, home
The recent decrease in mortgage rates was not enough to sustain the momentum of refinance applications, which dropped by 15% compared to the previous week. However, there was still a significant increase in volume, with a 90% rise from the same week last year. This surge in demand over the past four weeks can be
The recent interest rate cut by the Bank of England has sparked a flurry of activity in the UK mortgage market. Major lenders such as Barclays, Halifax, HSBC, and NatWest are now offering five-year fixed-rate mortgages at rates below 4%, which is lower than the BOE’s key rate of 5%. This aggressive rate-cutting strategy is
In July, the inflation rate in the United States continued to decrease, with the consumer price index (CPI) rising by 2.9% from a year ago. This marks a significant drop from the 3% inflation rate in June and is the lowest reading since March 2021. The CPI tracks the rate at which prices are changing
The construction boom in the United States has brought about a significant increase in construction activity post-pandemic. This surge in construction has led to a surplus of empty rental units, resulting in a higher inventory available for renters. Due to this surplus, landlords are now offering rent concessions as incentives to attract new tenants. These
Homeowners are currently holding onto a massive $17 trillion in equity, with the average homeowner seeing a gain of $28,000 compared to the previous year. According to experts like Greg McBride from Bankrate, home equity is a valuable asset that won’t lose its value by simply keeping it untouched. While it’s generally advised to leave