National News

Federal housing laws protect LGBT citizens, court rules

LGBT people have protection against housing discrimination under the Federal Fair Housing Act, a federal judge ruled for the first time last week. The federal law prevents landlords from refusing to rent or sell housing to anyone based on

Average mortgage size reaches record high

The average mortgage size is $318,200, which is the largest it has been in the 27-years of The Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly purchase loan data survey. There are multiple factors leading to higher mortgages in the United States beyond larger

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9 stats that show homebuyers want green technology

Sustainability and an environmentally friendly community are amenities that more and more homebuyers are looking for, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Realtors. Here is perhaps the most obvious sign that green technology is a

Atlanta is one of the best cities for black homeownership, study finds

Nearly 50 years after the passing of the Fair Housing Act, minority households still have lower ownership rates and higher rent burdens than white households, a recent study by Trulia found. But progress made in some cities is helping

First-time homebuyers make up nearly one-third of February sales

  First-time homebuyers accounted for 32 percent of all residential sales in February 2017, marking minimal change from January 2017 (33 percent) and February of last year (30 percent), according to the National Association of Realtors. Nationally, demand has

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Education levels impact post-recession homeownership for Millennials, study shows

For Millennials seeking to become homeowners, level of education may be more of a determining factor than any other socioeconomic indicator, according to a newly published white paper. The study by Fannie Mae comes as the industry seeks to

New home contracts are nearing decade highs

Pending home sales made an unexpected jump in February, leading contract signings to their second highest mark since 2006, according to the National Association of Realtors. NAR’s pending home sales index showed a 5.5 percent jump in homes under contract,

Demand for 55-plus communities takes off

Toning it down after retirement is becoming a thing of the past. Many over the age of 55 are looking to downsize in scale and upsize the fun. Communities exclusively serving that age group are growing in popularity, according to reports. These

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Home prices continue to rise, hit 31-month peak in January

Home prices continued to increase into the new year, making January the fifth straight month of record-high home prices, according to new S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices, which measure U.S. home prices. The latest version of the indices, generated by S&P

HOA fees are on the rise

  Condo shoppers have more to contend with than just rising home prices. According to a new report from Trulia, homeowners association (HOA) fees are on the rise across the nation. The U.S. has seen a rise in homeowners association

Freddie Mac to offer automated assessments for borrowers without credit

Freddie Mac will offer automated assessments for borrowers who do not have credit scores, saving time for lenders and expanding its lending service to more prospective customers, according to multiple media reports. Starting in June, borrowers without credit scores

February produces surge in home sales and prices

Across-the-board rises in new home sales, average sales price and inventory were reported in February, according to newly released figures from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. Home sales in February totaled

Build more homes to combat rising inflation, housing prices, economist says

  The historic, nationwide housing inventory shortage could be cured by more new-home construction, real estate economist Lawrence Yun said, but barriers exist before construction can ramp up. Raising interest rates could dampen homebuying activity, with 53 percent of

Appraisers cite lack of pay, glut of regulations as reasons for leaving

  Faced with dwindling numbers of appraisers nationwide, the home evaluation industry is speaking out against regulations and industry practices they say are hurting them during a boom time in housing sales. A shortage in appraisers is accepted as fact by

More young unmarried couples buying homes together

Millennials value individuality and often defy tradition. But according to a recent analysis from Zillow, the full picture of the American dream has not been lost on Millennials – owning a home still remains one of the largest milestones in adulthood, though

Despite market uncertainty (or perhaps in spite of it) more people want to buy homes, study finds

Every year, Redfin polls recent and prospective homebuyers in an attempt to gauge how people’s views of the housing market have changed, or remained the same, from one year to the next. But this year is different. This year

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