NEWSROOM

NPR

 

The U.S. is millions of homes short of demand, and lacks enough affordable housing units. And many Americans feel like housing costs are eating up too much of their take-home pay.

Market Watch

 

Mortgage applications fell 2.7% in the last week, the Mortgage Bankers Association said. The average rate for a 30-year mortgage stood at 7.24%.

Yahoo Finance

 

A study found it costs the average American $623,290 to be a homeowner for the average occupancy period of one home (which is just over 13 years). 

CNBC

 

Mortgage refinance activity plummeted to record lows in 2023 after interest rate hikes. Here are three signs to help you decide when refinancing makes sense.

CNBC

 

The average rate on the popular 30-year fixed mortgage sits around 7.5%, the highest level since mid-November of last year. 

MarketWatch

 

Construction on new U.S. homes fell nearly 15% in March, the Commerce Department said this week.

CALIFORNIA ASSN. OF REALTORS®

 

Less than one in five of all Californians earned enough income to support the purchase of an $813,980 statewide median-priced home in 2023, down from just over one in five from 2022.

Los Angeles Times

 

A survey found that 58% of respondents think it would be difficult for them to get a home mortgage today, up 6 percentage points from a year earlier.

Los Angeles Times

 

Southern California home prices have hit a record despite high interest rates, a reflection of a shortage of inventory and the region's wealth disparity.

CBS News

 

Mortgage rates may be high now, but homebuyers can get a below-average rate by taking these steps this season.

CBS News

 

Here's where some experts think mortgage interest rates could be headed in the next year.

Fortune

 

Even in an era where seemingly everything can be researched and purchased electronically, the clear value added by Realtors remains evident. Nine in 10 home buyers would use their agent again or recommend their agent to others.

Fox LA TV

 

Made possible by the California Housing Finance Agency, the program gives eligible individuals 20% of the home's cost to help with the down payment.

CNBC

 

Mortgage rates didn't move much last week, and for the second week in a row, neither did mortgage demand.

Fox Business News

 

Home insurance premiums for a $300,000 property in the U.S. increased 12% in 2023, and Americans pay an average of $1,770 per year, according to a recent report.

Los Angeles Times

 

The "mansion tax" has raised roughly $215 million in its first year. Advocates say the tax helps address L.A.'s housing crisis, but critics claim it has frozen the real estate market.

Orange County Register

 

Despite sales and price gains, the Southern California’s housing market remains stymied by high interest rates and a lack of listings.

CNBC

 

The usually busy spring housing market is underway, but mortgage demand isn't moving.

Realtor.com

 

Nationwide, home prices rose 6% in January from a year earlier, the biggest year-over-year increase since November 2022.

Realtor.com

 

The median sales price of new homes dropped 7.6% on an annual basis in February, to $400,500, its lowest level since June 2021.

The Street

 

State Farm, California’s largest home insurer insurance company, is dropping coverage for 72,000 homes — 30,000 houses and 42,000 apartments — in California starting this summer.

Associated Press

 

Federal Reserve officials signaled that they still expect to cut their key interest rate three times in 2024 despite signs that inflation remained elevated at the start of the year.

Market Watch

 

Construction of new U.S. homes rebounded 10.7% in February to an annual pace of 1.52 million units.

CNBC

 

Mortgage interest rates rose last week for the first time in three weeks.

CALIFORNIA ASSN. OF REALTORS®

 

Despite a recent uptick in mortgage rates, California's housing market continued to demonstrate resilience in February, reaching sales levels not seen since September 2022.

CNBC

 

Homebuilders are seeing better demand despite stubbornly high interest rates.

National Association of REALTORS®

 

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) today announced an agreement that would end litigation of claims brought on behalf of home sellers related to broker commissions.

CNBC

 

Late spring and early summer are widely considered to be the best time to sell a home. A Zillow analysis of its 2023 listings found that spring and summer months had a 0.5% to 1% increase in sales prices compared to the yearly average.

Yahoo Finance

 

Despite elevated interest rates and tight inventory, the national Hispanic homeownership rate reached 49.5% in 2023, a net gain of 377,000 Hispanic owner households from 2022.

Market Watch

 

The Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index rose for the third month in a row in February.

Yahoo Finance

 

A study from WalletHub, which analyzes financial data, says California is nowhere near the top of the state and local tax rate rankings of highest tax states.

KQED

 

The state’s high-demand loan program for first-tme home buyers will begin accepting applications early next month.

CNBC

 

Mortgage applications to purchase a home increased 11% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Demand was still 8% lower than the same week one year ago.

Redfin

 

Just one-third (33%) of Black millennials own their home, compared to two-thirds (65%) of white millennials, according to a new analysis from Redfin.

SF Gate

 

Investors have spent billions on homes in the city of Riverside since 2020, a sharp increase from years prior, Redfin data shows.

Realtor.com

 

The number of homes under contract that haven’t closed yet dropped 4.9% from December to January, according to a report from the National Association of REALTORS®.

Inman

 

Mortgage rates retreated for the second day in a row Friday after a survey showed the manufacturing sector contracted in February, adding to the case that the Federal Reserve can cut short-term rates without fueling inflation. 

CNN

 

Americans’ outlook for the economy in the coming months, including expectations for income and business conditions, declined this month for the first time in three months, according to the Conference Board’s latest consumer survey. 

HousingWire

 

Even though the Federal Reserve expressed cautious optimism in January, policymakers are in no rush to apply rate cuts. 

Los Angeles Times

 

In 2022, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass directed agencies to fast-track 100% affordable apartment projects to relieve the city's housing crunch, and developers say it is working. 

CNBC

 

About 66 percent of Black Americans consider themselves successful in some way, and 52 percent believe homeownership is important for their definition of success. 

Reuters

 

New York Federal Reserve President John Williams said that the U.S. central bank is on track to cut interest rates "later this year," despite stronger-than-expected inflation and labor market data in January. 

World Property Journal

 

Existing home sales in California rebounded in January 2024 to the highest level in six months, as rates pulled back sharply at the end of 2023. January's sales rose 14.4 percent from December 2023, and 5.9 percent compared to one year prior. 

The Sun

 

The Inland Empire has the highest rate of homeownership in California, at 70.7 percent, followed by Sacramento, at 64.4 percent, then San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose and Los Angeles.

Yahoo Finance

 

Home builders recently indicated that mortgage rate buydowns that allow homebuyers to reduce their monthly payment are likely to be retained for the foreseeable future.

CNBC

 

While homeownership remains out of reach for many Black people in the U.S., there are two things buyers should do to increase their chances.

Sunset Magazine

 

California’s capital was the most searched for destination for homebuyers planning to move between October 2023 and December 2023.

National Mortgage Professional

 

While migration patterns might align more closely to work and family, air quality is also becoming a concern for some homebuyers, according to a Redfin report. 

Realtor.com​

 

Slightly lower mortgage rates in the past few months offer greater affordability for homebuyers.

CALIFORNIA ASSN. OF REALTORS®​

 

Elevated borrowing costs and a shortage of available homes for sale in the fourth quarter of 2023 kept California housing affordability suppressed at the lowest level in 16 years.

CNBC​

 

Mortgage demand is struggling to contend with a what now appears to be another upswing in interest rates.

Housing Wire​

 

Mortgage rates surpassed 7% on Monday on the heels of strong economic data and signals that the Fed will move carefully with any cuts.

CNN​

 

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the time is coming for interest rate cuts but asked Americans for a bit more patience in the central bank’s fight against inflation.

Mansion Global​

 

Falling mortgage rates boosted home-shopping activity in January, luring the first wave of opportunistic buyers back to the market.

LA Times​

 

Under state law, homeowners qualify for a modest property tax cut on their primary residence.

CBS News​

 

The Fed's decision to pause rate hikes for the fourth time could impact the mortgage rate landscape.

CNBC​

 

Home prices in November fell 0.2% from October, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national home price index.

CNN​

 

Many Boomers whose homes have surged in value now face massive capital gains tax bills when they sell, making it hard for them to move.

Orange County Register​

​

Rebound, suggests the recent drop in mortgage rates is helping to stabilize the resale market.

ABC7 News​

​

California will give out $250 million in down payment assistance this spring as it relaunches its widely popular program aimed at helping first-time homebuyers.

CNBC​

​

Mortgage rates rose slightly last week, but that did not seem to deter homebuyers.

Pasadena Now​

​

A team of panelists hosted by the Center for California Real Estate (CCRE), an institute of the California Association Of Realtors (CAR), agreed recently predicted a rise in single-family home sales.

Fox LA News​

​

A judge has determined that the penalty for Beverly Hills failing to plan for affordable housing is a moratorium on home improvement permits for its celebrity residents.

CNN​

​

Homebuilder confidence surged in January as mortgage rates continued to trend lower, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index.

Newsweek​

​

Refinancing activity jumped by 19 percent for the week ending January 5, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association.

CBS8 News

​

One new law could allow homeowners to sell their ADU separately from their main house.

Fox Business

​

A key measure of home purchase applications surged at the start of the new year despite a slight uptick in mortgage rates.

KTLA

​

Long Beach’s First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program assists low- and moderate-income families traditionally underrepresented in homeownership with purchasing their first home and building multi-generational wealth. 

Realtor.com

​

Mortgage rates fell rapidly late last year. Aspiring homebuyers want to know how much lower they will go this year.

Redfin

​

The median U.S. housing payment is down nearly $400 from its October peak, enticing some sidelined buyers to get back in the game.

CNBC

​

Despite a sharp drop in mortgage interest rates during December, mortgage demand ended 2023 down 9.4% for the week ended Dec. 29, compared with two weeks earlier, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

National Mortgage Professional

​

Affordability, remote work constraints, and shifting destination preferences contributed to a decline in the share of homebuyers relocating, marking the lowest percentage in 18 months.

Mortgage News Daily

​

While 30-year fixed mortgage rates were over 8% in October, we ended the year not too far from the  rates seen on the last day of 2022.

Yahoo Finance

​

Fixed mortgage rates at 5% would bring together willing buyers and sellers and lead to a surge in demand, experts say.

Yahoo Finance

​

Home prices in the U.S. rose for a ninth straight month, reaching a fresh record as buyers battled for a stubbornly tight supply of listings.

Redfin

​

Falling mortgage rates and a double-digit annual increase in homeowners contact real estate agents for help selling their homes boosted new listings 9% from a year ago–the biggest annual increase since July 2021.

Market Watch​

​

Consumer confidence jumped in December in a fresh sign of cautious optimism about the economy.

CNBC​

​

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances fell to 6.83% from 7.07%.

KTLA​

​

Home sales in California have reached their lowest level in 16 years, according to the latest report from the California Association of Realtors.  

CalMatters​

​

The California homelessness crisis became more dire in 2023, even as the Legislature passed more affordable housing laws.

Fox Business News​

​

Confidence among builders in the U.S. housing market rose in December for the first time in four months as high mortgage rates finally started to fall.

Mortgage Professional America​

​

Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey found that only 14 percent of Americans said that November was a good time to buy a home.

CNN​

​

Mortgage rates fell under 7% for the first time since mid-August this week. It is the seventh straight week rates have dropped as inflation improves and the Federal Reserve paused its rate increases.

CNBC​

​

The Federal Reserve today held its key interest rate steady for the third straight time and set the table for multiple cuts to come in 2024 and beyond.

Yahoo Finance​

​

Inflation cooled in November on an annual basis, bolstering investor hopes that the Federal Reserve will hold interest rates steady at its policy meeting this week.

Zillow​

​

A Zillow market report shows monthly costs for a new mortgage are falling, inventory is trending back toward normal, and price cuts are uncharacteristically common, bringing some early holiday cheer for home shoppers and sellers. 

KTLA-TV​

​

With mortgage rates finally easing, many California cities are expected to see home sales rebound significantly next year, according to a new forecast from Realtor.com.

Yahoo Finance​

​

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate has plunged by 69 basis points in a five-week period, its sharpest such drop since late 2008.

Fox Business News​

​

The Federal Housing Finance Agency will increase the 2024 conforming loan limits for mortgages acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to $766,550 on one-unit properties and a cap of $1,149,825, in high-cost areas. 

Wall St. Journal​

​

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index, which measures home prices across the nation, rose 3.9% from a year earlier in September.

Axios​

​

One gauge of the tightness of the U.S. housing market — the percentage of homes that are vacant — fell to the lowest level on record in August and ticked up only slightly in September.

ABC7 Los Angeles​

​

Los Angeles County has launched a $46.3 million rent relief program to help qualified landlords mitigate the detrimental economic impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and tenants who have fallen behind on their rent payments.

NBC Bay Area​

​

In today’s market, “nepo-homebuyers” are tapping family money to afford their down payment.

Yahoo Finance​

​

New residential construction, including single-family and multifamily homes, increased 1.9% in October from the month before.

CNBC​

​

Mortgage demand rose 2.8% last week, marking the second straight week of gains, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's index.

CNN​

​

Homebuilder confidence dropped for the fourth month in a row in November as mortgage rates neared 8%.

CALIFORNIA ASSN. OF REALTORS®​

​

With borrowing costs reaching all-time highs and home prices continuing to climb, California housing affordability dialed back for the second straight quarter and dropped to the lowest level since 2007.

SiliconValley.com​

​

For the seventh year in a row, Atherton’s 94027 was the most expensive ZIP code in the U.S.

CNN​

​

For the third month in a row, the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index fell — dropping to 102.6 in October from an upwardly revised 104.3 in September. 

CNBC​

​

Last week, the average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances decreased to 7.86% from 7.90%.

Realtor.com​

​

An update to a little-known law is expected to help combat racial discrimination in mortgage lending. 

Realtor.com​

​

An update to a little-known law is expected to help combat racial discrimination in mortgage lending. 

CNN​

​

Americans are losing confidence about the economic outlook.

CNBC​

​

The Federal Reserve is expected to announce no rate hike at the end of its two-day meeting next week.

U.S. Dept. of Housing and Development​

​

FHA mortgage lenders can now include rental income from accessory dwelling units (ADUs) when qualifying borrowers.

Realtor.com​

​

Mortgage rates hit 7.67% for the week ending Oct. 19, while home prices stay steady and housing inventory falls.

MarketWatch​

​

Construction of new U.S. homes rebounded 7% in September to an annual pace of 1.36 million units after a sharp 1.5% drop in the prior month.

CNBC​

​

Applications for a mortgage to purchase a home dropped 6% week to week and were 21% lower than the same week one year ago.

Reuters

​

Homebuilder confidence fell in October to the lowest levels since January, signaling sky-high mortgage rates are weighing on construction firm optimism and potential buyer traffic.

WRE News

​

The leadership of the MBA, NAHB and NAR sent a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warning that the central bank’s policy of rate hikes is creating tumult within the U.S. housing market.

CALIFORNIA ASSN. OF REALTORS®

​

In a continuing effort to address California’s growing housing affordability crisis and racial homeownership divide, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ (C.A.R.) Housing Affordability Fund (HAF) will provide another $500,000 in closing cost assistance for eligible first-time California homebuyers from an underserved community.

Times of San Diego

​

With the national picture shifting solely to a "no-recession" scenario, the UCLA forecast predicted that the California economy will "once again grow faster than the U.S."

Housing Wire

​

Mortgage applications ground to a halt as mortgage rates surged. Mortgage application activity is now at its lowest level since 1996.

Housing Wire

​

Redfin announced its decision to require agents to leave NAR in places where they can.

Market Watch

​

Sales of newly built homes in the U.S. fell in August as interest rates and home prices stayed elevated, dampening buyer demand.

California Dept. of Insurance​

​

Package of executive actions aimed at improving insurance choices for Californians amid climate threats.

Market Watch​

​

Construction of new U.S. homes fell 11.3% in August—falling short of Wall Street expectations—as builders scaled back new projects to focus on completions.

Realtor.com​

​

The most common reason homebuyers say they haven’t purchased a home is that they’re waiting for prices to drop.

CoreLogic​

​

U.S. home prices began rebounding on an annual basis in July, rising by 2.5%.

Redfin​

​

Investor home purchases fell 45% from a year earlier in the second quarter, outpacing the 31% drop in overall home sales.

Yahoo Finance​

​

One of the biggest problems in today's housing market is the inventory shortage, with demand far outstripping supply.

CNBC​

​

From hurricanes to wildfires and flooding, more homes are at risk from climate change, and home insurers and policyholders face a fast-changing market.

Market Insider​

​

Zillow is offering prospective homebuyers the option to put just a 1% down payment on a home purchase amid an ongoing affordability crisis sparked by soaring mortgage rates.

CNBC​

​

Mortgage rates hit the highest level since the end of 2000, and that is crushing affordability for potential homebuyers.

The Guardian​

​

A wave of young adults bought their first home with the help of student loan pauses and remote work – but will the boom last?

Yahoo Finance​

​

Elevated mortgage rates and declining homebuyer traffic is putting a squeeze on the U.S. housing market. 

Yahoo Finance​

​

Builders’ confidence dipped for the first time in 2023 in August to a neutral sentiment due to rising mortgage rates and stubbornly high shelter inflation. 

Fox Business News​

​

Home price growth slowed for the 12th straight month in May, CoreLogic reported. Still, home prices increased 1.4% year-over-year. 

The Hill​

​

Maine has the highest vacant housing rate in the country, according to a new analysis from real estate website LAHomes. 

Yahoo Finance​

​

The shelter index was the largest contributor to overall inflation, accounting for over 90% increase for all items.

Fox Business News​

​

U.S. mortgage rates topped 7% for the first time in nine months after Fitch downgraded the nation's credit score, dampening demand among would-be buyers. 

KTLA TV​

​

The trend of Californians looking to leave the Golden State in hopes of finding more affordable housing options elsewhere seems to be alive and well, according to a study from Redfin.

Realtor.com​

​

Millennials are getting priced out and outbid by older, all-cash buyers, real-estate group says.

9 to 5 Mac​

​

In 2019, Apple announced a $2.5 billion plan to help address the housing crisis in California in partnership with the state government.

National Association of REALTORS®​

​

Foreign buyers purchased 84,600 properties, down 14.2% from the prior year and the fewest number of homes bought since 2009.

Berkeleyside​

​

Berkeley approved nearly 900 new homes in 2022, in what the city’s mayor is calling "the biggest boom we’ve seen since the '60s."

USA Today​

​

The Fed raised its key interest rate by a quarter point, opened the door to another hike. Inflation has eased but officials worry it could spike again.

Yahoo Finance​

​

Homebuilder confidence hit its highest level since June of last year, reflecting enthusiasm in the market for new homes as mortgage rates hover around 7%.

National Assn. of REALTORS®​

​

An NAR Member Profile report's findings clearly show that the lack of housing inventory is impacting REALTORS®' ability to find buyers a home. 

Cap Radio​

​

A new research paper found homeownership fell 10 percentage points among Californians aged 35 to 45, to less than 40%. 

Yahoo Finance​

​

The biggest case for a housing market rebound is coming from the new home construction market.

CalMatters​

​

New research pinpoints how the California Environmental Quality Act collides with another state law to make housing construction difficult.

Newsweek​

​

​The Fed's decision to pause its rate-hiking program could help unlock more homes for sale in California, a market which is struggling with supply.

CBS News​

​

​Mortgage rates might be high for a while. Fortunately, there are ways to get around them if they do.

Market Watch​

​

A survey of American consumer confidence jumped to a 17-month high in June, reflecting a slowdown in inflation and more confidence about the future of the economy.

National Assn. of REALTORS®​

​

Americans living in walkable communities report a higher quality of life.

KTLA​

​

Even with mortgage rates hovering around 15-year highs, home prices in California edged higher for the fourth consecutive month in May.

MarketWatch​

​

​Construction on new U.S. homes rose 21.7% in May, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. 

CALIFORNIA ASSN. OF REALTORS®​

​

California’s housing market rebounded in May as home sales surged to the highest level in eight months and the statewide median price notched above $800,000 for the second straight month.

Freddie Mac
​

Even with elevated interest rates and high prices, more lower-income households are finding ways to purchase a home — a bright spot in the midst of a challenging market.

UnidosUS
​

HOME will address multifaceted challenges Latinos face in trying to buy a home by expanding market opportunities and providing potential homeowners with the resources they need to navigate the home-buying process.

National Mortgage Professional
​

Competition among buyers over few available houses has made this home shopping season unusually hot.

Yahoo Finance
​

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady Wednesday, but officials signaled they are prepared to raise rates again this year to tame stubborn inflation.

Mortgage Bankers Association
​

Mortgage credit availability decreased for the third consecutive month, as the industry continued to see more consolidation and reduced capacity as a result of the tougher market.

Realtor.com
​

Two of the nation's largest lenders are now offering mortgages that require just 1% down. Experts warn that might not be a good thing.

Zillow Research
​

The everyday expenses of owning a home are higher than ever, according to a new analysis from Zillow® and Thumbtack.

CNBC
​

Nationally, home prices in March were 0.7% higher than March 2022, S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices said.

USA Today
​

State Farm will no longer provide home insurance to new California customers because of wildfire risks and an increase in construction costs.

Bankrate
​

As affordability challenges mount, the nation’s two largest mortgage lenders have rolled out 1% down payment loans.

NBC Bay Area
​

Report found that the second-largest markets across the U.S. can offer college graduates a higher quality of life and an accessible cost of living.

The Hill
​

​The U.S. homeownership rate hit its lowest level in five decades in 2020, falling by 2 percentage points in 10 years’ time, according to Census Bureau data.

CBS News
​

Home prices are rising in many parts of the U.S. Here's how to take advantage.

Yahoo Finance
​

While the average mortgage rate remains stuck above 6%, buyers of new homes are getting a much better deal.

CALIFORNIA ASSN. OF REALTORS®
​

A surge in mortgage interest rates and a shortage of homes for sale suppressed California home sales in April.

CNBC​

​

U.S. home building unexpectedly rose in April, climbing 2% from March, as low inventory in the existing home market boosts interest in new homes.

CalMatters​

​

A California exodus unfolded for the third straight year in 2022. What does that mean for the state’s housing crisis?

USA Today​

​

Homebuyers win after Federal Housing Finance Agency cancels plans for an upfront mortgage fee based in debt-to-income ratios in August.

Realtor.com​

​

Mortgage rates are poised to begin coming down as inflation is slowing and the Federal Reserve doesn't want to exacerbate the banking crisis.

Yahoo Finance​

​

Fannie Mae’s housing sentiment index jumped 5.5 points in April to 66.8, its highest level since May 2022 and the largest monthly gain in two years. to face another large mortgage rate jump after the Fed indicated it intends to pause interest rate increases.

Redfin​

​

Buyers and sellers are unlikely to face another large mortgage rate jump after the Fed indicated it intends to pause interest rate increases.

Money​

​

​A new fee structure for government-backed loans could be a barrier to homeownership for many middle-class Americans.

WKRC

​

Buyers are likely to face stiff competition and limited housing options for entry-level homes.