Home sellers don’t have it quite as good as they did a few years back. Buyers have regained some negotiating power, especially in areas where inventory has improved. But while home buyers are feeling more assured this spring – and less rushed – they should also know sellers are feeling confident too. In fact, according to a new survey from the National Association of Realtors’ consumer website, 83 percent of potential sellers expect to get their asking price or more. Similarly, 74 percent say now’s a good time to … [Read more...]

New numbers from the National Association of Realtors show sales of previously owned homes fell across all regions in March, dropping 3.6 percent from the month before. The slowdown coincided with a bump in mortgage rates but also the beginning of the spring sales season. Dr. Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, says the number of homes for sale is also a factor. “The inventory-to-sales ratio, or supply-to-demand ratio, is below historical norms,” Yun said. “An additional 300,000 to 500,000 homes for sale would … [Read more...]

A savvy home buyer knows to look beyond the price of the house and potential mortgage rate when calculating the actual cost of homeownership. Other factors like insurance, homeowners’ association fees, and property tax also play a role in determining how affordable – or unaffordable – a home actually is for your budget. That’s why ATTOM Data Solutions recently took a look at one of the major – and often overlooked – costs of homeownership: property taxes. According to its data, ATTOM found the average single-family … [Read more...]

In 2026, the question of whether the housing market favors home buyers or sellers isn’t as simple as it used to be. A few years back, housing markets across the country were all experiencing the same phenomenon. Inventory was historically low, prices were rising quickly, and home sellers were clearly in control – with most getting multiple offers from interested buyers trying to outbid each other. These days, it depends more on where you look. There are some areas of the country that could still be considered … [Read more...]

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates fell last week across most loan categories, including 30-year fixed-rate loans with both conforming and jumbo balances, loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration, and 5/1 ARMs. Joel Kan, MBA’s vice president and deputy chief economist, says, despite the improvement, last month’s rate bump still has buyers feeling uncertain. “Purchase applications were 7-percent lower on a year-over-year basis, the first … [Read more...]

The housing market isn’t just a series of data points. It’s also a reflection of our lives and the way we live them. For example, a recent analysis found there’s a mismatch between the availability of larger homes and the buyers who need them. Currently, older Americans own more large homes than millennial families do. In fact, empty nesters own nearly twice the number of three-bedroom homes than younger Americans with children. That means buyers with kids may have more difficulty finding a home that fits their … [Read more...]

The housing market typically heats up in March and this year was no exception. According to a recently released market analysis of online listings, there were 281,546 newly pending listings this March. That’s the most since August 2022 and an almost 30-percent increase over month-before numbers. Page views for online listings were also up sharply, with daily views per for-sale listing 32-percent higher than last year. What’s this mean for home buyers and sellers? Well, it means there are signs of spring in the … [Read more...]

Buying your first home is a bigger financial challenge than buying your second or third home. If you already have a home, you can use the proceeds from its sale to help finance the purchase of your next house. If you don’t own a home, you have to come up with the money for a down payment and closing costs from scratch. That can be difficult. The good news? It’s getting a little easier. These days, home-price increases are flattening across the country due to a rising number of homes available for sale. That, along … [Read more...]

Home prices continue to flatten nationally, according to the most recent results of the Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index. The index – which measures prices on a three-month basis – found year-over-year gains of just 0.9 percent through the end of January. That’s down from a 1.1 percent gain the previous month. Nicholas Godec, CFA, CAIA, CIPM, Head of Fixed Income Tradables & Commodities at S&P Dow Jones Indices, says the results are evidence that prices continue to cool. “January’s results show … [Read more...]

Nobody likes being in debt. Owing money can cause stress and financial strain. In fact, new survey results show 77 percent of Americans say they believe being in debt has held them back. But while it can definitely have a negative effect on your life, not all debt is the same and, in some ways, debt can be good. That’s why the same survey found almost an equal amount of respondents who said they think having debt is normal. Additionally, 62 percent of participants even believe it’s necessary to get ahead … [Read more...]