Finance - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

Florida Hurricane Attracts Bargain Hunters

Less than a month after Hurricane Ian caused widespread devastation to southwestern Florida, investors and other buyers are scouring for housing deals in a region where home prices have soared in recent years.Demand remains strong from both locals and out-of-staters, according to residential real-estate agents in Naples, Fla., and other areas near the path of the Category 4 storm. They say they have received numerous inquiries

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US Homebuilder Sentiment Extends Record Slide as Rates Soar

A measure of US homebuilder sentiment dropped for a 10th straight month in October, hitting the lowest level since the early days of the pandemic and illustrating a housing market battered by soaring mortgage rates.The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo gauge decreased 8 points to 38, the weakest since May 2020, figures showed Tuesday. The gauge was weaker than the most pessimistic forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists.Senti

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Buyer Turns $123K Wire Fraud Loss into Teachable Moment

Falling prey to a wire fraud scheme, he lost the down payment that took his family years to save. Now he’s helping real estate pros protect their clients against cyber scams.Aaron Cole and his wife and two children stand in front of the home they nearly lost in Canby, Ore., after Cole was swindled out of the family's $123,000 down payment in a wire fraud scheme.After a yearlong search, Aaron Cole and his family finally found their dream home in

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Some Real Estate Markets Cooling as Mortgage Rates Hit 20-Year High

Burbank — Inflation, soaring mortgage rates and record high prices are making it difficult for many Americans to buy a home. But there could be some relief in sight, as skyrocketing rates have helped cool some of the nation's hottest housing markets.According to Freddie Mac, the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage now sits at 6.92%, the highest it has been since 2002, and more than double what it was just a year ago. Ho

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Just How Difficult it's Getting for Home Buyers

Mortgage rates, now at a 20-year high, combined with inflation and stock market volatility are causing housing markets to soften quickly. The next several months will be a critical test for the economy, experts say.© photoschmidt - iStock/Getty Images PlusConsumers are facing economic pressure from every angle—rising mortgage rates, stubbornly high inflation, a battered stock market—and the financial environment keeps getting worse for aspir

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U.S. Mortgage Interest Rates Rise to Highest Level Since 2006

The average interest rate on the most popular U.S. home loan rose to its highest level since 2006 as the housing sector continued to bear the brunt of tightening financial conditions, data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) showed on Wednesday.Mortgage rates have more than doubled since the beginning of the year as the Federal Reserve pursues an aggressive path of interest rate hikes to bring down stubbornly high inflation.Those actions,

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Construction Spending Slips in August

Rising interest rates crushing demand for housing, developer financed projects, but infrastructure, power, and manufacturing could soon gain steam, association officials say Total construction spending declined by 0.7% in August as spending on new houses turned sharply lower, while public and private nonresidential construction posted mixed results, according to a recent analysis of federal spending data by the Associated General Contractors

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Mortgage Rates Average 6.66%

Home buyers have lost about $107,000 in buying power since the beginning of the year—and that’s what’s truly scary.Despite a slight decrease this week in mortgage rates, the average for the 30-year fixed-rate loan remains more than double what it was a year ago, adding hundreds of dollars per month to financing costs for home buyers. This is prompting more buyers to retreat from the market: Mortgage applications to purchase a home are down

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Mortgage Rates Inch Closer to 7%

Buyers would be smart to shop around: The large dispersion in rate offerings among lenders could amount to several hundreds of dollars, Freddie Mac says. Home buyers who waited to buy a home this month compared to last month may have some regrets. Home buying is 12% more expensive than just a month ago. Fast-rising mortgage rates—up one percentage point in September alone—have added an extra $250 more onto monthly mortgage payments over the p

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Decade-High Rates Deeply Cut into Contract Signings

Pending home sales are posting annual losses in the double-digits as home buyers continue to back away from the market due to surging mortgage rates. House hunters are backing away from the housing market as mortgage rates continue to rise sharply. The National Association of REALTORS®’ newly released Pending Home Sales Index—a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings—fell 2% in August compared to July and is down

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