FHFA Extends COVID-19 Forbearance for Multifamily The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced that mortgage financing giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will continue to offer forbearance indefinitely to qualifying multifamily property owners as part of their ongoing COVID-19 protection. This marks the fourth extension the FHFA has made to the programs. The latest were set …
Tag: News
Sep 28
Common Phrases To Avoid
Common Phrases To Avoid Certain words and phrases you use may undermine your authority and professionalism. Lifehacker.com recently spotlighted some of these common “apprehensive phrases” that make you sound less confident. Here are a few words that made their list: “Just” “When we introduce our questions and ideas with this four-letter word—‘I’m just following …
Sep 28
Homes With More Daylight May Improve Moods
Homes With More Daylight May Improve Moods Let more light into your home and you can lower your anxiety and stress levels and even improve your sleep. Increasing daylight in a home can affect a person’s circadian rhythm, sleep, vitality, and mental health, according to a newly published, peer-reviewed paper in the International Journal of …
Sep 27
Fed Hints Mortgage Rates May Soon Rise
Fed Hints Mortgage Rates May Soon Rise Interest rates are expected to soon rise, even as the Federal Reserve announced on Wednesday that it would keep its benchmark rate near zero. The Fed, however, warned that it was preparing to taper its emergency stimulus efforts from the pandemic, including winding down its bond purchases. …
Sep 27
Owners See Perks of Home Rentals
Owners See Perks of Home Rentals An increasing number of homeowners—particularly younger adults—are seeing their home as a potential revenue stream. They’re more open to renting out their home to generate extra money and help offset the costs of owning, finds a new survey of more than 3,000 consumers conducted by realtor.com®. Thirty-two percent …
Sep 22
Buyers Aren’t Breaking the Bank to Afford Home Prices
Buyers Aren’t Breaking the Bank to Afford Home Prices Home prices have been posting double-digit annual increases. Bidding wars have quickly run up prices above list price. But for the most part, home buyers have not taken on more than they can afford. Americans devote about 21% of their household income toward their monthly …
Sep 22
Foot Traffic at Malls Climbs
Foot Traffic at Malls Climbs U.S. mall traffic rebounded this summer as newly vaccinated Americans felt more comfortable leaving their homes. The surge has continued despite growing threats from the fast-spreading COVID-19 delta variant. “After a year and a half of staying inside, there was a pent-up demand for doing something, and that something could …
Sep 21
America Is Short 5.24M Homes
America Is Short 5.24M Homes More real estate listings are coming to the market, but that won’t be able to make up for the fact that America is short millions of homes based on population needs. That likely means home buyers will continue to face inventory shortages and a dearth of homes for sale …
Sep 21
30-Year Mortgage Rate Inches Down to 2.86%
30-Year Mortgage Rate Inches Down to 2.86% Mortgage rates followed the trend of the 10-year Treasury yield this week and inched lower. But these historically low rates—averaging 2.86% this week for the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage—are expected to rise over the course of the next few months. The National Association of REALTORS® predicts that mortgage rates …
Sep 20
Mortgages Climb to Highest Level Since April
Mortgages Climb to Highest Level Since April Just when the housing market was starting to fall into a seasonal pattern, mortgage demand takes off. Mortgage applications to purchase a home—a gauge of the housing market—rose 7% last week compared to the previous week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday. That marks the highest level since …
Sep 20
Real Estate Firms Reveal Biggest Challenges Over Next 2 Years
Real Estate Firms Reveal Biggest Challenges Over Next 2 Years Real estate firms saw business activity increase over the past year as the housing market surged across the country. In 2020, single-office firms had a median brokerage sales volume of $4.5 million and 19 real estate transaction sides, up from $4.2 million and 18 …
