#homeownership

#homeownership

Mortgage rates increased this week as the debt limit impasse between the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and President Joe Biden's White House continues to cause uncertainties within the market.Rising rates and home prices come with affordability challenges, mainly for first-time homebuyers.

Sir Keir Starmer said millions will pay the price of Tory recklessness in higher mortgages and a shortage of homes as the party leaders clashed in their final exchanges before local elections in England on Thursday.The Labour leader put the focus on the fallout of Liz Truss's short stint as prime minister and higher mortgage rates, while claiming Conservative councillors simply don't want to build the houses local people need.

Rishi Sunak's decision to scale back housing targets could cost renters an extra 200 a year by 2030, Labour has claimed as it ramps up its pitch as the party of home ownership.The Opposition promised to never treat tenants like second-class citizens, as it suggested the Prime Minister's approach to planning will lead to the lowest rate of housebuilding since the Second World War.

Dotdash Meredith (DDM) made a major bet on contextual with last month's launch of D/Cipher.While DDM is putting a lot of eggs in D/Cipher's basket, it remains to be seen whether it will help turn its revenue numbers around.The publisher reported a 15% drop in digital ad revenue in its Q1 2023 earnings, citing declines in premium sold ads and lower programmatic rates.

On the heels of a Thursday announcement by six federal agencies unveiling a proposed rule that would implement quality control standards that govern the use of automated valuation models (AVMs), Vice President Kamala Harris weighed in.Today, I'm proud to announce we are developing a rule that will require that financial institutions ensure that their appraisal algorithms are not biased, for example, that they do not produce lower valuations for homes owned by people of color, Harris said Thursday in a call with reporters.

Freddie Mac on Tuesday announced enhancements to its automated income assessment toolalready used for direct depositsto also include the borrower's digital paystub data.The government sponsored enterprise said lenders can calculate income faster and more precisely, improving loan quality, simplifying the mortgage process and expanding access to credit.

National Mortgage Insurance Corporation (National MI) announced on Tuesday its integration with Vesta, a loan origination system (LOS) provider and software-as-a-service company.The technology integration enables lenders to obtain price quotes and order National MI's real-time, risk-based mortgage insurance through its Rate GPS tool instantly without leaving the Vesta LOS platform.

Today's first-time homebuyers are not only faced with higher interest rates, but the amount they need for a down payment is making for significant challenges, even right here in the Bay State.Massachusetts first-time homebuyers have the fifth-highest down payment in the nation, according to a new report from Moneywise.

Wondering if you should continue renting a Beacon Hill apartment or if you should buy a home this year?If so, consider this.Rental affordability is still a challenge and has been for years.That's because, historically, rents trend up over time.Data from the Census shows rents have been climbing pretty steadily since 1988.

Rents continue to be an attractive option for potential homebuyers holding off until mortgage rates fall and for those just not ready to make the jump into homeownership.But opting to rent comes with a price.Rentometer released its rent statistics for the fourth quarter of 2022 for rentals of three-bedroom single-family homes and found that 52% of cities had double-digit percentage rent increases at the end of last year.

Real Estate The region saw an increase in home sale profits and all-cash offers, but a decline in institutional investor sales.LOS ANGELES (AP) - Homeowners who held off on selling their home in 2022 as the housing market slowed missed out on a windfall and may have to settle for slimmer profits if they opt to sell this year.

iStock While a 20% down payment is a benchmark everyone would like to strive for, it certainly isn't the norm.According to a recent report from the National Association of Realtors®, almost half of consumers think they need to pay a minimum of 16% of a home's value to snag a mortgage-but that just isn't the case.

Rocket Companies has rolled out its first credit card in order to attract potential homebuyers and existing homeowners into its ecosystem amid one of the most challenging mortgage markets in decades.Those looking to buy a home can earn 5% back by using the Rocket Visa Signature Card for up to $8,000 that can be used toward closing costs and down payments.

New home sales started off 2023 on a positive note, rising 7.2% from December to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 670,000 homes, according to data published by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development ( HUD) on Friday.This marks the second consecutive month of increases and the strongest sales pace since March 2022.

New home sales rose in January from December, as mortgage rates eased off their highs of the past year at the start of 2023.Sales of newly constructed homes were up 7.2% in January from December, but fell 19.4% from a year ago, according to a joint report from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the US Census Bureau.