For the fifth consecutive month, existing-home sales continued to be resilient in the face of the pandemic, climbing nearly 27% compared to a year ago, the National Association of REALTORS® reported Thursday.Also reported this week, construction of single-family homes soared to the highest pace since the spring of 2007, as more buyers turned to the new-home market to find homes for sale. Buyers continue to find higher prices and quick sales
Defying high unemployment and an economic recession, the housing market has surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. That isn’t likely to let up heading into the winter months, said Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of REALTORS® during Tuesday’s “Residential Economic Issues & Trends Forum” at the virtual 2020 REALTORS® Conference & Expo.“2020 has been a year of surprises,” Yun said, singling out the
The term “bidding war” lends an adversarial tone to multiple-offer situations, and pitting one side against the other is the wrong way to handle such a transaction, Greg Glosson, managing broker at Fast Track Realty in Memphis, Tenn., said Tuesday at a session called “Multiple Offers = Multiple Confusion” during the virtual 2020 REALTORS® Conference & Expo.“We need to be very cooperative with one another because we are all try
Foreclosure filings in October climbed 20% compared to September’s figures as the pandemic remains a threat to homeownership for some Americans and to the economy, ATTOM Data Solutions, a real estate research firm, reports. Foreclosure filings include default notices, scheduled auctions, or bank repossessions.“It’s a little surprising to see foreclosure activity increasing in spite of the various foreclosure moratoria that are in place,”
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, nearly one in six renters are late on their payments, according to a LendingTree analysis reflecting data from late September to early October. Further, more than one in four renters say they have no confidence or are only slightly confident in being able to make next month’s payment.A federal eviction moratorium will expire Dec. 31. That could leave many renters without a home and property managers with missed pa
The interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to a 2.84% average this week but remains near all-time lows. Last week, the rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage set a record low of 2.78%. “Mortgage rates jumped this week as a result of positive news about a COVID-19 vaccine,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Despite this rise, mortgage rates remain about a percentage point below a year ago, and the low-rate envi
In the third quarter, 16.7 million residential properties in the U.S., or 28.3% overall, were considered “equity rich,” according to a new report from ATTOM Data Solutions, a real estate research data firm. A property is considered equity rich when the property owner has at least 50% equity in the home.“Homeowner equity in the third quarter added another pebble to the pile of markers showing that the U.S. housing market continues to defy th
Home prices continue to climb in a market with limited number of homes for sale and high buyer demand. The majority of major metros across the U.S. posted double-digit price gains in the third quarter. Single-family existing home prices increased in all 181 metro areas tracked in the National Association of REALTORS®’ latest quarterly report, released Thursday.The price of single-family homes surged 12% year over year to $313,500. The Western
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a noteworthy impact on homeownership. Although the virus continues to take a toll and unemployment remains above pre-pandemic levels, the housing market has been booming, and trends are starting to emerge, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ newly released “2020 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.”The profile, produced annually, contains a new section this year that examines how the pandem
Mortgage rates at all-time lows have helped drive U.S. home sales to a 14-year high. Existing homeowners also are rushing to take advantage, prompting a 200% annual increase in refinancing. Mortgage lenders have faced a hectic business during the pandemic as many systems were quickly forced to go remote.“It’s been a complicated year for the mortgage industry,” says Jim Houston, managing director of consumer lending and automotive finan
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