A growing share of home buyers and sellers sat on the sidelines last year as the pace of home sales continued its downward trajectory.1 In fact, since the Federal Reserve began its series of interest rate hikes in 2022, the combination of higher borrowing costs and record-high home prices has fostered the steepest real estate market slowdown since the 2008 recession.2
Priced out of the market, a generation of would-be buyers has been forced to delay their plans for homeownership.3 At the same...
If you're thinking about buying or selling a home, you might have heard that it’s tough right now because mortgage rates are higher than they’ve been over the past few years, and home prices are rising. That much is true. Take a look at the graph below. It breaks down how the current affordability situation stacks up to recent years.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) explains how to read the values on the graph:
“To interpret the indices, a value of 100 means that a family with th...
Buying a new home is one of the most exciting experiences in life. And if you’re like most homebuyers, you’ll be planning your furniture placement and decor before the ink dries on your offer letter.
But before you run to the nearest home goods store, take a deep breath. First, you’ll need to delay any major purchases before you close on your new home. A large outlay or additional line of credit could lower your credit score and, thus, impact your mortgage terms.1 Second, moving and closing cos...
If the thought of investing your money into brick and mortar—or perhaps some stylishly-painted siding—excites you, join the club.
Investing in real estate has long been one of Americans' favorite ways to grow their wealth. In fact, over 70% of single-family rental properties are currently owned by individual investors rather than corporations, according to Census data.1
Moreover, a decade's worth of Bankrate surveys has found that Americans often prefer real estate for long-term wealth buildin...
Toward the end of last year, there were a number of headlines saying home prices were going to fall substantially in 2023. That led to a lot of fear and questions about whether there was going to be a repeat of the housing crash that happened back in 2008. But the headlines got it wrong.
While there was a slight home price correction after the sky-high price appreciation during the ‘unicorn’ years, nationally, home prices didn’t come crashing down. If anything, prices were a lot more resilient...
Not long ago, home sellers were in their heyday, as historically low mortgage rates triggered a real estate buying frenzy. However, the Federal Reserve shut down the party when it began raising interest rates last year.1
Now, it’s not as simple to sell a home. While pandemic-era homebuyers were racing the clock—trying to lock in a low mortgage rate and gain a foothold in the market—current buyers are more discerning. Higher prices and mortgage rates have pushed their limits of affordability,...
To avoid buyer's remorse, be sure to consider your future self when shopping for a home.
Most new homebuyers don't regret becoming homeowners. In fact, according to a survey by LendingTree, 80% of recent buyers who successfully overcame a challenging housing market say they're glad they found their current homes.1 But that doesn't mean newly-minted homeowners don't have any regrets about their buying choices.
On the contrary, research shows that even the most-satisfied homeowners would change...
