There are now only 4 major U.S. cities where buying is cheaper than renting

May 25, 2023
That's good news if you're looking to buy in Philadelphia, Detroit, Cleveland or Houston, but what about the rest of us?
Even if monthly mortgage payments are higher than comparable rent, "you get the benefit of building up wealth," said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin.
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New home construction ticked up in April, signaling a rise in demand

May 17, 2023
Most new homes are going up in the South and states like Utah and Nevada, where homes are generally more affordable than on the coasts.
New home construction has picked up in the Mountain West, where housing is generally more affordable than on the coasts.
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Millions of dilapidated houses sit vacant in the U.S. A Colorado college program aims to change that.

May 11, 2023
Construction students get blighted homes back on the market under the auspices of a community college program.
Jerry Begley, construction training program manager at Trinidad State College, points to the century-old earthen interior of a COPERR program project in the west end of town.
Dan Boyce

Why inflation runs hottest in the Mountain West

May 9, 2023
Last month, the CPI pegged area inflation at 6% year-over-year, a whole percentage point higher than the national average.
The cost of housing accounts for a third of the CPI. With the flexibility of remote work, many people have moved to the Mountain West, raising prices for locals.
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Lower mortgage fee will help some buyers with Fannie and Freddie loans

Apr 25, 2023
The Federal Housing Finance Agency will lower the loan-level price adjustment fee for people with smaller down payments.
The number of new home sales was up almost 10% in March, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development.
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Eggs are cheaper, but not housing? Inside the latest consumer price index

The March report shows inflation slowing overall and prices easing in some key areas (food) and not in others (services and shelter.)
Egg prices dropped 10% and fruits and vegetables fell 1.3% from February, according to the CPI. But overall food and beverage prices were up more than 8% from last year.
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Housing price trends are split down the middle of the country

Mar 30, 2023
Prices are cooling in the West, but the market in the East is still hot. We check in with a real estate pro in the center of the divide.
A home for sale in Houston, which sits on the fault line between regions going in opposite directions.
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Homebuyers keep looking for a dip in mortgage rates

Mar 29, 2023
A February rise in pending home sales likely reflects a short dip in rates earlier.
An uptick in a pending home sales in February follows lower mortgage rates from a month or two earlier.
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New home sales rise in the South and West, but sag in Northeast

Mar 24, 2023
Affordability is attracting people to sunnier climes — and that's helping to heat up those regions' economies.
"The fastest-growing cities nationwide are located in the South and West, so builders are responding to that demand," says Odeta Kushi, deputy chief economist at First American.
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