Housing affordability continues to worsen for many Americans

Jul 19, 2022
Home prices are at record levels, and mortgage rates are much higher now than they were six months ago.
Fewer homes are being built these days — especially in the price range of first-time buyers.
Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Some homebuilders are dropping prices as mortgage rates rise, economist says

People "desperately want to purchase," but are stepping out of the difficult market, says Ali Wolf, chief economist at Zonda.
"It's a very tricky thing because the builders are trying to drum up demand, while also trying to keep their buyers in backlog — those that have already signed a contract — happy," says Ali Wolf, chief economist at Zonda.
Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images

Higher interest rates may not make a dent in rising rents for more than a year

Jul 12, 2022
Rent growth is expected to ease after interest rates slow down homebuying. It will take even longer for inflation numbers to reflect that.
Month-over-month rent increases should begin to slow as demand cools.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Is the rental market slowing down? Maybe.

Jul 7, 2022
Some private-sector sources are reporting that year-over-year rent increases slowed down in June. This could be good news for inflation, but not anytime soon.
Rent for one-bedroom apartments went up .5% from May to June, which is less than previous months, according to data from Zumper.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

When governments fail to address community issues, who steps in?

Jul 6, 2022
In an excerpt from "The Fight to Save the Town," the author describes how residents get by in an Oregon county with a declining government.
A person in Detroit walks past the remains of the Packard Motor Car Co., which ceased production in the late 1950s.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

As real estate market changes, broker counsels buyers and sellers to think different

Jul 4, 2022
For buyers, the competition is less fierce, but some sellers still have "pie in the sky" hopes.
The median sale price was $407,600 in May, and mortgage rates have climbed. Some would-be buyers are finding the market less affordable, yet sellers have lost some leverage, says Amanda Pohlman of Keller Williams in Cleveland.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

As the real estate market cools, so does the market for agents

Jun 21, 2022
As home sales decline, the field is becoming more competitive.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Are rising mortgage rates already cooling the hot real estate market?

Jun 20, 2022
The number of pending sales is down from last year, but homes are still selling quickly.
Mortgage rates have doubled since a year ago to about 6%, but homes are still selling swiftly.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

New federal programs aim to shrink the racial housing gap

Jun 20, 2022
The homeownership rate among Black Americans is 42%. For white Americans, it's more than 70%.
Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

The housing market is finally starting to cool off

Jun 16, 2022
Mortgage rates are up. Realtors are being laid off.
High mortgage rates means reduces the pool of potential homebuyers. Fewer buyers could mean houses are on the market longer, which could prompt sellers to reduce prices.
Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images