Canada extends its ban on foreigners buying homes for two more years

Feb 6, 2024
The ban was supposed to make housing more affordable.
After foreign investors began buying up properties in places like Vancouver, "residents were being priced out of their own real estate market," said McGill University's David Wachsmuth.
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To fight vacant housing, Baltimore turns to the blockchain

Jan 29, 2024
The city hopes the technology behind cryptocurrency can streamline transactions. It's part of a proposed plan to address blight.
Someone once painted 1415 Myrtle Ave. in Baltimore sky blue; it's been vacant since at least 2016. A pilot program would record all of the now 13,600 vacant properties in the city on the blockchain.
Amy Scott/Marketplace

Home prices aren't guaranteed to skyrocket this year

Jan 19, 2024
Housing demand has been improving in recent months, as mortgage rates have ticked down. And while that's putting upward pressure on home prices, there are a few factors that could keep a lid on home price appreciation.
One factor that's already been increasing housing inventory is new home construction.
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Houston has bucked the trend in homelessness. Can it afford to keep it up?

Jan 8, 2024
The city has been lauded for getting people into homes. But higher housing costs and expiring funding may put programs in jeopardy.
Houston's homelessness response network helped Derrick Escobedo find permanent housing — his first home ever.
Elizabeth Trovall/Marketplace

Rent reporting is affecting tenants' credit scores

Jan 1, 2024
In New York City, there's been an uptick in landlords reporting tenants' rents to credit bureaus, and not all renters are happy about it.
"One of the biggest things that landlords look at when they're deciding whether or not to rent to a tenant is their credit score," Chang said. A lower credit score can affect one's ability to move out and find a new place to live.
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Streaming, housing, gas: How much did prices change in 2023?

Dec 29, 2023
Your monthly streaming bill and mortgage payment might have gone up, but gas and egg prices cooled down.
This has been “the least affordable year for homebuying on record," according to a report from Redfin.
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Will 2024 be the year the housing market gets slightly less tough?

Dec 27, 2023
High mortgage costs, low supply of houses for purchase and high rents made for a pretty bleak year. But there's a glimmer of light on the horizon.
“Single-family houses are starting to seem like a luxury good," said Chris Mayer of Columbia Business School.
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For public good, not for profit.

The housing sector is coming out of the doldrums. But will it keep improving through 2024?

Dec 20, 2023
We jumped into the Marketplace time machine to ask some experts how things look from next December.
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Housing construction was expected to fall in November. Instead, it surged.

Dec 19, 2023
Housing starts surged nearly 15%, blowing expectations out of the water. What does that mean for the future of the housing market?
In November, 1.56 million single-family homes began construction, up nearly 15% from October.
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Is cost of housing the culprit for pessimism about economy?

Dec 12, 2023
Inflation dipped slightly, but housing remains the biggest driver of rising prices.
Rents have gone up almost 30% just in the last couple of years. And high mortgage rates mean buying is out of reach for many current renters.
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