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Affordability

Bill aims to construct homes with proceeds from future GSE release

Affordability, Affordable housing, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, GSE Reform, Homebuilders, Homeownership, House of Representatives, Housing Market, HWmember, Legislation, Rental Properties /

U.S. Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) have introduced the Housing for US Act — a bipartisan proposal aimed at easing the national housing shortage by investing federal funds into the construction of millions of new homes for middle-class Americans. The bill, which is currently awaiting committee review, calls for up to $250 […]

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NAR unveils dashboard that tracks key housing trends

Affordability, Homebuying, Housing Market Data, HWmember, Mortgage Rates, National Association of Realtors, Real Estate, Technology /

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) on Tuesday released a new interactive tool that aims to give members monthly insights into housing affordability, home-price trends and economic indicators at the metro level. The tool, known as the Market Statistics Dashboard, is available exclusively to NAR members. According to the trade group, the dashboard includes localized

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Zillow unveils tools to simplify buying, renting, touring

Affordability, Homebuyers, Homebuying, HWmember, Real Estate, Real Estate Agents, Rental Properties, Renters, Technology, Zillow /

Zillow has rolled out five new features aimed at streamlining the process of buying, renting and touring homes. The updates — now live nationwide — include a drone-powered virtual viewing tool and offer pricing transparency for rental properties, along with coordinated tour scheduling and affordability estimates. SkyTour allows users to navigate a 3D aerial view

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Westcor joins Fannie Mae title waiver pilot

Affordability, American Land Title Association, Bill Pulte, Fannie Mae, FHFA, HWmember, Mortgage, Title, Title insurance /

Westcor Land Title Insurance Co. is now the second title vendor taking part in Fannie Mae‘s title insurance waiver pilot program. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte announced the move in a social media post. The waiver pilot, relaunched by Fannie Mae in March 2024, allows approved mortgage lenders to use an automated

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‘Dating the rate’ misled borrowers. Now they’re financially strained

Affordability, Churchill Mortgage, Homebuyers, HWmember, LendingLife, Loan Officer, Mortgage, Mortgage Rates, Origination, Refinancing /

“Marry the house, date the rate” is a phrase that was popularized during the post-pandemic era of rising mortgage rates. Lenders urged borrowers to focus on finding a house they were head over heels with and worry about their interest rate down the line. Borrowers who were accustomed to rates hovering near 3% didn’t realize

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Zillow: US housing shortage hit 4.7 million in 2023

Affordability, Construction, Covid-19, Data & Visuals, Housing Inventory, Housing Market, HWmember, U.S. Census Bureau, Zillow /

The U.S. faced a shortfall of 4.7 million homes in 2023 — the largest housing deficit on record — according to a new Zillow analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. Persistent inventory shortages continue to drive the national housing affordability crisis, limiting access to homeownership and forcing millions of people to share homes with non-relatives.

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Realtor.com adds property tax appeal tool with Ownwell integration

Affordability, HWmember, Property Tax, Real Estate, Realtor.com, Technology /

Realtor.com has added a new feature to its My Home dashboard, allowing users to access property tax monitoring and appeals services through a partnership with Ownwell, a property tax appeal company. The integration comes amid rising homeownership costs across the country, with property taxes often cited as one of the largest annual expenses after mortgage

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Survey: Down payment concerns delay homeownership for many

Affordability, Down Payment Assistance, First-Time Homebuyers, Home Prices, Homebuyers, Housing Market, National Association of Realtors, NeighborWorks America, Real Estate /

Despite strong interest in home-buying, affordability challenges and misconceptions about down payments are deterring many potential buyers, according to a new survey from NeighborWorks America. The nonprofit organization reports that 27% of U.S. adults say they plan to buy a home within the next year. However, among those who are postponing or not planning to

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NAR: Homebuyers still have down payment misconceptions

Affordability, Down Payment Assistance, FHA loan, First-Time Homebuyers, Homebuyers, Housing Market, HWmember, National Association of Realtors, VA Loan /

Despite growing attention around all-cash transactions, most Americans — especially first-time buyers — continue to finance their home purchases, according to new data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Among primary residence buyers, 74% financed their home purchase in 2024. That share jumps to 91% for first-time buyers, said Jessica Lautz, NAR’s deputy chief

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Mayors back Realtor.com’s campaign to address the housing crisis

Affordability, Homebuilders, Housing Inventory, National Association of Realtors, Politics, Real Estate, Realtor.com, Regulatory Compliance /

The U.S. Conference of Mayors formally endorsed a bipartisan statement to support the Let America Build campaign — a housing policy initiative backed by Realtor.com — during the organization’s annual meeting in Tampa on Sunday. The resolution — introduced by Austin Mayor Kirk Watson — acknowledges the mounting housing affordability crisis, and it calls for

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