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Affordability

Americans are divided over housing impacts of immigration, tariffs

Affordability, Donald Trump, Homebuilders, Housing Market, HWmember, Politics, Redfin, Tariffs /

A new Redfin survey reveals sharp divides among Americans over how immigration and tariffs are affecting housing affordability, reflecting a complex and politically charged landscape. More than half of U.S. homeowners and renters (51.2%) believe that reducing immigration could worsen housing affordability by shrinking the pool of construction workers and limiting the number of new […]

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First American: Rising costs squeeze homeownership for millions

Affordability, Data & Visuals, First American, First American Financial Corporation, Homeownership, HWmember, Insurance, Mortgage, Property Tax /

The cost of owning a home in the U.S. has jumped sharply in recent years, reaching an average of more than $1,700 per month in 2023 — a 17% increase since 2020 — according to an analysis by First American senior economist Sam Williamson. Using the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, Williamson found that

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Buying Your First Home? FHA Loans Can Help

Buying Your First Home? FHA Loans Can Help

Affordability, Buying Tips, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Mortgage Rates /

If you’re a first-time homebuyer, you might feel like the odds are stacked against you in today’s market. But there are resources and programs out there that can help – if you know where to look. And one thing that can make homeownership easier to achieve? An FHA home loan. They’re designed to help you

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Mortgage rates aren’t hampering millennials’ homebuying interest

Affordability, Baby Boomer, Gen Z, Homebuyers, Housing Market, HWmember, Millennials, Mortgage Rates, Realtor.com /

Millennials are the only generation showing increased interest in buying a home in the next six months, according to a new survey by Realtor.com. The survey, conducted this spring, found that 23% of millennials plan to buy a home, up from 15% in September 2024. By contrast, 69% of Americans across all generations said they

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Newly Built Homes May Be Less Expensive Than You Think

Newly Built Homes May Be Less Expensive Than You Think

Affordability, Buying Tips, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Home Prices, New Construction /

Do you think a brand-new home means a bigger price tag? Think again. Right now, something unique is happening in the housing market. According to the Census and the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the median price of newly built homes is actually lower than the median price for existing homes (ones that have already

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New platform aims to ease California down payment burden

Affordability, Artificial Intelligence, California, Canada, Down Payment Assistance, HWmember, Real Estate, Technology /

Zown, a real estate platform that offers upfront financial help to homebuyers, is expanding into California with a goal to ease the burden of down payments and elevated home prices. The service has launched in the Golden State after gaining traction in Canada, where it supported more than 250 homebuyers and facilitated $300 million-plus in

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Zillow: Northeast housing competition heats up while Sun Belt offers breathing room

Affordability, Data & Visuals, Florida, Homebuyers, Housing Inventory, HWmember, New York, Real Estate, Texas, Zillow /

As the spring homebuying season ramps up, prospective buyers in the Northeast are facing fierce competition, while shoppers in the Sun Belt are finding more negotiating power, according to new data from Zillow. The analysis released Thursday shows a stark contrast between markets. In cities like Buffalo, New York; Boston; Hartford, Connecticut; and Providence, Rhode

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Home prices expected to dip as supply and demand collide

Affordability, Existing home sales, Home Prices, Home Sales, Housing Inventory, Housing Market, HWmember, Redfin /

U.S. home prices are projected to flatten in the third quarter and decline 1% year over year by the fourth quarter of 2025, according to a new report from Redfin. The company also expects mortgage rates to remain elevated near 7% through the end of the year. This marks a sharp reversal from more than

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Where land-use regulations are driving up housing costs

Affordability, Altos, Construction, Data & Visuals, Home Prices, Housing Market, HWmember, Regulatory, Regulatory Compliance /

President Donald Trump has made deregulation a policy pillar for his second term — and housing regulations are up for review. Homebuilders say that federal rules have driven up the cost of building a home. Many mortgage professionals want to release Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from conservatorship. And there were no shortage of complaints

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Rural America isn’t immune to housing squeeze

Affordability, Down Payment Assistance, Home Prices, Homeownership, Housing Inventory, Housing Market, HWmember /

Rural areas of the U.S. that have long been viewed as a refuge for affordable homeownership are now grappling with rising prices, limited inventory and increasing competition — pressures once thought unique to urban housing markets. “Even the term ‘affordable’ feels like a relic of the past,” said Jake Vehige, president of mortgage lending at

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