Housing Market

HUD secretary defends repeal of fair housing rule

In a strongly worded op-ed, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner defended the recent repeal of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule. Turner argued in The Gazette, an Iowa-based newspaper, that AFFH represented a federal overreach into local housing decisions and hurt the very communities it claimed to help. […]

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House bill calls for bigger SALT tax breaks

The House tax committee is looking to raise the cap on the state and local tax deduction (SALT) and formally adopt several of President Trump’s campaign tax promises as part of a multi-trillion-dollar package, Republicans’ main legislative priority. The draft legislation, introduced by the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee in the House of Representatives on

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More home sellers and home sales in May

The weekly pending home sales picked up this week as expected, with 2.6% more pending home sales contracts started than a year ago. If you’re following the data closely, you know that home sales are still running at or below last year’s pace. Year to date, through the first week of May, we count 3%

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Homebuyers turn to aging properties as construction lags

The median age of homes purchased nationwide reached a record high of 36 years in 2024, a significant jump from 27 years in 2012, according to an analysis released Monday by Redfin. The trend reflects a long-term slowdown in new home construction and growing affordability challenges. Buyers are increasingly turning to older properties, often out

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What happens to mortgage rates with more trade deals?

What will happen to mortgage rates now that China and the U.S. have made progress in their trade war, agreeing to a 90-day period of lower tariffs? Stocks are up considerably this morning and bond yields have also increased. This raises the question: Is the de-escalation of the trade war good for mortgage rates? The

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Mortgage demand still staying firm with elevated rates

If someone had told me that home sales would remain firm this year despite mortgage rates ranging from 7.25% to 6.64%, I would not have taken that bet. However, amid all the chaotic economic headlines of 2025 so far, the demand for mortgages is holding steady, even with the higher rates. Let’s dig into the

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