Stagnant incomes and rising rents have left the nation with an unprecedented number of doubled-up households as people moved in together to make ends meet. All those roommates have changed the American housing landscape, with 5.4 million households that would exist under normal conditions instead lost in guestrooms and basements, sharing space with friends, family and roommates, waiting for … Read More »

Despite reports that oppressive student debt or a desire to a desire to keep renting will keep homeownership rates for twenty and thirty-somethings at record lows, millions of them are waiting on a slightly fatter paycheck to begin the process of buying a first home, according to a new national study. An increase of 15 percent or less in annual … Read More »

Fannie Mae’s monthly consumer survey found that most consumers surveyed believe prices will rise by 2.2 percent over the next year even though they are falling now and fewer than half think mortgage rates will go up in the next 12 months even though rates today are near historic lows. Moreover, in September, the share of consumers who say now … Read More »

Millennials are feeling slightly better about themselves, which is making pollsters feel even better about the future of the housing markets.  Just how long the next generation will take to get serious about the process of home buying still makes experts nervous. Overall, Americans are more confident in their housing market than at the start of the year, according to … Read More »

  Tired of waiting for the millennial generation to buy a house? If you’re willing to wait another ten or twenty years, things will finally get better according to a new study funded by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. Young people of the future, it seems, are already planning to rebel against their Rentorship Generation older brothers and sisters … Read More »

While most homebuyers are focused on rising home prices, closing costs are rising nearly as quickly over the past three years, increasing by more than 20 percent since 2010, according to Bankrate.com Mortgage closing costs rose 6 percent over 2013 after rising 6 percent in 2012 and 8.8 percent in 2011 The now average $2,539 on a $200,000 loan. Each … Read More »

Consumers apparently have not gotten the news. They remain rosy about homeownership even though not enough of them are taking the plunge themselves. Read More »

Daffodils, April showers, robins and a new crop of For Sale signs seem to be working their seasonal magic on home buyers.  The latest Fannie Mae survey, conducted in March, reports that the gloominess that shrouded buyers during the bitter winter months has melted away and attitudes are nearly as positive as they were a year ago. Consumers who said … Read More »

Consumer expectations on home prices rose unexpectedly in February, just in time to build seller confidence to list their houses and restore tight inventories for the fast approaching spring season. Fannie Mae’s February 2014 National Housing Survey took a right turn from January’s results as respondents’ home price expectations climbed significantly  – with 50 percent saying home prices will go … Read More »

    Optimism the coming season is growing among Virginia sellers, while buyers are becoming more bearish.. Forty-eight percent of respondents believe it is a better time to sell today than a year ago. Optimism declines slightly to 46 percent of respondents when asked about selling a year from now. While some 42 percent of buyers believe that today is … Read More »