After 10 consecutive meetings in which the U.S. Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate, this week the central bank decided to hit pause on further increases. The Fed pointed to reassuring data on inflation as the reason for the steadying measure, but indicated that two more rate hikes are expected before the end of 2023. It’s a welcome […]
The state of the U.S. housing market in 2023 is all about contingencies. Will inflation be contained by the Fed? Is a recession around the corner? Will a deal get done on the federal debt limit, relieving the pent-up angst that looms over the nation’s economic health? Against this backdrop, residential real estate has largely […]
The prospect of the U.S. government defaulting on its national debt has fueled panic and speculation about the implications of such an unprecedented move in the months ahead. With Democrats and Republicans locked in disagreement over raising the nation’s debt ceiling, some have pegged the dire default scenario to a so-called “X-date”” as early as […]
The commitment and sacrifice of military service are a core part of the foundation of what makes our country great. They speak to a higher calling among our men and women in uniform, who band together to train and prepare each day for the defense of freedom and democracy. This devotion to American values sometimes […]
Making the decision to refinance a home can sometimes feel overwhelming for homeowners. With so many variables and market forces outside their control, some homeowners may have difficulty figuring out when the best time is to refinance, and whether doing so is a wise move. Fortunately, there are ways to simplify this choice — and […]
The decision to refinance a mortgage is often based on fickle metrics and margins, making it difficult for many homeowners to know exactly when to take advantage of a good opportunity to cut down their monthly payments. But with the 30-year-fixed mortgage rate on a general upward trend over the last year, any downward retreat […]
The landscape of the U.S. housing market has become more difficult both for buyers and sellers as a result of higher mortgage rates. When the 30-year fixed rate climbed above 7% in October for the first time in two decades, it became a clear sign that home affordability was slipping away from many buyers. One […]
Home affordability in the United States has become unattainable for large segments of the population in 2022 thanks to high mortgage rates, inflation, housing scarcity and prices that were driven up by the historically low home loan rates seen during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The housing market this year has been […]
The climate of high mortgage rates in the United States has left both home buyers and home sellers in different kinds of binds in 2022. Buyers face massive down payments and surging monthly mortgage costs, while sellers are pinched by a more tentative marketplace with dampened demand. Even with mortgage rates climbing above 7% — […]
The U.S. housing market has entered territory not seen since the turn of the century, with the 30-year mortgage rates pushing up to 7.16% this week. The last time it crossed that plane was 2001. For months, the Fed has been hiking interest rates in an effort to curb inflation, including the soaring home prices […]
