Posts with tag real estate market

WASHINGTON -- Sales of new homes rose in April to the second highest level since the summer of 2008 while the median price for a new home hit a record high, further signs that housing is recovering. New-home sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 454,000 in April, the Commerce Department said Thursday. That... Continue Reading »

By Brendon Desimone As the real estate market significantly rebounds, some buyers and sellers are dipping their toes in the waters for the first time. Inevitably, they come into the market with assumptions about how it works. Their assumptions may come from TV reality shows or watching their parents' house-hunting... Continue Reading »

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER WASHINGTON (AP) - A measure of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes fell only slightly in February to the second-highest level in nearly three years. The report suggests sales of previously occupied homes will keep rising in the coming months. The National Association of Realtors says its... Continue Reading »

Sales of new U.S. single-family homes fell more than expected in February after hefty gains the previous month, but steady gains in home prices suggested the housing market recovery remains intact. The Commerce Department said on Tuesday sales dropped 4.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 411,000 units.... Continue Reading »

There's a lot of chatter about the real estate market. A lot of people are saying the housing recovery is moving full steam ahead. Then there are others who warn we're getting into another housing bubble, which could end disastrously once again. Still others say -- no, wait! -- a housing slowdown is imminent. A lot remains... Continue Reading »

Media coverage of the real estate market has focused so much on the mortgage woes of homeowners over the past five years, you might be excused for believing that only a small minority of homeowners actually, well, own their homes -- mortgage-free. But you'd be mistaken, a report released by listing service Zillow... Continue Reading »

By Christopher S. Rugaber WASHINGTON -- Home prices increased in September in most major U.S. cities, more evidence of a housing recovery that is providing a lift to the fragile economy. Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller reported Tuesday that its 20-city index of home prices rose 3 percent in September compared with the... Continue Reading »

The housing market is finally beginning to recover, as conditions have recently combined to boost affordability to an all-time high. But at the same time, a new study shows that lenders' unwillingness to broaden qualifications may be slowing the recovery. The latest data from the annual Harvard Joint Center for Housing... Continue Reading »

By Christopher S. Rugaber Home prices rose in March from February in most major U.S. cities for the first time in seven months. The increase is the latest evidence of a slow recovery taking shape in the troubled housing market. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home price index shows that prices increased in 12 of... Continue Reading »

By Lisa Gibbs Given everything they knew about the lackluster housing market, Meghann and Cort Battles didn't expect much when they listed their four-bedroom home in Centennial, a Denver suburb, for sale in January. So they were taken aback by the onslaught of interest. Meghann, at home on maternity leave with... Continue Reading »

It seemed like a race to the bottom this year: Along with continued declines in property values, every season seemed to see another record low in interest rates -- though fewer-than-expected buyers were inclined to take advantage. Also on the way down or stuck in the cellar: the number of Americans who expected to... Continue Reading »

Even in a good real estate market -- which this is not -- autumn is when buyers start to nod off before the deep sleep of winter. How does a seller combat the market doldrums this time of year? Here are five tips for getting your house sold before real estate hibernation season sets in. 1. Determine if you really need to... Continue Reading »

President Obama devoted exactly 57 words to the housing crisis in his 34-minute speech about jobs. Yes, we understand that the speech was intended to be about jobs -- pass this bill -- and that the lack of jobs -- pass this bill -- has pushed Americans to the brink. Still, watching the president's speech were millions... Continue Reading »

California has hit a record for buyers striking all cash deals for houses, particularly on the ultra-high end. Apparently, some 31 percent of all buyers in California paid cash -- and the higher up you go in the price category, the greater that percentage. For example, 62.2 percent of people buying homes worth at least $5... Continue Reading »

Buying a house is never an easy decision, but the ongoing housing crisis has only made the matter more complicated. Still, there a number of good reasons for making the jump right now. Dave Kansas of SmartMoney.com highlights the top four. The housing market still looks pretty bleak: There were a record one million... Continue Reading »