During her first week in office three years ago, Mayor Karen Bass issued a sweeping directive to speed up affordable housing applications. Now, that plan is permanent. The L.A. City Council unanimously... Read more »
Despite rising mortgage rates through much of 2024, recent indications show growing boldness among homebuyers heading into the new year. A report released Monday by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) showed... Read more »
The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index improved for the fifth consecutive month in December, rising about 3% to its highest reading in seven months. A surge in buying conditions for durables... Read more »
People often disregard reverse mortgages as being too complex. However, I argue they are simply unfamiliar. When explained properly, borrowers can easily understand the concept of a reverse mortgage. However, the loan... Read more »
How are consumers feeling overall, and how does that translate to a real estate sale? The question is multifaceted, but asking it could be key to learning where buyers stand as the... Read more »
When older homeowners wish to access a portion of their equity, there are multiple options. Of course, selling the home is generally not desirable. A cash-out refinance is also not a prudent... Read more »
In the six months since news of the National Association of Realtors‘ (NAR) nationwide commission lawsuit settlement broke, agent attitudes toward the settlement’s required business practice changes have only slightly improved. This... Read more »
It often feels as if homes in the Bay Area get snapped up almost immediately after they go on the market. But the reality is a bit different. In May, 55% of... Read more »
Mortgage demand increased slightly for the first time in four weeks, with a modest uptick in refinance applications leading the way. But don’t expect it to continue. Mortgage applications increased by 0.1%... Read more »
In the March rate update, we discussed why Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-sponsored Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs) utilize two interest rates. The “expected rate” is unique to reverse mortgages and is calculated... Read more »