Real Estate
Housing market coverage, home buying and selling, mortgages, rentals, and property investment. From market trends to the practical decisions involved in owning or renting.
Latest in Real Estate
Zillow flags a major shift in homebuying as mortgage rates bite
A few years ago, a household earning $90,000 could comfortably finance a $400,000 home. Today, with the 30-year fixed mortgage rate near 6.8% according to...
Priced out, some Americans are importing prefab homes from China
When a flat-pack house arrives from Guangdong Province in a pair of 40-foot shipping containers, it does not look like anyone’s dream home; it looks...
Mortgage rates dip again, easing the lock-in effect for would-be sellers
Mortgage rates dip again, easing the lock-in effect for would-be sellers The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped for the third straight week this spring,...
Mortgage rates fell for the third straight week — the 30-year fixed dropped to 6.23%, its lowest since mid-March
For the third week in a row, mortgage rates moved in borrowers’ favor. The average 30-year fixed rate slipped to 6.23% for the week ending...
Existing home sales fell to the lowest level in 9 months — and mortgage rates just ticked back up to 6.05%
Spring is supposed to be when the housing market wakes up. In 2026, it hit the snooze button. Existing home sales slid 3.6% from February...
Is 6.05% a good enough mortgage rate to buy now — or should you wait for a number that might never come?
A couple pre-approved for $400,000 this month faces a question that no spreadsheet can fully answer: lock in a 30-year mortgage at 6.05%, or hold...
Mortgage rates hit 6.02% and could dip below 6% — here’s what that means for your monthly payment
A few weeks ago, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell below 6% for the first time since the fall of 2022. The Associated Press...
Should you refinance your mortgage right now at 6.02% — or wait for sub-6% rates that may never come?
Homeowners who locked in a mortgage at 7% or higher during the 2022-2023 rate spike have spent the better part of two years watching rates...
“One of the most renter-friendly periods in a decade” — here’s where rents are falling fastest and how to negotiate a better lease
Across the Sun Belt (consisting of states across the southern US), landlords are cutting asking rents, throwing in free months, and waiving fees that were...
Sun Belt home prices are collapsing while Rust Belt prices soar — the 2026 housing market nobody predicted
For years, home prices in the Sun Belt region (consisting of southern states, such as Texas, Louisiana, and Florida) have risen relative to home prices...
Rents just fell behind inflation for the first time — here’s where renters have the most leverage in 2026
Across a band of Sun Belt cities (i.e., cities in southern states such as Texas or Florida) that spent the past few years building apartments...
Should you tap your home equity right now? Here’s how to decide without regret
A homeowner who bought a modest three-bedroom house in 2019 might open a mortgage statement today and see something startling: six figures of equity that...
30-year fixed mortgage drops to 6.30% — Fannie Mae revises year-end forecast upward to 6.1%
Spring homebuyers caught a small break this week: the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 6.30%, its second consecutive weekly decline and...
30-year mortgage drops to 6.30%, lowest in 4 weeks — Fannie Mae forecasts under 6% by year-end
Mortgage rates fell for the second straight week, with the average 30-year fixed rate dropping to 6.30% for the week ending April 16, 2026, according...
Home price growth slows to 1.1% nationally — slowest since 2012; Sun Belt crashes while Rust Belt surges
A homeowner in Cape Coral, Florida who closed on a house in 2022 has likely lost a significant chunk of equity since then. Based on...
The states where property taxes, insurance, and HOA fees make ownership most expensive in 2026
A homeowner in suburban New Jersey can easily spend $9,500 a year in property taxes, $2,400 on insurance, and $4,200 in HOA dues before making...
Trump’s $200B Fannie/Freddie mortgage-bond order — did it actually lower rates?
On January 8, 2026, President Trump posted a blunt promise on social media: he was directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy $200 billion...
Existing home sales hit a 9-month low in March at 3.98M annualized pace
The spring housing market stumbled before it could find its footing. Existing-home sales dropped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.98 million units in...
30-year mortgage drops to 6.12%, lowest in 4 weeks on Iran-ceasefire bond rally
A homebuyer borrowing $400,000 this week will pay about $85 less per month than one who locked in a mortgage just two weeks ago. The...
2.6M U.S. homeowners now pay $500+ per month in HOA fees; condos in major metros push $350–$700/month
A homeowner in a mid-rise condo outside Miami might pay $650 a month in association fees. A retiree in a Chicago high-rise could owe $475....