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
New fair-market rents take effect October 1, resetting how much a voucher covers
HUD’s new fair market rents for fiscal year 2027 take effect October 1, 2026, resetting the rent figures used to determine how much a Housing...
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac opened VantageScore 4.0 to every approved lender September 9, while FICO 10T stays ineligible
upload — wp_post_id: 28973 wp_status: future scheduled_date: “2026-09-12T17:00:00” scheduled_date_gmt: “2026-09-12T21:00:00” uploaded: true newsbreak_flag: true featured_media: 21599 image_subject: “Payment card” image_provider: “wp-library” image_credit: “RDNE Stock project/Pexels”...
HUD keeps a second, lower set of rent numbers, and tells housing agencies how to ask for them
upload — wp_post_id: 28972 wp_status: future scheduled_date: “2026-09-12T16:45:00” scheduled_date_gmt: “2026-09-12T20:45:00” uploaded: true newsbreak_flag: true featured_media: 28846 image_subject: “United States Department of Housing and Urban Development”...
The 30-year mortgage rate climbed to 6.76 percent, a 14-month high
The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage climbed to 6.76 percent this week, the highest level Freddie Mac’s benchmark survey has recorded in more...
HUD rebuilt the utility half of its 2027 voucher rents after a price index disappeared
The formula that will set 2027 Housing Choice Voucher rent ceilings is locked in, even though local dollar figures can still shift. HUD published the...
A non-borrowing spouse can keep the home after a reverse-mortgage borrower dies
A reverse mortgage loan normally comes due the moment the last borrower on it dies, which can force a sale of the home within months....
The 30-year mortgage rate climbed to 6.71%, its highest in over a year, and it is inching toward 7%
The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage climbed to 6.71% for the week ending September 3, its highest level in more than a year...
New federal rents take effect October 1, resetting the limits on Section 8 housing vouchers
New Fair Market Rents from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development take effect October 1, 2026, resetting the payment standards that cap how...
The reverse-mortgage borrowing limit rose to about $1.25 million, and only citizens and green-card holders qualify
The most a homeowner can borrow through a federally insured reverse mortgage climbed to $1,249,125 for 2026, up $39,375 from 2025’s $1,209,750, under a schedule...
The typical existing home sold for about $434,100 in July, a 37th straight month of gains
The median price of an existing home sold in July was $434,100, the National Association of Realtors reported, up 2.0% from $425,700 a year earlier...
Almost anyone who bought a home through a real-estate agent can still claim part of a $120 million commission settlement, but the window closes October 27
A settlement worth $120.3 million is now open to almost anyone who bought a home listed on a multiple listing service anywhere in the United...
Renters can claim part of a $359 million RealPage rent-software settlement before January 29
A federal court in Nashville has cleared the way for renters nationwide to collect a share of $359,925,000 in cash from RealPage, Inc. and roughly...
Home sellers are cutting prices at the fastest pace of 2026 as demand cools and rates near a one-year high
Home sellers cut asking prices on 20.4% of active listings in August, according to Realtor.com’s latest housing report, the highest monthly share so far in...
Recasting a mortgage lowers the monthly payment without a full refinance
A homeowner sitting on a lump sum of cash and a mortgage payment they’d like smaller doesn’t have to choose between refinancing, with its new...
Homeowners can drop private mortgage insurance once their equity reaches 20%
Private mortgage insurance is one of the few recurring costs on a mortgage statement with a built-in expiration date, and federal law gives homeowners two...
A homestead exemption shields part of a home’s value from creditors and can cut property tax
The phrase “homestead exemption” quietly covers two separate legal protections that happen to share a name and a common purpose: keeping more of a primary...
A lady bird deed keeps a home out of probate while the owner keeps full control
A homeowner who wants a house to pass to an heir without a court proceeding, but doesn’t want to give up any say over that...
Mortgage rates are pushing toward 7% after a Fed official floated a rate hike
Mortgage rates edged higher this week after Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr said the central bank “should act decisively to raise” short-term interest rates unless...
Home asking prices fell about 2.5% from a year ago, the steepest annual drop since 2017
The typical home listed for sale in July carried an asking price about 2.4% below where it stood a year earlier, according to Realtor.com’s national...
Mortgage rates near 6.7% are keeping homeowners locked into older, cheaper loans
The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage held at 6.66% for the week ending Aug. 27, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly Primary Mortgage Market...