Found 116 blog entries tagged as home prices.

Realtor.com writes, "homebuyers might be relieved to hear that down payments are finally dropping from recent historic highs.

A new report by Realtor.com® shows that the median down payment homebuyers plunked down from July to September of 2024 was an average of 14.5%—or $30,300.

That’s a $2,400 savings from last quarter’s historic peak of $32,700 (14.9%).

So why are down payments dropping? Fewer homebuyers are out there, which gives those who do brave today’s market more leverage, according to Realtor.com senior economic research analyst Hannah Jones.

“The annual decline in down payments is the result of less buyer competition in the third quarter,” Jones says. “Easing demand and increasing inventory gave buyers more flexibility last…

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Realtor.com shares, "Mortgage rates rose from 6.32% last week to 6.44% for a 30-year fixed home loan for the week ending Oct. 17, according to Freddie Mac.

“The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage increased for the third consecutive week, moving closer to 6.5%,” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said in a statement. “In general, higher rates reflect the strength in the economy that is supportive of the housing market. But notably, as compared to a year ago, rates are more than one percentage point lower and potential homebuyers can stand to benefit, especially by shopping around for the best quote as rates can vary widely between mortgage lenders.”

This wasn’t exactly the news homebuyers were hoping for.

“While we expect the long-run trend…

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Realtor.com reports, "In September, home prices remained unchanged from the month before, with a median listing price of $629,000.

The number of listings on the market shrank 5%, which is a bigger decrease than normal for this time of the year in Austin, and homes are also selling slower than at the same time last year.

Home prices in Austin

Typically, home prices in Austin tend to fall in September. But the most recent data shows that the price per square foot increased by 0.6% compared with the month before.

So, how does this compare with the rest of the U.S.? Nationally, home price per square foot decreased 0.4%, which means price changes in the Live Music Capital of the World are outpacing the national market.

Austin inventory

In…

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RealEstateNews.com shares, "Consumers were considerably more upbeat about the housing market in September, but rising mortgage rates may put a damper on their enthusiasm.

Homebuyer sentiment reached its highest level in more than two years in September, but that may not last as mortgage rates continue to rise.

The Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index jumped 1.8 points last month to 73.9, fueled by the expectation that mortgage rates will decline in the next 12 months. 

Optimism around rates was at a survey high, according to Fannie Mae, with a record 42% of consumers saying they expect mortgage rates to decline — a significant increase since June, when only 24% anticipated a drop in rates. Just under a third of respondents expect rates to…

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Bankrate.com writes, "Leaves aren’t the only things falling this autumn: Mortgage rates are finally heading down, too. And that, combined with a seasonal dip in home prices, is causing some end-of-year excitement among homebuyers and sellers.

The median existing-home price was $416,700 in August, per the National Association of Realtors — a record high for August, but still down from $422,600 a month earlier. And average rates for the benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage loan have dropped from a high this year of 7.39 percent in May to 6.24 percent in late September.

With rates already down more than a full percentage point and more Fed interest-rate cuts on deck, many market-watchers are asking, what do the final three months of 2024 have in…

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Realtor Magazine writes, "Pending home sales rose slightly in August as lower mortgage rates provided some motivation to prospective home buyers. But buyers continue to face challenges such as high home prices, and many may be holding out for even lower rates, surveys show.

The National Association of REALTORS®’ Pending Home Sales Index—a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings—eked out a 0.6% increase in August. Contract signings, however, remain 3% lower than a year ago.

Still, last month’s “slight upward turn [in contract signings] reflects a modest improvement in housing affordability, primarily because mortgage rates descended to 6.5% in August,” says NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “However, contract signs…

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Business Insider writes, "After watching mortgage rates hit two-decade highs and inventory plummet last year, many hopeful homebuyers are eager to get off the sidelines and into a home.

Fortunately, housing market conditions have been getting slightly better, and they should ease somewhat throughout the rest of 2024 and beyond now that the Federal Reserve has started cutting rates. If you're planning to buy a house this year, here's what you need to know about housing market predictions in 2024, and how you can prepare.

Overview of the housing market

The average home value in the U.S. is $361,282, according to Zillow — up 2.9% year over year. Last month, average 30-year mortgage rates fell to 6.05%, down 40 basis points from the month before.…

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Rental homes in Tricon Bryson come in three- and four-bedroom floor plans. CHAD DAVIES

Austin Business Journal reports, "A new build-to-rent neighborhood is opening in one of the fastest-growing neighborhoods in Leander.

Tricon Residential Inc., part of Blackstone Real Estate’s portfolio, is opening Tricon Bryson — a build-to-rent neighborhood consisting of 155 single-family homes — within Leander's wider Bryson development, according to an announcement. The new neighborhood will add to the region’s rental housing supply in Leander, where the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the population has more than tripled since 2010.

“There’s a tremendous need for more housing overall, and every day it’s harder and harder to get a new neighborhood approved and permitted and ready to go, whether for rent or for sale,” said Andy Carmody, senior…

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A plurality of homes sold in August within the Central Austin market were worth $1 million or more (Courtesy Austin Board of Realtors)

Community Impact Austin shares, "in August, homes sat on the market for more days in Central Austin compared to year over year, according to data from the Austin Board of Realtors.

The details

Only two ZIP codes out of 12 in Central Austin saw a decrease in the amount of days spent on the market. ZIP code 78731 saw an increase of about 162%.

Out of 12 ZIP codes, seven saw decreases in the amount of homes sold year over year.

Decreases in home prices year over year have been seen across eight ZIP codes in Central Austin.

A plurality of homes sold in August within the Central Austin market were worth $1 million or more."


Source: Community Impact

Written by: Elle Bent

Published: September 16, 2024


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Realtor Magazine reports, "Borrowing costs fell ahead of the Federal Reserve’s anticipated rate cut next week. But economists say home buyers may not want to wait to see if rates go lower.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to 6.2% this week, down significantly compared to a year ago when they surged above 7%. But some prospective home buyers are holding out for even lower rates in anticipation of the Federal Reserve’s meeting next week, where it’s expected to cut short-term interest rates.

Still, home buyers may be getting their hopes up too much: “Even with the September expected rate cut [by the Fed], mortgage interest rates are not likely to move as this cut has been baked into the mortgage market,” says Jessica Lautz, deputy chief…

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