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More Homeowners Living With a Roommate

Living with a roommate isn’t a trend only among renters, nor is it limited to families living in multigenerational homes. The latest U.S. Census Bureau data reveals a growing number of adults who are living with other adults with whom they are not in romantic partnerships.The trend increased after the last recession, and “nearly a decade later, the prevalence of shared living has continued to grow,” according to a new analysis of census dat

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7 Markets Poised for Stardom in 2018

A decade after the last housing crisis took its toll on the U.S. economy, most real estate markets nationwide have not only fully recovered but are soaring above prerecession home-price highs. Personal financing website Credit.com predicts that the markets in the following states will stand out the most this year. Nevada: Median home values in Las Vegas are expected to rise about 5.8 percent over the next 12 months. The median home price is curr

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Fed Move Doesn’t Suppress Mortgage Rates

The Federal Reserve may have voted to leave its short-term interest rates unchanged this week, but that didn’t stop lenders from moving up mortgage rates. Average mortgage rates are continuing an upward trend in 2018.“The Federal Reserve did not hike rates this week, but the market views future hikes as a near certainty,” says Len Kiefer, deputy chief economist at Freddie Mac. “The expectation of future Fed rate hikes and increased borr

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Equifax Extends Free Credit Freezes to June

Following the largest data breach in the nation’s history, Equifax announced that it is extending its free credit freezes to consumers through June. The data breach this past fall exposed the personal information of about 143 million Americans, and has even prompted warnings from housing analysts that the breach could impact buyers’ ability to complete a home sale.The personal information stolen by hackers could compromise consumers’ Socia

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Housing Data Points to Super Bowl LII Winner

If the housing market has a say, the Philadelphia Eagles will emerge victorious against the New England Patriots in this weekend’s Super Bowl LII, the National Association of REALTORS® predicts. But NAR isn’t judging its pick based on defensive or offensive plays. Instead, its forecast is based on both teams’ housing markets. NAR’s prediction looks at the home price increases of the two competing cities, while realtor.com’s looks at h

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HUD Gives $1.5B to Struggling Puerto Ricans

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced it will award more than $1.5 billion to help Puerto Rico homeowners and local businesses recover from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The funds, which are part of HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery Program, will support long-term recovery efforts to repair the serious damages.“As local leaders, along with their citizens, develop their recovery plans, HU

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Most Buyers Don’t Grasp Mortgage Basics

Many Americans begin looking for a home to buy without understanding the fundamentals of applying for a mortgage or what it takes to qualify for one, according to a new survey by Ally Home, a direct-to-consumer mortgage business.Ninety-two percent of the more than 2,000 U.S. adults who responded to the survey admit they don’t know how much mortgage they can afford. Further, most say they’re confused about “rates” versus “points,” and

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What Happens to Real Estate If Government Shuts Down Again

Only two weeks after Congress passed a bill to reopen the federal government following a three-day shutdown, a repeat of that quagmire is looming. The budget bill Congress passed funds the federal government through Feb. 8, when another shutdown is possible if lawmakers don’t agree on a long-term funding before then. What impact will real estate feel should the government close once more?Most home sales likely will be minimally affected because

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Fed Leaves Rates Alone, But Hikes Coming

The Federal Reserve voted on Wednesday to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged, but it continues to leave the door open to future increases this year. The Fed’s benchmark rate will remain in the range of 1.25 percent to 1.5 percent, which is low by historical standards. Fed committee members said that by leaving the rate unchanged, they hope the low rates will help support broader job growth and stronger inflation.Lawrence Yun, chief eco

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Crucial Turning Point in Homeownership Rate

For the first time in 13 years, the U.S. homeownership rate ticked up, and millennials are behind the long-awaited boost. The U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday that the rate increased to 64.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017, up from 63.7 percent a year prior.The lion's share of the boost came from younger Americans. The homeownership rate among households headed by someone under the age of 35 increased to 36 percent in the fourth quarter,

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