Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community say they fear discrimination when buying a home and try to seek LGBT-safe neighborhoods if they were to buy, finds new research from Freddie Mac of more than 2,300 consumers.Surveyed LGBT community members were largely positive about homeownership. Three-quarters of LGBT renters said they believe owning is a good financial investment, and 72 percent said they want to own a home in t
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage—the most popular loan for home buyers—is inching closer to the 5 percent range. The rise in mortgage rates coincides with years of home price increases. Could this erode affordability more and cause would-be buyers to sideline themselves from the housing market?The Mortgage Bankers Association reports mortgage rates have surged to 4.97 percent. When including fees, most 30-year borrowing costs have already rea
Higher rent costs are prompting some tenants to take part in rent strikes, which are often seen as renters’ last option to not get priced out. During a rent strike, tenants withhold their rent checks in an attempt to pressure landlords to negotiate rents and typically to improve building maintenance, too.The move forces landlords to comply or take each of the tenants who are striking to eviction court individually to argue their case. That mov
Amazon is partnering with homebuilders to bring its Alexa voice assistant to more new housing units as a standard smart-home feature. The online retailer recently announced it has partnered with Plant Prefab, a California-based company that uses sustainable materials to build prefabricated single-family and multifamily homes. The move comes after Amazon introduced more than a dozen Alexa-controlled smart-home devices, including a microwave oven a
Loud music, voices, and parties are the most annoying disturbances that make homeowners complain about their neighbors, according to a new survey conducted by home improvement website Improvenet.com. The site surveyed 2,500 consumers from 24 of the nation’s largest cities to find what they call the most offensive traits in their neighbors. Overall, the most annoying neighbors can be found in Dallas; Miami; Austin, Texas; Philadelphia; and Los A
Users of short-term rental sites such as Airbnb and VRBO who book accommodations directly with property owners in New Jersey must pay a 5 percent tax—unless they, instead, use a real estate agent to complete the transaction.The loophole in the state’s occupancy tax could be a boon for practitioners but also may cause headaches for homeowners who advertise short-term rentals. “Since 50 percent of bookings are direct by owner, it’s going to
Some markets are beginning to feel the relief of more for-sale inventory, but others are seeing the number of listings further shrink. And where inventory continues to be constrained, home prices are accelerating, bidding wars are erupting, and buyers are finding fewer choices than ever before. “Competition [for homes] has virtually doubled over the past five years,” says Javier Vivas, director of economic research at realtor.com®.Realtor.co
More would-be buyers are being forced to continue renting as rising home prices push them out of the market, which, in turn, is heating up rental demand and prompting landlords to raise rents. The growth rate in rents had been slowing for the past three years because builders focused on adding more rental inventory. But the shortage in for-sale inventory is reversing the trend; in the third quarter of the year, rents rose 2.9 percent compared to
High-income millennials are the force behind a nearly 10 percent decrease in the amount of time homes spend on the market in the most popular areas of the country, according to a new realtor.com® report. Young adults are driving demand for homes in smaller, more suburban locales, and realtor.com® pinpointed the following as the hottest ZIP codes: Kentwood, Mich. (49508); Peabody, Mass. (01960); Boise, Idaho (83704); Rochester, N.Y. (14624); and
Low rental vacancies nationwide, coupled with continued strong demand for single-family rental properties, could prompt landlords to increase rents even more. But housing analysts caution that further rent hikes could overburden tenants, many of whom already are struggling to stay afloat financially as housing costs rise.The nation’s largest landlords of single-family rentals, Invitation Homes and Tricon American Homes, say their occupancy rate
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