housing sales

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New Realtors' Settlement 'Will Blow Up the Market'

National Association of Realtors agrees to $418M deal that will slash commissions to settle suits

(Newser) - The National Association of Realtors has signed off on a huge deal that some say "will blow up" the housing market. The New York Times has seen a copy of the $418 million settlement that would get rid of the standard 5% or 6% commission fee for real estate...

New Real Estate Wrinkle: Reluctant Sellers

Many have a low mortgage rate now, so why sell and possibly double it on a new place?

(Newser) - The housing market is a complex place at the moment, with the Fed's aggressive rate hikes sending mortgage rates north of 6% for the first time in nearly 15 years. Much of the resulting coverage has focused on the buyers' view of things—how those higher rates add hundreds...

US Cities Seeing Most Cuts in Home Prices

In Boise, Idaho, 61.5 of homes on the market saw a reduced price in June

(Newser) - The pandemic saw house prices soar across the country, but higher interest rates and increasing supply are now helping cool the previously red-hot real estate market in many areas. If you're looking to buy now, you're likely to find that prices have been reduced from the original listing...

US New Home Sales Hit Fastest Pace Since 2008

Sales of new homes increased 9.6% last month

(Newser) - US sales of new homes rebounded in January to the fastest pace in more than five years, offering hopes that housing could be regaining momentum after a slowdown last year caused by rising interest rates. The Commerce Department says sales of new homes increased 9.6% in January to a...

More Good News for Housing Market

New home sales at fastest pace in 5 years

(Newser) - Sales of new American homes rose in May to the fastest pace in five years, a solid gain that added to signs of a steadily improving housing market. The Commerce Department says sales rose 2.1% last month compared with April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 476,000,...

Reasons to Bet Against a Double-Dip Recession
Reasons to Bet Against
a Double-Dip Recession
OPINION

Reasons to Bet Against a Double-Dip Recession

Data don't support hysterical headlines

(Newser) - Fears of a double-dip recession is running high, but economic data suggest that they are unfounded. Writing in the Wall Street Journal , Milton Ezrati of the money management firm Lord Abbett explains:
  1. The consumer is regaining strength: A 1.4% decline in retail sales for May gave rise to double-dip
...

Housing Market Woes Hit Home for Geithner

Treasury secretary can't sell, stuck renting out his NY home

(Newser) - Housing market troubles are getting personal for Tim Geithner, the AP reports. The Treasury secretary bought his five-bedroom suburban New York Tudor for $1.6 million in 2004; after moving to Washington, he tried to sell it for $1.635 million. The price later dropped to $1.575 million, but...

Fannie Mae's Task: Sell 65K Homes in Buyer's Market

Unloading homes quickly while maintaining value, Fannie walks tightrope

(Newser) - It’s no secret that for US homeowners, it’s not a seller’s market. But imagine having 65,000 properties to sell. That’s the task ahead of Fannie Mae, NPR reports, as its volume of repossessed homes grows by the day. The guarantor of a third of all...

Housing Rebound Unlikely in '09
 Housing Rebound 
 Unlikely in '09 
Analysis

Housing Rebound Unlikely in '09

(Newser) - If you’ve been waiting for a housing recovery, keep waiting. This March-June, the season when most homes are typically bought and sold, promises to be the worst since the bubble burst in 2006, the New York Times reports. Some 19 million homes—nearly one of every seven nationwide—are...

Home Sales Up in July; Market Glut Begins to Ease

Inventory still high as monthly declines ease

(Newser) - New home sales rebounded a bit in July, according to Commerce Department data released today, and the glut of properties on the market began to ease, Bloomberg reports. The 2.4% uptick in sales fell short of the pace economists were looking for—hitting a 515,000 annual pace rather...

Oil Plunges; Stocks Gain
 Oil Plunges; Stocks Gain 
MARKETS

Oil Plunges; Stocks Gain

Markets shake off steep decline in housing prices

(Newser) - The markets pulled out modest gains today on plunging oil prices, despite housing price indices that showed the biggest drop in 20 years, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow ended up 68.72 at 12,548.35, the Nasdaq up 36.57 at 2,481.24, and the S&...

Unsold Homes Handcuffing Job-Seekers

Housing crisis crimps mobility, prevents workers from moving

(Newser) - The housing crisis that’s kept many from selling their homes has, in turn, warped the job market, the New York Times reports. Those who can’t sell their houses can’t relocate to seek work. Usually, more than 5 million workers move per year. But now, tens of thousands...

Home Seizures by Banks Jump 90% in Year

Lenders reclaim 45K properties as mortgage payments rise

(Newser) - Banks seized more than 45,000 homes in January, nearly double the number from a year ago and up 8% from December, Bloomberg reports. Rising adjustable-rate mortgage payments were the culprit. Total foreclosure filings, which include default and auction notices in addition to seizures, increased 57% to 233,001, the...

New Home Sales Hit 12-Year Low
New Home Sales Hit 12-Year Low

New Home Sales Hit 12-Year Low

Numbers are a surprise, economists had predicted little change from November

(Newser) - Sales of new homes fell to a 12-year low in December, making 2007 the worst year on record for home sales. Economists had predicted November's numbers wouldn't get much worse; instead, sales decreased 4.7% to an annual rate of 604,000, reports Bloomberg. "We are in deep recession...

Home Resales See Small Surprise Rise
Home Resales See Small Surprise Rise

Home Resales See Small Surprise Rise

November figures don't mean relief from housing-market woes

(Newser) - Existing-home sales rose unexpectedly in November, although not enough to suggest that the economy is over the housing slump, Bloomberg reports. Resales rose 0.4% to an annual rate of 5 million, up from October’s record-low pace, but the year-over-year figure represents a 20% drop. The median price dropped...

Home Sales Hit Record Low Despite Dropping Prices

Sales of existing properties down 20.7% over last year

(Newser) - Existing-home sales fell for the eighth consecutive month in October, hitting record lows in a survey of realtors. Resales dropped to an annual rate of 4.97 million, down 1.2% from September, despite a huge 5.1% drop in median price. “Price declines are part of the healing...

US New-Home Sales Rebound in September

(Newser) - In the face of dismal August numbers, sales of new homes in September increased 4.8%, driven by demand in the western US, the Wall Street Journal reports. Despite the unexpected bump, the updated August figures, which reflect an 11-year low, are fueling worries the economy will remain pinned under...

Home Sales Sink to 5-Year Low
Home Sales Sink to 5-Year Low

Home Sales Sink to 5-Year Low

Stats at 5-year low due to credit crunch

(Newser) - Sales of previously owned US homes fell 4.3% in August, marking a 5-year low point and continuing the housing swoon growing out of the credit crisis. Although the drop was slightly less than expected, borrowing costs have risen and mortgage qualification has gotten harder, so demand is down and...

18 Stories