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Apu Gomes/Getty Images Voters in California have rejected a ballot measure that would have expanded rent control laws there, the third time such a proposal has failed in the famously progressive state. The measure known as Proposition 33 appeared headed for a sound defeat following Tuesday’s vote, with more than 60% of voters opposing the […]

Getty Images (3) Where do Kamala Harris and Donald Trump stand on the issues that matter the most to your wallet? Let MarketWatch take you on a tour of the two presidential candidates’ policies. With Tuesday’s election rapidly approaching, and with the economy consistently cited as a top concern by voters, here is a selection

Getty/Dan Reynolds Photography A surge of construction activity in the Northeast drove single-family home starts higher in September, as builders rushed to take advantage of a dip in mortgage rates. Nationally, single-family housing starts hit a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,027,000 last month, up 2.7% from August’s revised figure, according to U.S. Census Bureau

Valerie Plesch/picture alliance via Getty Images; Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation Federal prosecutors have accused mortgage lender Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp. of discriminatory redlining practices in predominantly Black neighborhoods in Birmingham, AL. The allegations were made in a joint complaint filed on Tuesday by the Department of Justice and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The complaint

Mortgage rates surged to 6.44% for a 30-year fixed loan in the week ending Oct. 17—the highest in roughly two months. In the face of these elevated rates, the number of applications for home purchases went down this week. However, they still remained above the previous year’s pace, which indicates some improvement in homebuyer demand.

Getty Images Sales of previously owned homes dropped to a 14-year low last month despite lower mortgage rates, as uncertainty over the presidential election casts a shadow on the market. Total existing-home sales dropped 1% from August, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.84 million in September, the National Association of Realtors® reported on

Getty New-home sales rose last month to a 16-month high, as builders filled in the gaps of a weak market for existing homes. Sales of new single-family houses rose 4.1% from the prior month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 738,000, the U.S. Census Bureau reported on Thursday. September’s figure was up 6.3% from

Mortgage rates climbed to 6.54% for a 30-year fixed loan in the week ending Oct. 24—which is the highest it’s been in roughly two months. Mortgage applications for home purchases continued to decline in the face of higher rates. Yet, they remained above last year’s pace for the fifth straight week, which indicates persistent improvement

Realtor.com; Getty Images (1) Mortgage rates climbed from 6.44% last week to 6.54% for a 30-year fixed home loan for the week ending Oct. 24, according to Freddie Mac. “The continued strength in the economy drove mortgage rates higher once again this week,” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said in a statement. “Over the

Getty Images The numbers: Home prices in the 20 biggest U.S. metros set yet another record high in August, but have decelerated significantly under the weight of high mortgage rates. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city house price index rose 0.4% in August compared to the previous month. Home prices in the 20 major U.S. metro markets were