News and Views

Getty Images Inflation in the U.S. continued to cool last month, signaling imminent relief to homebuyers in the form of lower mortgage rates. In the 12 months through July, the consumer price index rose 2.9%, according to data released by the Department of Labor on Wednesday. It marked the first time annual inflation has dropped […]

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images The White House has announced a number of new measures intended to spur the construction of more housing units and ease the affordability crisis for renters and homebuyers. The actions announced on Tuesday include $100 million in new community grants to identify and remove barriers to affordable housing production

Realtor.com; Getty Images (1) Mortgage rates sank this week, with the average rate for a 30-year fixed home loan going from 6.73% last week to 6.47% for the week ending Aug. 8, according to Freddie Mac. “Mortgage rates plunged this week to their lowest level in over a year following the likely overreaction to a

Stephen Maturen/Getty Images; Julia Beverly/Getty Images Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris on Tuesday announced her selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate for the November election. Walz, an Army National Guard veteran and retired teacher, has pushed a number of affordable housing initiatives during his two terms as Minnesota’s governor. Democrats are

Realtor.com; Getty Images (1) Mortgage rates dipped this week, with the average rate for a 30-year fixed home loan going from 6.78% last week to 6.73% for the week ending August 1, according to Freddie Mac. “Mortgage rates declined to their lowest level since early February,” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said in a

Illustration by Realtor.com. Source: Getty Images (2) Median home prices fell in July, marking the first-ever seasonal decline in a month that’s typically a peak time for home sales. The national median list price dipped from $445,000 in June to $439,950 in July, according to a new monthly housing report by Realtor.com®. This downturn can

Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images Mortgage rates may remain high for the rest of the summer, but there are signs that could change in the fall. The Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee left its base interest rate steady at a range of 5.25% to 5.5% on Wednesday. The Fed released a statement after its meeting

Realtor.com; Getty Images (1) Mortgage rates inched up—just barely—this week, with the average rate for a 30-year fixed home loan going from 6.77% last week to 6.78% for the week ending July 25, according to Freddie Mac. “Mortgage rates essentially remained flat from last week but have decreased nearly half a percent from their peak

Realtor.com; Getty Images (6) Homebuyers looking for a top housing market can ignore the West Coast’s sunny appeal and the East Coast’s seasonal charms. Instead, home shoppers should concentrate on the country’s heartland, in particular, Fort Wayne, IN. The midsized city is the hub of Northeast Indiana and has ranked No. 1 in the Wall

Getty/Bloomberg The numbers: Sales of newly built homes in the U.S. dipped in June as buyers continue to deal with an unaffordable housing market. Buyers are constrained by high home prices and elevated mortgage rates. Sales of new homes are at the lowest level since November 2023. Sales of newly built homes in the U.S. fell 0.6%