Real Estate

Courtneyk | E+ | Getty Images First-time homebuyers in the U.S. are getting older. The median first-time homebuyer has reached an all-time high of 38 years old — three years older than in July 2023, according to the National Association of Realtors’ 2024 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report. This summer, NAR polled 5,390 buyers

An aerial view of existing homes near new homes under construction (UPPER R) in the Chatsworth neighborhood on September 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.  Mario Tama | Getty Images U.S. homeowners are sitting on a record amount of equity, but higher interest rates over the past two years have made them reluctant to tap

milan2099 | E+ | Getty Images When it comes to retirement, we all want to have the most income possible. But exactly how to achieve that goal is confounding question for most people. In her new book, “How to Retire: 20 Lessons for a Happy, Successful and Wealthy Retirement,” Christine Benz, director of personal finance

Solstock | E+ | Getty Images Halloween trick-or-treaters and jack-o-lanterns can be downright scary — for your homeowners insurance policy. There is a 14% jump in homeowners insurance claims on Halloween compared to other days of the year, according to Travelers Insurance. Theft on premises claims jump 46%. Trips or falls, thefts, fire and pet-related accidents

Signed contracts to buy existing homes in September jumped a surprising 7.4% compared with August, according to the National Association of Realtors. Analysts had been expecting about a 1% gain. These so-called “pending” sales were at the highest level since March and 2.6% higher than September of last year. Since pending sales are based on

Renderings of plans for a new development at the Bahia Mar marina in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Courtesy: ArX Creative A team of developers including Related Group is launching a $2 billion development at the largest marina in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, aiming to create a “mini Monaco,” according to executives. The new development at the Bahia

A “For Sale” sign in front of a home in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024.  Elijah Nouvelage | Bloomberg | Getty Images Mortgage rates rose last week for the fourth time in five weeks, causing another pullback in refinancing. Total mortgage application volume was essentially flat, falling 0.1% compared with the previous

Residential buildings under construction at China Vanke Co.’s Isle Maison development in Hefei, China, on Nov. 27, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images China’s struggling real estate sector may not start turning around until the second half of next year — even with the latest stimulus measures, three research firms predicted this month. After

Nazar_ab | E+ | Getty Images For most people, buying a home will be the biggest financial transaction they will make. It’s also generally considered a path to build wealth and increase your net worth, financial experts say. In the second quarter of 2024, U.S. homeowners with mortgages had a net homeowner equity of over

Stanley Black & Decker stock plunged Tuesday on the company’s quarterly earnings release — a move Jim Cramer said investors should capitalize on. Shares of the toolmaker shed nearly 12% Tuesday after third-quarter revenues and its implied fourth-quarter guidance came in lighter than Wall Street expected. Still, Jim described the decline as unwarranted. “I would

At the national level, the middle class is typically defined as households that earn between two-thirds and double the household median income. Based on 2023 figures, that means those with an annual income between $53,740 and $161,220. Compared to its peak, inflation in the U.S. has eased substantially. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,

Many factors make it hard to buy a home today, but the one that makes “the biggest difference” in today’s market is the housing shortage, Property Brother Drew Scott said at CNBC’s Your Money event on Thursday. “I don’t think people realize this shortage of housing that we have affects everything,” added his brother Jonathan

Bond traders are at it again, pushing Treasury yields higher and signaling the Federal Reserve was too heavy-handed when it cut interest rates by a half-percentage point last month. The recently rising yields have put pressure on the stock market — and specifically, names in our portfolio tied to housing. The 10-year Treasury yield —

Twenty/20 Saving for a home down payment can feel challenging, given current real estate prices. Using the right assets can help give your balance a lift. When you actually need the money is the “biggest driving factor,” said Ryan Dennehy, principal and financial advisor at California Financial Advisors in San Ramon, California. The firm ranked No.

Sales of previously owned homes fell 1% in September compared with August, to a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of 3.84 million units, the slowest pace since October 2010, according to the National Association of Realtors. Sales were 3.5% lower than in September 2023. Sales fell in three out of four U.S. regions, with just the

A completed planned development is seen in Ashburn, Virginia, on Aug. 14, 2024. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images Mortgage demand moved lower again last week, even though mortgage interest rates didn’t move. Total mortgage application volume dropped 6.7% from the previous week, hitting its lowest level since July, according to the Mortgage Bankers

Matt Champlin | Moment | Getty Images When a real estate agent works with a prospective homebuyer, they’re required to point out physical or material defects in the property. A death on the property? It depends on the state where the house is located. In most states, death doesn’t count as a material defect requiring

A commercial building available for rent in Melville, New York, April 17, 2023. Howard Schnapp | Newsday | Getty Images The tide could be turning for commercial real estate. The Federal Reserve began its interest rate cutting cycle in September, lowering the Fed funds rate for the first time since 2020 by 50 basis points,

A pedestrian crosses a road in front of residential buildings in Beijing, China. Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images China vowed more financial support for real estate projects that fall under its so-called whitelist and to speed up banks lending of 4 trillion yuan ($561.8 billion) for such projects, according to the nation’s housing

A sign is posted in front of a home for sale on August 07, 2024 in San Rafael, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Mortgage interest rates rose last week for the third straight week, hitting the highest level since August. That caused demand from both current homeowners and potential homebuyers to take a big

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu delivers his annual policy address at the Legislative Council on Oct. 16, 2024 in Hong Kong. China News Service | China News Service | Getty Images Hong Kong chief executive John Lee announced moves aimed at addressing the city’s housing affordability crisis, calling it “an issue of great