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Many homes in Austin are selling way above asking price

Aug 20, 2021
Some 2,700 homes in Austin, Texas have sold for $100,000 or more above their initial listing price this year
Home prices in Austin, Texas have surged 30% in the last year.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Facing bidding wars, more homebuyers are waiving contingencies

Apr 23, 2021
Contingencies allow buyers, under certain conditions, to renegotiate or even back out of a deal without losing money.
Buyer protections are often discarded in the current seller's market, which could squeeze out people who can’t afford a lot of risk.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Institutional investors are stiff competition for homebuyers

Apr 13, 2021
A report estimates that 1 in 5 homes sold in the U.S. goes to an institution like a pension or sovereign wealth fund.
The added competition for so few houses is further driving up prices for everyone.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

What does social distancing mean for homebuying?

Mar 20, 2020
Packed open houses mean lots of people touching doorknobs and flipping light switches.
People touch a lot of surfaces during open houses.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

What's making homebuilders so cheery?

Sep 18, 2019
Lower mortgage rates should help more people buy new homes.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images

Home buyers navigate sluggish housing market

Oct 24, 2018
Sales of new and existing homes haven't been this slow for years, so what's a buyer to do?
 A 'For Sale' sign sits in front of a new home May 27, 2004 in Miami, Florida. 
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Home buyers navigate sluggish housing market

Oct 24, 2018
Sales of new and existing homes haven't been this slow for years, so what's a buyer to do?
 A 'For Sale' sign sits in front of a new home May 27, 2004 in Miami, Florida. 
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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New home sales are looking up in a tight housing market

Feb 26, 2018
New home sale numbers are out today from the U.S. Census Bureau. In a tight housing market, strong new construction numbers could be a boost to first-time homebuyers. Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 

Midwest flooding underscores a need for flood insurance reform

May 4, 2017
Floodwaters have displaced hundreds of people and lead to several deaths in the Midwest. Now the damage assessment starts. The National Flood Insurance Program helps homeowners buy affordable flood insurance, but it’s $25 billion in debt. Congress has a chance to reform it before it’s up for reauthorization in September, and those reforms could include […]

This new real estate site is aimed at first-time buyers

May 4, 2017
The real estate site Zillow has launched a new tool aimed at first-time home buyers on realestate.com. It features a calculator that adds up the expenses of owning a home, like property taxes and utilities — the kind of things that new buyers don’t always expect or budget for. It’s designed to help ease the […]