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Forever homes come in all shapes and sizes — and ages and states of (dis)repair

May 23, 2023
It will need “a lot of TLC," Candice Sides said about the 19th-century log cabin she bought to be her family's eventual home.
"People think of old houses as haunted and creepy, but when I walk in, I get this warm, comfort feeling," Candice Sides said of her newly purchased cabin, above.
Courtesy Lydia Spink

How a decline in home sales also trips up retail

May 16, 2023
When people buy new homes, they buy a lot of other things too, like furniture, appliances and electronics. When home buying slows, that can have a real ripple effect on other industries.
Today’s retail sales numbers showed people spent less on things like building materials and garden supplies in April than they did a year ago. Home Depot also reported today that sales dropped in the first quarter.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Who's the "we" behind those "We Buy Houses" signs?

Apr 28, 2023
Real estate wholesalers offer convenience, but at what price?
"We Buy Houses" signs on a street corner in Baltimore. Often they're posted by real estate wholesalers.
Amy Scott/Marketplace

Who will benefit from the reduced cost of FHA loans?

Feb 27, 2023
The Biden administration is lowering rates on the mortgage insurance people have to pay when they take out a loan backed by the Federal Housing Administration.
The lowered insurance premium could mean savings of between $600 to $1,000 a year, depending on the size of your loan.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Existing home sales are down nearly 37%, NAR data shows

Feb 21, 2023
Prices are still rising, but more slowly. What does that mean for house hunters this spring?
"We're at a very interesting point in the U.S. housing market where many people feel like the 2023 could really go either way," says Igor Popov, chief economist at Apartment List.
Mario Tama/Getty

When solo homeownership is not in the budget, some friends "double up"

Nov 29, 2022
Sharing a home with a nonromantic adult can come with big benefits, in addition to the break in rent.
Co-habitation, or "doubling up," is a living solution for adults who can't afford homeownership on their own.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

For millennials, the cost of homes and other milestones just keep rising out of reach

We looked at the costs of major expenses like homes and vacations and adjusted for inflation. It's not pretty.
Younger generations looking to buy a home will encounter a volley of challenges due to years of inflation, stagnating wages and rising prices.
Getty Images

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With rising home prices and stagnating wages, a new savings goal: Beyoncé tickets

Aug 4, 2022
Concert tickets might not break your soul like, say, buying a home in this market could.
The last time Beyoncé went on tour was 2016.  Floor tickets in some cities went for over four figures on the resale market.
Frank Micelotta/Parkwood Entertainment via Getty Images

What does the existing home market look like, especially with mortgage rates rising?

Mar 18, 2022
The housing market for homes that have been occupied before is already tight and may become even more competitive.
Housing strategist Majora Carter says that the trend is especially pronounced in low-income neighborhoods, where private equity firms and other companies use all-cash deals to rapidly snap up housing.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Private equity money changed the housing market, then the pandemic hit

Sep 29, 2021
Big corporate landlords are more likely to evict and harder to talk to, experts say.
The uptick in private equity money in the housing market could pose challenges for renters. Above, New York City's Stuyvesant Town apartments in 2006. Today it's owned by private equity firm Blackstone and its partner Ivanhoé Cambridge.
Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images