RealPage rent-fixing lawsuit highlights use of algorithms to set rents

Apr 16, 2024
Lawsuits allege that RealPage, a company many large landlords use to price their apartments, uses confidential data in an anti-competitive way.
"The lack of transparency encourages rents to spiral upwards," said Shanti Singh of the advocacy group Tenants Together.
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A typical home costs $1 million or more in a record number of U.S. cities

Apr 10, 2024
Zillow find that million-dollar homes are proliferating — and not just in the usual high-cost metro areas like New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Median home values were north of $1 million in 550 cities in February, according to Zillow.
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How landlords and tenants are reacting to a changing rental market

Apr 9, 2024
The market is seeing a return of concessions and incentives for renters as demand cools in many parts of the nation.
Nationally, about 1 in 3 rental listings on Zillow offer concessions, like a month of free rent or parking.
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The Realtors settlement could change how agents work with homebuyers

Apr 3, 2024
In a landmark settlement to several lawsuits, the National Association of Realtors could require agents and buyers to have a written agreement.
A rule change for Realtors could require buyers to pay agents directly, and that has some Realtors worried.
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Why multigenerational households are making a comeback in a big way

Apr 3, 2024
From 1971 to 2021, the number of people living in multigenerational family households in the U.S. quadrupled to nearly 60 million people.
Nearly half of young adults between 18 and 29 live with their parents — a high not seen since the Great Depression.
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Mortgage rates have fallen, but are homes more affordable?

Mar 25, 2024
When you take mortgage rates, housing prices and incomes into account, homes are 44% less affordable than they were two years ago.
New home sales were 6% higher than the same time last year. But that doesn't mean the new homes are more affordable.
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Is there a chance your key could work on another house? 

Mar 22, 2024
There’s a chance – albeit very small – you have the same key as someone else out there in the world.
No key is truly unique.
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Rising insurance costs are making homeownership even more expensive

Mar 21, 2024
Climate risk and inflation are making insurance harder to find and mortgages harder to afford.
The main reason for higher home insurance costs is climate change, which is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.
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More housing stock means the market may be shifting in favor of buyers

Mar 18, 2024
New home listings hit a 17-month high in February, and as more sellers sell, housing prices could flatten, says Conor Sen at Bloomberg Opinion.
"We're seeing inventory really grow off the very low levels of last year," says Bloomberg's Conor Sen. "And in a market that's very undersupplied, that's becoming a meaningful amount of inventory."
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Why might Americans be moving less?

Rather than chasing higher-paying jobs, many Americans are opting to stay put. Housing costs have something to do with it.
"Higher wages still attract workers, but people are reluctant to move because of high housing costs," explained senior economics contributor Chris Farrell.
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