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High mortgage rates, low inventory keep the housing market tight

Feb 19, 2024
High interest rates and limited inventory are key factors in restricting affordability.
The "mortgage lock-in effect" is part of what's keeping the inventory of homes on the market low right now.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

More renters expect they'll never buy a home

Jan 31, 2024
They plan to rent forever because they can't afford to buy or they like the renting lifestyle.
In 2023, it was more expensive to buy than it was to rent in 46 of the top 50 U.S. metro areas, according to Redfin data.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The average U.S. renter now spends 30% of their income on rent, a new all-time high

Jan 20, 2023
When people have to spend more and more on rent, there's not much left over for other essentials.
Though there are large geographic differences, the average renter household in the U.S. is spending 30% of their income on rent.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Homeowner groups are trying to stop investors from buying up homes

Apr 20, 2022
Investor purchases made up more than 1 in 5 home sales in December, according to CoreLogic.
According to the National Association of Realtors, sales of existing homes dropped 2.7% in March from the previous month and 4.5% from March 2021.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A Tennessee woman’s search for housing after a $500 rent hike

Apr 7, 2022
“I've never in my life not been able to afford a two-bedroom apartment on a modest salary,” said Nashville-area resident Ellen Mahurin.
Ellen Mahurin wants to stay in Williamson County so her daughter can finish up high school in the district.
Ambriehl Crutchfield/WPLN News

Corporate investors remain bullish on real estate market

Feb 1, 2022
Corporations bought a record share of homes last year and can make it hard for regular homebuyers to compete.
According to some estimates, firms have invested roughly $50 billion in single-family rentals over the past few years.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

How corporate real estate investors affect tight housing markets

Dec 15, 2021
A researcher found that five real estate Investment corporations own more than 5% of the single-family housing stock in a county just outside Nashville.
Out-of-state investors are partially fueling Nashville's hot housing market. Above: A row of new brick homes in suburban Nashville.
rdegrie via Getty Images

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Millennials locked out of hot real estate markets

Nov 29, 2021
The National Association of Realtors reported on Monday that pending home sales were up 7.5% in October.
Millennials are staying in their apartments for longer than they would have a decade ago, likely due to the high cost of first-time homes.
Spencer Platt via Getty Images

What rising rents mean for inflation

Nov 11, 2021
Inflation on a larger scale is "transitory," we've been told by the Fed. But "rent growth is gonna remain strong," one experts says
In October, median net-effective rents for Manhattan apartments with no doorman increased by a 7.4% year over year, whereas apartments with doormen increased by 24.9%. Above, apartments on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
Drew Angerer via Getty Images

Voters in St. Paul, Minnesota, to decide on strict rent control proposal

Oct 27, 2021
If enacted, the proposal would be one of the most aggressive rent control policies in the country, applying to new construction.
St. Paul resident Emily Lynch says the rent on her single-family home is going up by $400 per month in January, an increase of more than 30%. She’s now looking for a more affordable place to live.
Britta Greene