Author: Brad Beckett

CNBC’s Diana Olick says that for the 10th straight month, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has reported that builder confidence was down as the housing market continues to weaken.  According to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, builder confidence dropped 8 points in October to 38 – half of what it was 6 months ago. “This will be the first year since 2011 to see a decline for single-family starts…And given expectations for ongoing elevated interest rates due to actions by the Federal Reserve, 2023 is forecasted to see additional single-family building declines as the housing contraction continues.…

A new report form LendingTree found that while mobile homes are generally far less expensive than their single-family counterparts, their values appreciated as quickly as single-family homes.  They got their conclusion by analyzing data from the 2021 American Community Survey in which they compared the median value of mobile homes and single-family homes in each of the nation’s states (except Hawaii) from 2016-2021. Some key findings: The median value of a mobile home nationally is $61,400, $220,000 less than the median value of a single-family home. Mobile homes cost the least in Kansas, Ohio and Iowa. Mobile homes cost the…

On a recent episode of Real Estate News for Investors, Kathy Fettke discusses what the job market says about rate hikes, where renters need to “catch up” on their rent, and why dating has become somewhat of a financial burden for millennials. “…15% of renter households are behind on their rent right now. In some states, that number is closer to 25%…South Dakota, Alabama, and New Jersey have the highest number of tenants who are not caught up on their rent…” Click here to listen on Spotify.com.

Local Market Monitor, a National REIA preferred vendor, recently released their monthly National Economic Outlook where they share their thoughts on developments taking place in the U.S. economy. National Economic Outlook By Ingo Winzer October, 2022 The surge in home prices appears over, finally flattened by mortgage rates near 7 percent, but investors’ hopes for steady prices and higher rents hang largely on a growing US economy – which right now seems uncertain. Consumers are the bulk of the economy, and their spending pattern through the first eight months this year suggests very slow growth ahead. Most telling is how…

According to ATTOM Data’s Q3 2022 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, showing there were 92,634 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings (default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions).  This figure was up 3% from Q2 and up 104% from one year ago.  In addition, ATTOM says lenders repossessed 10,515 U.S. properties (REO) in Q3 2022, up 18% from the previous quarter and up 39% from a year ago. Some key takeaways: Nationwide in September 2022 one in every 4,413 properties had a foreclosure filing. States with the highest foreclosure rates in September 2022 were Illinois (one in every 1,959 housing units with…

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is reporting that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) was up 0.4% in September, 2022.  However, the all items index was up 8.2% for the 12 months ending in September.  Of concern, health insurance saw a 28.2% increase from one year ago.Click here to read the full release at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

With “All Hallows’ Eve” and its subsequent candy begging quickly approaching, a recent graphic from the U.S. Census Bureau shows us places & population across the nation with sweet-sounding names.  Stay safe and have a Happy Friday! Hat tip to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Recently, the news has been full of headlines about rising interest rates and how they will affect potential home buyers.  The folks over at Keeping Current Matters reminds us that rising rates impact purchasing power by raising the buying costs as well as limiting how much a buyer can comfortably afford.  They put together the chart below to further illustrate this point. “…it costs more to buy a home today than it did last year, but the same is true for renting. This means, either way, you’re going to be paying more. The difference is, with homeownership, you’re also gaining…

According to the latest CoreLogic Home Price Insights (HPI) report, home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased year over year by 13.5% in August 2022. On a month-over-month basis, home prices declined by 0.7% in August compared with July 2022.  CoreLogic predicts that home prices will not increase on a month-over-month basis from August to September 2022, however, on a year-over-year basis they’re forecasting a 3.2% increase through August 2023. “The increased cost of homeownership has dampened buyer demand and caused prices to decelerate at a faster pace than initially expected. Housing markets on the West Coast and in the…

A recent “chart of the week” from the Mortgage Bankers Association illustrates the current stock of occupied homes in the U.S. by the decade built and by building type.  Basically, it shows that America’s housing stock is steadily aging with the median age of occupied housing stock in 2021 being 42 years. “…the lack of new construction over the last decade. Coupled with the disruptions from the pandemic and strong housing demand from the millennial cohort, the U.S. housing market is structurally low on supply…we expect this chronic lack of inventory will be a factor in housing markets for some…