Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips - Walter Morris - iPro Real Estate

Mortgage Rates Surge for Third Consecutive Week

Mortgage rates are on the rise in the new year, just like economists predicted. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, which is up 45 basis points in less than a month, averaged 3.56% this week compared to 3.11% in the last week of 2021.“Mortgage rates moved up again as the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose and financial markets adjusted to anticipated changes in monetary policy that will combat inflation,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief eco

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Existing-Home Sales Reach Highest Point Since 2006

Existing-home sales ended 2021 on a high note as home buyers rushed to buy a home to take advantage of ultra-low mortgage rates. Overall, sales were up 8.5% in 2021 compared to 2020, the National Association of REALTORS® reported Thursday. But the new year could bring about lower sales numbers as more buyers become priced out and find fewer and fewer choices of homes for sale.The signs of a slight slowdown are already popping up. In December 202

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Single-Family Rents Post Record Growth

Property owners are charging more for their single-family rentals as demand soars. Single-family rental prices continue to rapidly increase with record growth, according to CoreLogic’s Single-Family Rent Index. In November 2021, single-family rent growth nationally rose 11.5% year-over-year.Annual rent price growth has continued to double—and even triple—in the last several months in some markets, according to the index.“Improvements in t

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Buyers May Find Opening with Mortgage Credit

Mortgage credit availability loosened in December, even as house hunters continue to face higher prices that are hampering affordability, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.MBA’s Mortgage Credit Availability Index posted its highest reading since May 2021. However, credit availability is still 30% below pre-pandemic levels."Credit supply increased in December, with growth across both conventional and government segments of the market

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10 Popular Winter Home Destinations

Ever since the pandemic began, vacation home rentals and sales have surged as Americans search for getaways to rent out or enjoy themselves. In the first quarter of 2021, vacation homes climbed 46% year-over-year, according to realtor.com®.“Given the pandemic, a second home offers a sense of security and personal space that a hotel or vacation rental may not,” Joe Robison, a data reporter at MoveBuddha.com, an online moving resource, told CN

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"I Have a Dream..."

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the civil rights movement, and dreamers around the world... Keep fighting and keep dreaming.

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‘Foreclosure Tsunami’ Fears Unfounded, New Data Shows

With moratoriums in place, foreclosures were nearly non-existent last year. Even as pandemic protections have lifted, a foreclosure wave—which was an industry concern—has not occurred.“The COVID-19 foreclosure tsunami that some people had anticipated is clearly not happening,” says Rick Sharga, executive vice president at RealtyTrac, an ATTOM company. “Government and mortgage industry efforts have prevented millions of unnecessary forec

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Mortgage Rates Post Big Jump this Week

Inflation continues to press on mortgage rates. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.45% this week, up from last week’s 3.22% average, Freddie Mac reports.“Mortgage rates rose across all mortgage loan types, with the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage increasing by almost a quarter of a percent from last week,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “This was driven by the prospect of a faster than expected tightening of monetar

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Most Popular Home Decor Styles by Room

As the homebuying and remodeling spree continues amid the pandemic, homeowners are showing they really care about what their home looks like. Google searches for “interior design styles” have increased 40% in the past week alone, according to a study from Uswitch, a mortgage comparison firm.Researchers analyzed more than 4 million pins across Pinterest to find which decor styles are the most desired across each room of a home and to determine

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Down Payment Misperceptions Persist

The majority of home buyers—87%—finance their home purchase. But some aspiring buyers may delay their purchase due to persistent myths over down payment requirements.Thirty-five percent of consumers believe they need a down payment of 16% to 20% of the purchase price. Ten percent believe they need more than 20% for a down payment to purchase a home, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ survey data. With home prices rising by

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