Buying a Home — news for homeowners
Discover the big ticket items to check before buying a house so you can avoid costly surprises and negotiate a fair deal.
Right now: The Quiet Overhaul of Your Credit Score · Oct 14
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Market & Mortgage
The Quiet Overhaul of Your Credit Score
While everyone is watching interest rates, federal regulators are quietly changing how your credit is pulled. It just might save you some money at closing.
Market & Mortgage
The Plumbing Behind Your Mortgage Is Getting Ripped Out
FICO's long-held monopoly on credit scoring is finally cracking, forcing lenders and government agencies to rethink how they decide who gets a house.
Market & Mortgage
The 8% Wall: Why Buyers Are Gambling on Adjustable Rates
Mortgage rates are pushing past 7.4% and freezing the fall housing market. Underneath the ice, buyers and sellers are quietly changing tactics.
Market & Mortgage
The 7% Threshold: How Builders Are Hacking the Housing Market
With mortgage rates back above 7%, regular sellers are stuck. But homebuilders are using deep pockets and rate buy-downs to keep buyers moving.
Market & Mortgage
The Great Condo Stall: Why Buying a Home Just Got Complicated Again
Mortgage rates are back above 7% and the condo market is rapidly deflating in major cities. Here's what this split market means for your budget.
Market & Mortgage
Lenders Are Quietly Rewriting the Rules to Keep You Buying
With rates creeping back near 7%, the mortgage industry is raising loan limits and counting your utility bills to keep homebuyers in the game.
Market & Mortgage
The Autumn Standoff
Mortgage rates are creeping back toward 7%, but the housing market is finally cracking in major cities. Here's why buyers suddenly have leverage.
Market & Mortgage
The New Rules of Mortgage Math
Borrowing costs just hit a new high for the year, but a quiet war on credit reporting monopolies could soon save buyers money at the closing table.
Market & Mortgage
A Tale of Two Housing Markets: AI Cash Meets 7% Rates
Most of the country is frozen by climbing mortgage rates. Meanwhile, a wave of new tech money is sparking wild bidding wars in unexpected places.
Market & Mortgage
The New Mortgage Math
If you've been holding out for a sudden drop in borrowing costs, you can probably exhale. Here's how buyers are handling the new math.
Market & Mortgage
A Push to End the Home-Sale Tax Penalty While Lenders Brace for a Bumpy Fall
Congress is trying to thaw the housing market's deep freeze by doubling capital gains tax exclusions, just as the mortgage industry prepares for a slowdown.
Market & Mortgage
The Housing Market Is Frozen, Except Where It's Not
National home sales hit a wall when mortgage rates spiked. But beneath that quiet surface, cooling boomtowns and rising affordable cities are trading places.
Market & Mortgage
Sun Belt Reality Check: The Hidden Costs of Moving South
Retirees flock to South Carolina for the cheap taxes, but hidden local fees and strict new condo rules complicate the Sun Belt dream.
Market & Mortgage
Why the $799 Mortgage Is a Myth, and Rates Are Stuck in Neutral
Mortgage markets are caught between a cooling job market and stubborn inflation. Meanwhile, a new lawsuit shows exactly why you have to read the fine print.
Market & Mortgage
The Condo Hurdle: Why Buying Your First Place Just Got Harder
A massive federal rewrite of condo lending rules and mortgage rates stuck near multi-year highs are making life tough for entry-level buyers.
Money & Bills
The Fine Print Strikes Back
The era of the easy condo mortgage is ending, while local governments get creative to keep property tax bills from eating us alive.
Market & Mortgage
The One-Year Peak: Why Cash Buyers Are Taking Over
Mortgage rates just hit their highest level in a year, ending the summer waiting game and handing the keys to all-cash buyers.
Market & Mortgage
The Builder’s Edge: Why New Construction is Defying the Rate Spike
Mortgage rates just hit a yearly high, but builders are offering massive discounts and rate buydowns regular sellers simply can't match.
Market & Mortgage
The 7% Shadow
Mortgage rates are creeping back toward yearly highs, leaving buyers squeezed and sellers stubbornly clinging to their pandemic-era bargains. Here's what that means for your next move.
Market & Mortgage
The Summer Squeeze: How to Buy When the Market Won't Budge
With prices hitting record highs and rates stuck in the mud, waiting for the housing market to cool off isn't working. Here's how to manufacture your own affordability.