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A home is offered for sale on March 22, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.  Scott Olson | Getty Images Mortgage rates last week dropped to the lowest level since April, but buyers are still struggling to afford today’s housing market. As a result, mortgage demand flattened at a weak pace. Total mortgage application volume inched up

Tetra Images | Tetra Images | Getty Images Consumers are putting down more money to buy a home — but the typical down payment is still much less than you might expect. The average down payment was 13.6% in the first quarter of 2024, according to a new report by Realtor.com. The median down payment

In this article TREE Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT monkeybusinessimages | Getty Most U.S. homebuyers taking out a mortgage opt for a 30-year fixed-rate — but they may not realize how unusual that offering is. “The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is a uniquely American construct,” said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst for Bankrate. True to

A sign advertising a home for sale is displayed outside of a Manhattan building on April 11, 2024 in New York City.  Spencer Platt | Getty Images The dream of home ownership has gotten even further away for renters, with higher housing costs and elevated interest rates standing in the way of the American housing

A sign advertising a home for sale is displayed outside of a Manhattan building on April 11, 2024 in New York City. Spencer Platt | Getty Images Mortgage rates are significantly higher than they were at the start of this year, but they pulled back slightly last week after several weeks of straight increases. That

The Good Brigade | Digitalvision | Getty Images More Americans are paying capital gains taxes on home sale profits amid soaring property values — but there are ways to reduce your bill, experts say. In 2023, nearly 8% of U.S. home sales yielded profits exceeding $500,000, compared to about 3% in 2019, according to an

People wait at the train station of Wu Qing, Tianjin, on January 8, 2016. Fred Dufour | Afp | Getty Images BEIJING — A group of around 1,500 homebuyers in the Chinese city of Tianjin, near Beijing, have yet to see — let alone move into to — the apartments they said they paid for

Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images Fewer homeowners have been taking on remodeling projects, reports show. But don’t mistake it for a slow market. The Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity, an outlook measuring home improvement and repair spending on owner-occupied homes, peaked at 17.3% in the third quarter of 2022. The LIRA has been declining

Courtneyk | E+ | Getty Images Some Americans plan to tap into real estate markets outside of the U.S. this year. Almost 40% U.S. millionaires plan on buying a home overseas within the next 12 months, according to the latest Trend Report by Coldwell Banker Global Luxury. Another two-thirds of respondents plan to purchase a

Large artworks can help a space feel more homey, according to art consultant Louisa Warfield. Andreas Von Einsiedel | Corbis Documentary | Getty Images There are two common mistakes people make when hanging art in their homes, according to art consultant Louisa Warfield. “The first is, they hang work that is too small for the

An aerial photograph of houses and apartments on coastline in North Bondi, Sydney, Australia. Recent reports indicate that Australian home prices are set to continue their upward trend, driven by increasing migration rates and a shortage of housing supply. Andrew Merry | Moment | Getty Images Australia plans to address its climbing home prices in

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images As home values climb, more Americans owe capital gains taxes when selling property. But knowing how to calculate your home’s profit could reduce your bill, experts say. Most Americans don’t owe taxes for selling a primary residence because of a special tax break — known as the Section 121