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An aerial view of existing homes near new homes under construction (UPPER R) in the Chatsworth neighborhood on September 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.  Mario Tama | Getty Images U.S. homeowners are sitting on a record amount of equity, but higher interest rates over the past two years have made them reluctant to tap

milan2099 | E+ | Getty Images When it comes to retirement, we all want to have the most income possible. But exactly how to achieve that goal is confounding question for most people. In her new book, “How to Retire: 20 Lessons for a Happy, Successful and Wealthy Retirement,” Christine Benz, director of personal finance

Solstock | E+ | Getty Images Halloween trick-or-treaters and jack-o-lanterns can be downright scary — for your homeowners insurance policy. There is a 14% jump in homeowners insurance claims on Halloween compared to other days of the year, according to Travelers Insurance. Theft on premises claims jump 46%. Trips or falls, thefts, fire and pet-related accidents

Stanley Black & Decker stock plunged Tuesday on the company’s quarterly earnings release — a move Jim Cramer said investors should capitalize on. Shares of the toolmaker shed nearly 12% Tuesday after third-quarter revenues and its implied fourth-quarter guidance came in lighter than Wall Street expected. Still, Jim described the decline as unwarranted. “I would

A “For Sale” sign in front of a home in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024.  Elijah Nouvelage | Bloomberg | Getty Images Mortgage rates rose last week for the fourth time in five weeks, causing another pullback in refinancing. Total mortgage application volume was essentially flat, falling 0.1% compared with the previous

Signed contracts to buy existing homes in September jumped a surprising 7.4% compared with August, according to the National Association of Realtors. Analysts had been expecting about a 1% gain. These so-called “pending” sales were at the highest level since March and 2.6% higher than September of last year. Since pending sales are based on

Renderings of plans for a new development at the Bahia Mar marina in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Courtesy: ArX Creative A team of developers including Related Group is launching a $2 billion development at the largest marina in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, aiming to create a “mini Monaco,” according to executives. The new development at the Bahia

Residential buildings under construction at China Vanke Co.’s Isle Maison development in Hefei, China, on Nov. 27, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images China’s struggling real estate sector may not start turning around until the second half of next year — even with the latest stimulus measures, three research firms predicted this month. After

Nazar_ab | E+ | Getty Images For most people, buying a home will be the biggest financial transaction they will make. It’s also generally considered a path to build wealth and increase your net worth, financial experts say. In the second quarter of 2024, U.S. homeowners with mortgages had a net homeowner equity of over

At the national level, the middle class is typically defined as households that earn between two-thirds and double the household median income. Based on 2023 figures, that means those with an annual income between $53,740 and $161,220. Compared to its peak, inflation in the U.S. has eased substantially. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,

Many factors make it hard to buy a home today, but the one that makes “the biggest difference” in today’s market is the housing shortage, Property Brother Drew Scott said at CNBC’s Your Money event on Thursday. “I don’t think people realize this shortage of housing that we have affects everything,” added his brother Jonathan

A completed planned development is seen in Ashburn, Virginia, on Aug. 14, 2024. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images Mortgage demand moved lower again last week, even though mortgage interest rates didn’t move. Total mortgage application volume dropped 6.7% from the previous week, hitting its lowest level since July, according to the Mortgage Bankers

Sales of previously owned homes fell 1% in September compared with August, to a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of 3.84 million units, the slowest pace since October 2010, according to the National Association of Realtors. Sales were 3.5% lower than in September 2023. Sales fell in three out of four U.S. regions, with just the

Bond traders are at it again, pushing Treasury yields higher and signaling the Federal Reserve was too heavy-handed when it cut interest rates by a half-percentage point last month. The recently rising yields have put pressure on the stock market — and specifically, names in our portfolio tied to housing. The 10-year Treasury yield —