Mortgage rates have dropped to their lowest level in six months in the aftermath of President Trump’s newly announced tariffs. For weary homebuyers who have been waiting for a break in housing costs, the decline ups their purchasing power.  A homebuyer on a $3,000 monthly budget can afford a $458,750 home with a 6.55% mortgage rate, the daily average on April 4. That’s the lowest daily average mortgage rate in six months.  The decline in rates is giving homebuyers more purchasing power. In the last eight days alone, a buyer on a $3,000 budget has gained roughly $9,000 in purchasing power, as rates fell from 6.82% on March 27 to 6.55% on April 4.  A buyer on a $3,000 budget has gained $25,000 in purchasing power since mid-January, when mortgage rates hit 7.26% and that buyer could have purchased a $433,750 home.  To look at affordability another way, the monthly …

The U.S. added more jobs than expected in March. But markets are focused on tariffs, which will have a much bigger impact on mortgage rates: Rates are falling today, but the future is uncertain.  Today’s jobs report was stronger than expected: 228,000 U.S. jobs were added in March, and the unemployment rate stayed essentially flat. But this data  is lagged; it reflects labor-market activity from early March. Markets will discard this report as old news because the fallout from President Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement is much more significant. Rates will fall further today not because of this data, but because China’s retaliatory tariffs are causing the stock market to fall even more. The numbers: There were 228,000 jobs created in March (vs. 135,000 expected), and the unemployment rate edged up only marginally, to 4.15% from 4.14%. That shows that the labor market was strong heading into this week’s tariff …

The Visual Capitalist says after accounting for births, deaths, and migration, the U.S. grew by roughly 8.5 million people between 2020 and 2024.  Citing Census data, they point out that not all parts of the country grew the same however or even grew at all.  Indeed, today’s graphic takes a look at America’s population trends 2020-2024.  As always, stay safe and have a Happy Friday!!! Hat tip to the Visual Capitalist.   The post How Each U.S. State’s Population Has Changed Since 2020 appeared first on Real Estate Investing Today.

Soaring housing payments are keeping many homebuyers on the sidelines, but new listings are ticking up and there are signs some house hunters are emerging as we enter spring.  Housing costs are at an all-time high. The typical U.S. homebuyer’s monthly payment hit a record high for the second week in a row, reaching $2,802 during the four weeks ending March 30. Sale prices are up 3.4% year over year, and the weekly average mortgage rate is 6.65%, near its lowest level since December but more than double pandemic-era lows.  Pending home sales are declining. High costs are keeping a lid on sales; pending home sales fell 2.3% year over year.  But there are signs more house hunters are hitting the pavement. Mortgage-purchase applications are at their highest level in over two months. Home tours are rising twice as fast this year than they were at this time last year …

We recently posted the Census Bureau’s Homeownership & Rental Vacancy numbers for Q4 2024.  In that vein, Redfin says the number of renter households in America increased 0.8% year over year to 45.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 – the slowest growth since Q1 of 2023.  In addition, they found that the number of homeowner households rose 0.8% to 86.9 million—a growth rate that’s little changed from recent quarters.  To get their report, Redfin analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data going back to 1994.  See the interactive map below for more data. !function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}}))}(); Click here to read the full report at Redfin.   The post America’s Renter Population Grew 1% in Q4 2024 appeared first on Real Estate Investing Today.

Chen Zhao Chen Zhao leads the economics team at Redfin, where she produces research on the housing market for public and internal audiences. Previously, she was an executive director leading housing finance and financial markets research at the JPMorgan Chase Institute. Prior to joining JPMCI, Chen was an economics consultant at Analysis Group, Inc., where she worked on financial litigation cases and led teams conducting health economics and outcomes research on behalf of pharmaceutical companies. While in graduate school, Chen was with the Center for Economic Studies and the Social Economic and Housing Statistics Division at the US Census Bureau, where she conducted applied microeconomics research using large scale restricted-access linked survey-administrative data. She started her career at the White House Council of Economic Advisers, where she focused on labor and health economics. Email Chen

On a recent episode of the AZREIA Show, Marcus Maloney & Michael Del Prete talk with mobile home expert, Adrian Smude, about the world of mobile home investments. Adrian recounts his journey from being a problematic tenant to becoming a successful investor specializing in buying and renting single-unit mobile homes in Central Florida.  Adrian discusses the nuances of mobile home investments, including key differences from traditional homes, the importance of understanding market regulations, and practical tips for those interested in diving into this niche market. Click here to listen.   The post Mastering Mobile Home Investments appeared first on Real Estate Investing Today.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting (reposted on Realtor.com) that a there is a secret mortgage blacklist that is leaving homeowners stuck with unsellable condominiums.  They say since the Surfside condo collapse and insurance crunch, fewer homes can get Fannie Mae-backed mortgages.  Reportedly, the blacklist is maintained by Fannie Mae and includes condo associations that the mortgage finance giant thinks don’t have adequate property insurance or need to make critical building repairs – and, being on this list can potentially make it harder for buyers to obtain a mortgage.  Indeed… Real-estate agent Paul Gangi was days away from closing a sale of his listing in Shadow Ridge, a 440-unit townhouse and condo complex in Ventura County, Calif., in December. That is when his phone rang. “I got a panicked call from the lender saying, ‘Sorry, we’ve just found out Shadow Ridge has been blacklisted,’” he said. The buyer tried several …

Demographic data is almost as valuable as currency for governments, policymakers, and businesses. It reveals trends and patterns among various population segments that inform public policy and business decisions. This guide explains what demographic data is, what insights it provides, and how it can be leveraged across public and private sectors. Overview of Demographic Data According to ScienceDirect, a database and source of scientific research, demographic data is “general statistics about a defined population and characterizes different groups and subgroups.” The scope of this data can vary. It may cover a geographic region like a city, state, or country, or target specific consumer groups, such as users of a particular product. Examples of basic demographic data include age, gender, ethnicity, employment type, education level, and marital status. A user of demographic data may want to know the education level of individuals aged 30 to 40 in a city, or the …

According to ATTOM’s Q1 2025 U.S. Home Affordability Report, in the first quarter of 2025, median-priced single-family homes and condos remain less affordable than historical averages in 97 percent of U.S. counties with sufficient data. This continues a three-year trend in which homeownership demands an unusually high share of wages, as home prices nationwide stay at or near record highs. WATCH: ATTOM #figuresfriday – Top 10 Counties with the Largest Annual Increase in Affordability Indexes in Q1 2025 The report also indicates that major expenses on median-priced homes now account for 32 percent of the average national wage. This figure is nearly unchanged from the fourth quarter of last year but represents a one-point increase from a year ago, keeping it above the commonly recommended 28 percent lending benchmark favored by most lenders. ATTOM’s latest home affordability analysis revealed that the current and historical affordability figures highlight how homeownership continues …