Residential Real Estate

Homebuying, Selling Pessimism Ticks Up in Fannie Survey
August 9, 2022 | ReprintsThe share of consumers who think it’s a less-than-optimal time to buy or sell a home keeps ticking upwards as interest rates rise and housing affordability drops.

What Taxes Are in Democrats’ Big Bill?
By Lisa Mascaro | The Associated Press | August 8, 2022 | ReprintsDemocrats’ compromise of health care, climate change and deficit-reduction strategies is paid for largely with new corporate taxes, including a 15 percent minimum tax on big corporations to ensure they don’t skip out on paying any taxes at all,

Mortgage Rates Under 5 Percent for First Time Since April
By Matt Ott | The Associated Press | August 4, 2022 | ReprintsThe average long-term U.S. mortgage rate fell below 5 percent for the first time in four months, days after the Federal Reserve jacked up its main borrowing rate in an aggressive effort to get inflation under control.
Sale Fees Don’t Always Jibe with Price
By Lew Sichelman | August 4, 2022 | ReprintsAt the same commission rate, real estate agents who sell an $800,000 house receive eight times the compensation of those who sell a $100,000 home. But does it take eight times the effort to sell the more expensive property?

Conn. Single-Family Sales Drop 24 Percent
By James Sanna | August 3, 2022 | ReprintsConnecticut’s median single-family home price set yet another record for the month of June when it hit $385,000 according to The Warren Group, publisher of The Commercial Record

Mediocre Credit Adds Hundreds to Buyer’s Monthly Housing Costs
August 2, 2022 | ReprintsIt’s not just ability to pay that helps knock less-well-off buyers out of the housing market as prices and mortgage interest rates climb through the roof.
Failed Deals Could Spell Bargains
By Lew Sichelman | July 28, 2022 | ReprintsThe tea leaves are lining up in favor of homebuyers who can afford today’s higher mortgage rates.

Mortgage Applications Down for Fourth Week in a Row
July 27, 2022 | ReprintsMortgage applications were down for the fourth week in a row nationwide, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, as interest rates and rising home prices continued to push many out of the market.

Analysis Says Hartford Area Well-Insulated from Potential Housing Crash
July 26, 2022 | ReprintsWith demand from people relocating to more sun-drenched markets thanks to an ability to work remotely already fading, many Sun Belt metros face a growing risk of seeing a downturn in their housing markets, according to a new analysis.

Study: Millennials Didn’t Stray Far from Where They Grew Up
By Mike Schneider | The Associated Press | July 25, 2022 | ReprintsMillennials who move far from childhood homes are a distinct minority among others who reached adulthood in the 21st century, according to a new study by the U.S. Census Bureau and Harvard University researchers released Monday.
Act Quickly to Avoid Foreclosure
By Lew Sichelman | July 21, 2022 | ReprintsExperts say that a 2008-style housing crash is unlikely to happen now, if only because lending standards are much tighter than they were prior to the Great Recession. Still, foreclosures are starting to tick upward.

CT’s Towns and Cities Missing 20K Homes, Study Says
By James Sanna | July 15, 2022 | ReprintsConnecticut’s major urban regions were short nearly 20,000 homes to meet current residents’ immediate needs right before the pandemic, a new study claims.
Title Theft Company Lies to Consumers
By Lew Sichelman | July 14, 2022 | ReprintsCalculating people are always looking for ways to separate the rest of us from our money. Such, it appears, is the case with Home Title Lock, an outfit that promises to “protect” you from home title theft.

Douglas Elliman Launches ‘Personal Assistant’ Service for Buyers
July 13, 2022 | ReprintsBrokerage Douglas Elliman Realty announced the launch of a new “personal assistant” service for buyers that it said would help its agents build stronger relationships with their traditionally high-end clients.

Listings Fall Out of Contract as Rates Spike
By James Sanna | July 12, 2022 | ReprintsA new report from Redfin suggests another way higher mortgage interest rates are taking their toll on the housing market: more homebuyers bailing on purchases.
Listing Data Can Come Up Short
By Lew Sichelman | June 30, 2022 | ReprintsThree out of four homebuyers start their house hunt online. But if that’s the extent of your search, you could be missing out on any number of places that fit your parameters.

Conn. Home Prices Far Outstrip First-Time Buyers’ Pay
By James Sanna | June 27, 2022 | ReprintsIn each of Connecticut’s three biggest metro areas, home prices have risen so far not only is renting far cheaper than buying the median home, that home is out of reach of the majority of buyers.
Signs Are Still Silent Salespeople
By Lew Sichelman | June 23, 2022 | Reprints | Unlock Link
Some sellers have a good reason for not wanting one. But for most people, “For Sale” signs are a 24-hour marketing tool that shouldn’t be ignored, even as house hunts mostly start online.

Facebook and US Sign Deal to End Discriminatory Housing Ads
By Larry Neumeister | The Associated Press | June 22, 2022 | Reprints | Unlock Link
Facebook will change its algorithms to prevent discriminatory housing advertising and its parent company will subject itself to court oversight to settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday.

Darien Officials Give Key OK to Estate Purchase
June 20, 2022 | Reprints | Unlock Link
A proposal for the town of Darien to make a bid on a large, waterfront estate has passed a key checkpoint.