Articles by Aly J. Yale - Page 26

It looks like 2018 is going to be another good year for housing. According to new data, mortgage applications were up the first week of the year, and last month, they jumped nearly 8 percent. Does that mean more competition's on the horizon?

If you want an easy time snagging that dream home, you might want to consider Youngstown, Ohio. According to a new study, the Midwestern city is home to the least competitive home buyers in the nation.

Homeowners are refinancing in droves. According to new data, refinances accounted for 40 percent of all closed loans in December, and on just conventional loans, the refinance share was nearly half.

If you’re not looking to spend an arm and a leg on a house this year, then you might want to avoid buying a home Washington – and Seattle, in particular. According to a new forecase, home prices are expected to jump more than 12 percent in Seattle over the year.

Things are looking up for the U.S. housing marketing in 2018 – at least according to one CEO. It seems changing migration patterns and increasing housing starts all spell good news for the market as we head into the new year.

Finding the perfect place to live is hard, but according to Redfin, Chicago might be the place to start. The Windy City is home to a number of the nation’s best neighborhoods – communities with affordable housing, high levels of inventory, an easy commute, low rates of crime and great schools.

When it comes to moving, Americans largely headed south in 2017. According to new data, Texas was the top state for U.S. migration, while Tempe, Arizona, took the honors for top city.

Need help saving for your down payment? Then you may want to find a new job. Thanks to a new offering from crowdfunding platform HomeFundMe, employers can now make down payments a bona fide part of their benefits packages.

Looking for the life of luxury? Then you’re in luck. The luxury real estate market isn’t as inventory-strapped as more affordable housing is. In fact, there’s actually a pretty wide selection of luxury properties on the market as we kick off 2018.

It looks like 2018 may be the year of the HELOC. According to new data, Americans now have $5.4 trillion in home equity, offering a prime landscape for cash-out refinances and home equity lines of credit.

Don’t want to waste your life away with tedious and traffic-filled commutes? Then Eugene, Oregon, is the place to be. With a mere 19-minute average morning drive-time, it’s the nation’s single-best metro for commuters.

It seems lending standards are loosening for Millennial home buyers. According to new data, the average FICO score for a Millennial buyer has dropped two full points over the last year. Scores are down even more on refinance loans.

America’s rental market is on a downturn. According to a new report, not only has the overall renter population decreased in the last year, but rental prices have jumped as well. Could it spell good news for housing?

It seems the recently passed tax legislation may have some hidden benefits for this year’s home buyers. According to a new report, the changes could slow home price growth by as much as 4 percent.

Finding the right home buying partners is now easier than ever, thanks to a brand new mortgage-specific search engine. Dubbed Vendor Surf, the tool lets buyers find companies in 75 different categories to help with their home purchase and mortgage process.

Want to avoid a bidding war? You might want to steer clear of the West Coast -- and particularly Seattle.

If you want a low-risk home purchase, steer clear of Florida. The Sunshine State claims 10 of the nation’s 16 riskiest housing markets — markets where prices are outpacing incomes and rents are more affordable than mortgages.

This year’s housing market should close out with a better performance than 2016, and with a strong economy and an improving job market in the works, 2018 could spell even better things to come down the line.

If you’re looking to avoid skyrocketing home prices, then try heading North. According to new data, that’s the only part of the country where prices are bucking national trends – and actually falling month over month.

Amazon Alexa users can now use their device to make payments on their Rocket Mortgage loans, among other mortgage-related tasks.