Homebuilders super happy but not building more homes: Here's what's up with that by: Diana Olick @DianaOlick At face value the numbers make no sense. A monthly survey of homebuilder confidence in December released Thursday from the National Association of Home Builders spikes to the highest level in 11 years. The one-month move, entirely attributed…

Why you shouldn't panic about rising mortgage rates by Kathryn Vasel   @KathrynVasel Mortgage rates have been on a steady rise recently, but buyers shouldn't panic — rates are still very low. The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 4.16%, up from 4.13% last week, according to Freddie Mac. A year ago,…

Mortgage rates are surging in the wake of the presidential election. by Kathryn Vasel   @KathrynVasel The average rate of a 30-year-fixed rate mortgage has jumped to 3.94%, up from 3.57% last week. In the past two weeks, the rate has increased 40 basis points. But that's still pretty low. This time last year, a…

Higher mortgage rates scuttle some sales Diana Olick @DianaOlick A sharp rise in mortgage interest rates after the presidential election is starting to hit home — home sales. The average contract rate on the popular 30-year fixed loan hit the highest level in more than a year on Friday and shows no sign of turning…

Mortgage applications tank 9% as post-election rates soar by: Diana Olick | @DianaOlick   A sharp spike in interest rates following the election of Donald J. Trump last week threw icy cold water on the mortgage market. Total mortgage application volume fell 9.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from the previous week, according to…

How housing would fare under Clinton, Trump For an election supposedly based on the economy, housing policy has been not just conspicuously but egregiously absent from the rhetoric. In order to gauge which candidate would favor the U.S. housing market, one has to look at their wider economic policies and see how they would trickle…

Here's some good news for house hunters House hunters priced out of the market might finally be getting a bit of relief. For the first time since 2011, incomes rose faster than home prices in the U.S., according to a new report from Zillow. The median home price climbed to $188,100 in August, a 5%…

LAWN CARE FOR THE FALL: ESSENTIAL TIPS TO FOLLOW All summer you've been watering, cutting, trimming and feeding your yard in the hopes of having the greenest plot of land in the neighborhood. So what should you do to get your lawn in shape for the cool breezes of autumn? These six steps will help…

Get Out Your Checkbooks: Why It’s a Good Time to Buy New Homes As prices on brand-new homes dipped in July (unlike the soaring temperatures), buyers raced to snap them up at a breakneck pace. Sales of the never-been-lived-in homes shot up 7.5% from June to July, with owners picking up the keys to about…

10 FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT TIPS Now that summer gear has been stowed away, it's time to focus on fall home improvement projects. According to Vicki Payne, host of the For Your Home with Vicki Payne television show, autumn is the key time to evaluate your home exterior and prepare it for the harsh winter months…