Tag: Housing Affordability
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And “America’s Most Affordable Big City” Is…
In this beloved city, today’s typical deed holder needs a yearly income of $60K to live comfortably. Considering it’s a big city, this is a modest income. So this news is impressive. And so is the city itself. Frank Zappa even did a jazzy song about moving there, so you know there’s something to this.…
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Shakeup at Freddie and Fannie: Update
How is that shakeup going so far? When we last checked in on things, new director William Pulte was slashing jobs at the Federal Housing Finance Agency. That’s the umbrella agency for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Additionally, Pulte claims to have saved millions of dollars by eliminating programs related to climate effects and diversity.
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Buyers (of All Ages) Who Seek Houses, Not Spouses
Kristina Modares is a social media phenomenon. She goes online to inspire other young adults to get their own deeds. She would tell you to get together with a friend or two. Then, co-buy your first home. That’s how she began — before going on to buy several more. As a young adult, Kristina was…
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One Month In, How’s 2025 Looking for Housing?
So many people need answers. What states are attracting the most home seekers at this time? What states are now the best bets for people who hope to save for a mortgage? Is it even worthwhile, now, to try to get positioned to buy a home? Let’s see where buyers are looking, where saving for…
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Will There Still Be FHA Loans? How Trump’s Return Could Impact Housing
And here it is: a new administration. What’s changing for home seekers and deed holders? Yes, there will still be FHA mortgages. There will still be conventional loans with government backing. But we can expect… All of these possibilities impact the value and availability of deeds for ordinary people. So, let’s do some Q&A to…
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“I Never Thought I Would Own a House…” A Community Trust in Vermont Takes on the Housing Shortage
Too many homes sit empty in towns where working people need them. In a housing affordability crisis, this has to change. In Vermont, a local nonprofit is stepping up. Local Deeds is an initiative that helps people make down payments on homes. Specifically, working people. A deed restriction ensures that someone in the home has…
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These states are struggling with housing payments more than others, new study finds
Rent is due: Study reveals where Americans are falling behind on housing payments Housing affordability is reaching crisis levels in many parts of the United States, and a growing number of Americans are finding it hard to keep up with their housing costs. Whether it’s soaring rents or overdue mortgages, the struggle to stay current…
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These are the states where you can get the largest home for your money, according to new study
Home sweet (and spacious) home: New study reveals where buyers can get the best deals per square foot In recent years, homes have been shrinking as the housing market tightens. A limited supply of available homes, combined with sky-high demand, has driven prices to levels many would call out of reach. However, not all states…
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Momentum Builds: A New Wave of Pressure on States to Build Affordable Homes
Looking to acquire the deed to a home? A new federal administration could factor into the amount you’ll need to pay. For one thing, the incoming administration is talking about tariffs that would raise the cost of materials and construction work. On the other hand, actual housing policy falls to the states. Under their…
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Voters Tell Candidates: Act on Housing Affordability Now!
With absentee ballots already issued in Alabama, early voting has started. The Center for Popular Democracy ran a survey, and 84% of voters in swing states say housing is a big deal as they fill in their ballots, The Financial Times reports. So, does the 2024 election runup bring us hope that people will soon…
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NIMBY or YIMBY? Here’s Where People Stand on Rezoning for More Housing.
The United States sorely needs to make homes affordable for more people. Millions of households are financially fenced out from acquiring their own deeds. Local and state policy makers are under pressure to allow higher density in residential neighborhoods, in order to ease the housing shortage that takes a particular toll on working people,…
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Deed Restrictions as Affordability Tools
Vacation Town Residents Get Paid to Live in Their Homes Park City, Utah is a tourist mecca. It’s known for the Sundance Resort, with its famous Sundance Film Festival. Need we say it’s a town full of vacation rentals? Two-thirds of Park City’s homes have no one living in them. The supply of homes for…
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Tech in 2024: Real Estate’s Transformation Speeds Ahead
Tech continues to transform the real estate world. It helps us assess the value of property. It enables people to spot trends. It assists real estate pros as they market, map, and make predictions. It enables “dream home” buyers to participate in the design work. Most important of all, technology plays a housing affordability role.…
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KeyBank Talks Fair Housing—Putting Its Money Where Its Mouth Is
KeyBank® is putting $400,000 into NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania. Why? To make housing accessible to Black communities — as they have been disproportionately left out of homeownership. Sure, $400,000 is a modest sum these days. But it’s part of a bigger picture. In recent years, KeyBank has contributed close to half a billion dollars to Greater…
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A Ray of Sunshine for Older and Disabled Residents: Pennsylvania’s Amped-Up Property Tax Assistance Can Help
Getting over the hurdle of property tax payments is harder these days. That’s because taxable home values have gone up. So older Pennsylvanians are praising their governor, Josh Shapiro, for signing Act 7 of 2023 into law. It enlarges Pennsylvania’s Property Tax / Rent Rebate (PTRR). Hundreds of thousands of people — those who own,…
