Housing News

See what’s new with real estate and homeownership

Sign that says buy or rent

Should You Rent-to-Own a Home?

By Max Fay

Rent-to-own is exactly what it sounds like – you rent a home with a contract that allows you to eventually buy it. There are benefits and disadvantages to rent-to-own, and…

Banker approving a home buyer with the minimum credit score

What Is the Minimum Credit Score to Buy a House in 2022

By Shawn Walsh

“It’s tough to overstate the importance of credit scores to a mortgage loan application — they’re one of the top things lenders consider,” Tabitha Mazzara, director of operations at mortgage…

Empty street in a quiet neighborhood

Good Neighbor Next Door Program Helps Teachers, Law Enforcement, Firefighters & EMTs Buy Homes

By Max Fay

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development instituted the Good Neighbor Next Door (GNND) sales program in 2010. The idea remains the same a decade later: spark community revitalization…

Couple winning a bid on a house

How Startup Companies Are Helping Home Buyers Win Bidding Wars

By Max Fay

In today’s ultra-competitive housing market, a number of startup companies are addressing new realities in home buying with a strategy based on an age-old truth – Cash is king. For…

Piggy bank with money for down payment on a house

How to Buy a House with Little to No Money Down

By Max Fay

The belief that you need a 20% down payment to secure a mortgage on a home is largely a misconception. At one point it was true, but these days not…

Good Credit Effect Infographic

Credit Scores and the First-Time Homebuyer

By Max Fay

For first-time homebuyers, the second most important factor (behind location) is:             (A) Number of bathrooms.             (B) Composition of the kitchen counters.             (C) Storage space.             (D) Terms…

African American Couple New Home

What Programs are Available to Help African Americans Become Homeowners

By Max Fay

If home is where the heart is, it’s also where wealth building frequently happens in America. That’s not a coincidence. “Homeownership has historically helped families create a legacy and build…

Affordable housing being built to supplement demand for housing crisis

Tech Companies Provide Housing Assistance in California and Washington

By Max Fay

What started as a housing squeeze 30 years ago is now a full-blown crisis in Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area. The median home price in San Francisco increased…

Happy First-time homebuyer family

First-Time Homebuyer Trends for 2022

By Karen Carlson

If you turned on the news at any point last year, you’ve heard the housing market was wild in 2021, but what will it bring in 2022? Home prices grew…

Paper money falling around a women's head

How Much Down Payment Do I Need for a House?

By Devin Joy

Owning a home was part of the American dream even before there was an America. It’s true. In the tumultuous years leading to the Revolution, the Founders frequently associated acquiring…

Sources:

  1. Elmi, S.; Lopez, B. (2021, November 30) Foundations of a New Wealth Agenda: A Research Primer on Wealth-Building for All. Retrieved from https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/foundations-of-a-new-wealth-agenda-a-research-primer-on-wealth-building-for-all/
  2. N.A. (ND) Latest Housing Indicators. Retrieved from https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics
  3. N.A. (ND) Renters Guide: Ten Tips for Tenants. Retrieved from https://www.hud.gov/states/shared/working/r8/mf/topten
  4. Shea, N. (2017) Making the decision to rent or buy. Retrieved from https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/making-decision-rent-or-buy/