Housing
A few cities are regaining residents after shrinking during the pandemic
The vast majority of American cities are shrinking, but new data shows that a few are regaining residents after population declines early in the pandemic — bolstered, perhaps, by the rapid construction of new homes. Seattle, Houston, Atlanta and Tucson, Arizona, are among the cities that lost population between 2020 and 2021 but now have more people […]
Low fertility rates, high housing prices mean fewer children in most states
Thirty-five states have fewer children than they did five years ago, a situation caused by declining birth rates nationwide, but also by young families migrating across state borders in search of cheaper housing. Even in the 15 states that gained children, all but North Dakota experienced greater growth in the adult population, meaning children now […]
With few rentals available, states push local officials to allow more housing
In Massachusetts, where available rental apartments are scarcer than anywhere else, there’s a political battle raging over whether suburban towns should help boost the housing supply by allowing denser development. Similar debates have erupted all over the Northeast and West Coast, as officials in states with housing shortages scramble to keep their residents — and […]
Affordable Rents Slipping Away
© Getty Hector Pineda stands outside his apartment in Arlington, Virginia, where redevelopment will claim many of the area’s housing units as early as this year. While the city and developers have pledged to provide 800 affordable apartments, Pineda is concerned that many of his neighbors will have to move to find lower rents. Renters […]
High Foreclosure States Fail to Get Aid to Homeowners
A sign offering help to homeowners in foreclosure proceedings stands by a street in Pembroke Pines, Fla. Florida has the nation’s highest foreclosure rate, but it and many other states are underutilizing a federal fund designed to help homeowners. (AP) Some of the states hit hardest by the foreclosure crisis aren’t spending millions of dollars […]
States Get Share of Billion JPMorgan Chase Settlement
New York will get more than billion of the billion settlement with JPMorgan Chase that resolves federal and state lawsuits over risky mortgage practices, the largest share among states. As part of the settlement, billion will be paid to settle federal and state civil claims related to the company’s packaging and marketing of “toxic mortgages,” […]
Vampires, Zombies Haunt Some States’ Housing Markets
This home in Detroit represents a typical “zombie” because the property is still going through the foreclosure process but the resident has already fled. Zombies can drag down property values. (AP) Vampires and zombies aren’t just for Halloween and Hollywood. The real estate industry uses these terms to describe certain kinds of foreclosed homes. And […]
Home Repossessions Are Up in Half the States
An auction sign in front of a home in Salem, Ore. Foreclosure starts in the state increased more than 250 percent in the third quarter. During the same period, Kentucky had the largest increase in the number of bank repossessions of foreclosed homes, with 67 percent. (AP) Florida still leads the country in overall foreclosure […]
States Used Mortgage Settlement Money to Balance Budgets
A home mortgage consultant with Wells Fargo staffs a booth at a “Home Preservation Workshop.” Instead of helping homeowners, states used at least billion of the .5 billion they received in a legal settlement with major mortgage lenders to plug budget holes or pay for other non-housing projects. (AP) Instead of helping homeowners, states used […]
Housing Market Recovery Uneven in States
The sale of this California home is pending. The San Jose and San Francisco markets are among the leaders in the housing recovery while Baltimore and Philadelphia lag. The real estate agent’s mantra of “location, location, location” for setting the value of a home is also determining which housing markets are rebounding the fastest. Housing […]
Home Flipping Up; Profits Soar in Some Markets
A “sold” sign sits outside a home in Florida. Several Florida metro markets saw an increase of homes bought, fixed and quickly resold for profit. (AP) The real-life version of “Flip This House” is making a comeback. In the first half of 2013, house flipping was on the rise in more than two-thirds of housing […]