Homeowners

The Ugly Truth Behind “We Buy Ugly Houses”
HomeVestors of America, the self-proclaimed “largest homebuyer in the U.S.,” trains its nearly 1,150 franchisees to zero in on homeowners’ desperation.

Are We in a Housing Bubble?
As the pandemic shifts housing priorities and costs continue to soar, experts assess the potential for a crash similar to 2008's Great Recession.

Rising Home Prices Most Pronounced in Communities of Color
U.S. home values appreciated sharply during the pandemic, particularly in communities of color, where prices rose by as much as 10.3%.

As Home Prices Rise, So Does the Number of Renters
The intense competition in today's housing market means more people might have to settle for rental housing.

New Law Protects Homeowners From Wholesale Buyers in Philly
The new law won't stop the forces of gentrification, but it should stop one of gentrification's most pernicious symptoms.

Urban For-Sale Markets Keeping Pace With the Suburbs, With Two Key Exceptions
Everywhere but San Francisco and New York City, urban housing markets are just as hot for sellers as suburban markets, according to data released recently by Zillow.

Owners and Renters of Manufactured Homes Lack Assistance During the Pandemic
Millions of people who live in manufactured homes were already vulnerable. The pandemic has made their housing situations even more precarious.

Few Homeowners in Forbearance in April; Number Expected to Grow
The Mortgage Bankers Association surveyed the U.S. home mortgage servicing market for indications about how the nation's 26.9 million home loans were holding up during the first weeks of the pandemic.

Report: Low Housing Production Stymies Entry-Level Buyers
According to this report, the trends point to a "less diverse, older, higher-income" crop of homebuyers as low production locks out the young and many people of color.

How One Startup Approaches Rent-To-Own
Founded two years ago, Divvy buys homes for cash and then leases them to tenants who apply part of their rent toward a down payment.

Homeowners Staying Put for Longer Than Ever
Aging in place means fewer homes for young homebuyers, according to a new report by Redfin.

City to Resident: You Can Tear Your House Down But You Can't Build a New One
The curious case of Cynthia Dunne in Ladue, Missouri, who was permitted by the city to tear down her house, and then subsequently informed that a lack of water pressure prohibited building a new one.

Awareness of Climate Change Threats Doesn't Motivate People to Act, Study Finds
Disaster preparedness efforts need to take into account that homeowners in vulnerable areas don’t take action even when the risks are clear.

In the Housing Market, a Few Decades Makes a Huge Difference
"[P]erhaps at this point, this column should include a trigger warning for any young couple traumatized by the current housing market around here."

Report: D.C. Metro Area Still Needs More Housing
Despite a downtown construction boom, housing is still scarce across the Capital Region. And nearly two-thirds of new homes built since the year 2000 have been single-family structures.

Report: More Homeowners Investing in Home Improvement Projects
The trends in home improvement have a lot to do with the trends of the larger real estate market.

Homeownership in Reach for More Renters
According to the Urban Institute's Housing Affordability for Renters Index, the number of renters who can afford to buy a home in their metropolitan area is generally increasing when compared to the housing bubble of the mid-2000s.

Neighborhoods 2020: Details on Minneapolis' Next Big Planning Effort
Minneapolis wants to diversify its neighborhood organizations, racially and economically. The Neighborhoods 2020 plan would require those organizations to meet diversity standards.

Report: 'Segregation Tax' Depresses Home Values in Majority-Black Areas
According to a study, residential segregation and anti-black bias combine to devalue properties in majority-black neighborhoods by an average of $48,000 per home.

Signatures Submitted for Initiative to Reform California Proposition 13
A coalition of groups advocating for more funding for local communities and schools want to reform the landmark tax-cutting initiative by treating commercial and industrial properties different than residential, creating the so-called "split roll."
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