The Ten: How mortgage rate head fakes foiled a real estate recovery
2024 was supposed to be the year that home sales bounced back, but rates, inflation (and buyers) had other plans.
December 31, 2024
Dave Gallagher
Director, News Reporting
Dave's journalism career spans 24 years covering business, the economy and real estate in Northwest Washington. He's also a numbers nerd, examining data to spot emerging trends in industries. Having started his career as a sports writer, he's a lifelong baseball and soccer fan and recently discovered pickleball. He grew up in Yosemite National Park and earned his journalism degree at Humboldt State University in northern California.
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- Why renters — and listings — aren’t budgingIt’s (still) all about home prices. Inventory is up, but much of it is stale, while flattening rents are keeping renters in their homes longer.December 30, 2024
- MLS, association execs expect membership declines in 2025As a weak market and dissatisfaction with NAR drive attrition, more leaders are considering opening MLS access to non-Realtors, a recent survey found.December 30, 2024
- Mortgage rates at highest point since July despite cuts“Buyers and sellers are gradually returning” but inventory could take a hit if homeowners stay locked in to their lower rates, experts say.December 26, 2024
- The Ten: The outsider who took on forms — and then NARWhen law professor Tanya Monestier started looking into buyer agreements, she never expected to become a leading voice in NAR’s biggest battle.December 24, 2024
- Housing market looking less attractive to investorsBut there is still competition for homes, especially at lower price points, where first-time buyers cross paths with buyers on the investment side.December 20, 2024
- Home sales rally — but that may not last as rates riseExisting home sales rebounded in November, pushing annual sales past the 4 million mark. A big jump in mortgage rates may quash momentum, however.December 19, 2024
- Fed cuts rates, but resets expectations for 2025Look for just two cuts next year — half the number previously forecast — as the Federal Reserve predicts inflation will remain high.December 18, 2024
- RE/MAX launches media network to boost ad revenueThe platform will connect advertisers with RE/MAX consumers at “key moments,” providing a new revenue stream as the brand works to improve its bottom line.December 18, 2024
- Builder confidence holds steady in the last month of the yearOne measure in the monthly index stood out, however, as builders responded with more optimism about where the market is headed in 2025.December 17, 2024
- The Ten: The DOJ, industry bogeymanThe Justice Department was a constant presence in 2024 — weighing in on civil cases, questioning buyer agreements and fighting NAR in the Supreme Court.December 17, 2024
- Judge denies dismissal motions from Gibson/Umpa defendantsHanna Holdings, eXp and Weichert are among the brokerages yet to resolve litigation in the buyer agent commissions lawsuit.December 16, 2024
- Forecasts in 4 top markets a reminder that real estate is localWhile some trends have been consistent across the U.S., four states exemplify regional variability in 2025: Texas, California, Florida and Virginia.December 16, 2024
- ADUs are gaining momentum — can they help fix the housing shortage?Cities and states across the U.S. are making it easier to build ADUs. Leaders hope those reforms will lead to more supply and improve affordability.December 14, 2024
- A mix of optimism and uncertainty as forecasters look to 2025Panelists at NAR’s economic summit expect a better year overall, but pointed to various wildcards that could tug the market in different directions.December 13, 2024
- Falling mortgage rates spark late-season demandRates have dropped for a third consecutive week, and buyers appear to be responding. But where rates go next is uncertain, and short-term volatility is likely.December 12, 2024
- Pandemic-era buyers show most willingness to sellHomeowners who bought in the early 2020s have lots of equity, and life events are motivating moves — even if they have to give up their low mortgage rates.December 11, 2024
- NAR hit with new commissions suit — but not from consumersAn Ohio renovation company filed the complaint after opting out of the Mar. 15 settlement. Plus: an Atlanta brokerage settles, new appeal to NAR deal filed.Updated December 11, 2024
- Homebuying optimism at highest level in nearly 3 yearsFannie Mae’s latest purchase sentiment index is up more than 10 points in the past year, with a record share of consumers expecting mortgage rates to fall.December 9, 2024
- How are agents sharing compensation info?Most are simply asking the listing agent directly, while sharing via websites is uncommon, a new survey found. And so far, commissions are largely unchanged.December 9, 2024
