A well-planned budget for first-time homeowners should focus on two goals: affording the home and maintaining financial stability. Key expenses include the home price, down payment (typically at least 3%), closing costs, moving costs, and ongoing expenses like mortgage payments, property taxes, homeowners insurance, and maintenance (about 1% of the home's price annually). It's advisable … Continued
Berkshire Hathaway forecasts a major housing market shift toward multigenerational homes amid rising affordability issuesMultigenerational living, once dominant pre-1950s, is resurging as families adapt to modern cost-of-living pressures
Experienced agents provide critical market data and negotiation help, despite commissions averaging 5-6%. Know your local market’s trends; home prices, inventory, and days on market vary widely.
2025’s housing risks echo 2008: high debt, inflation, and home prices outpacing household incomes. Debt-to-income ratios in 2025 average 40.5%, near 2008’s dangerous 43% levels.
The NAR Chief Economist projects national median home prices to increase modestly by 3% in 2025. Despite a slow start, the NAR Chief Economist forecasts 6% more existing-home and 10% more new-home sales
Mortgage rates will remain high throughout 2025, limiting any improvement in overall home affordability. Home prices are expected to rise modestly due to low housing supply and persistent demand.
The cheapest 30-year refinance rates are in states like New York and California, ranging from 6.59% to 7.01%, while the highest rates, between 7.07% and 7.14%, are in states including Alaska and Hawaii. National average rates recently rose to 7.04%, near July lows but above March's 6.71%. Rates vary by lender, borrower credit, and economic … Continued
Home sales expected to rise slowly through late 2025, reaching 4.3M, but remain below pre-pandemic levels. Median home prices projected to grow 2–3% by year-end as inventory rises and bidding wars cool down.
Despite Fed rate cuts, 2025’s housing market remains a “stuck pig,” trapped by affordability and structural issues. Median home prices remain 4.2x median income; price gains forecast between 0.6% and 6.1% for 2025.
Housing inflation remains elevated but is gradually cooling, with shelter index gains slowing steadily. Fed rate cuts may ease pressure, but their impact on housing inflation is limited.