A payroll tax in Washington state that is designed to establish a fund for older residents’ long-term care needs could be undone by voters this fall through a ballot initiative. “WA Cares” is a payroll tax that is described as a “public long-term care insurance program” in which all working…
Continue reading →A coalition of Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have reintroduced a bill designed to address housing issues by rehabilitating or constructing millions of additional units in an effort to bring down costs for renters and homeowners. Known as the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act,…
Continue reading →Any sales growth momentum in the real estate market we might have had early in the year is gone. New home sales contracts are coming in pretty consistently fewer than last year — 4.9% fewer in the most recent week. Our Immediate sales measure of homes that get listed, take…
Continue reading →Home equity lending in 2023 grew by only 1.5% compared to the prior year, while outstanding debt increased by 8.3% in the same time period, according to a study released Monday by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The data includes total originations of open-ended home equity lines of credit (HELOCs)…
Continue reading →There are plenty of challenges for renters and homebuyers this year, especially when it comes to affordability. But technology — particularly leveraging generative AI — can help solve these challenges in new ways. At least, that was the premise of the FHFA’s 2024 TechSprint last week, which focused on innovative housing…
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