By Taylor Getler Experts say couples can have a wedding and a house if they budget and set priorities. NEW YORK (AP) – Planning a wedding and buying a home are two expensive milestones in adult life. Couples with both of these goals may wonder just how they’ll pay for it all. While some couples may be fine keeping the wedding small (or skipping it altogether) in order to save for a house, others have their hearts set on something grander and will need to find a way to make the most of their budget. When deciding whether to prioritize
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By Christopher Rugaber Fed policymakers indicated they may make three quarter-point cuts to their benchmark interest rate beginning in the second half of 2024. WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday for a third straight time, a sign that it is likely done raising rates after having imposed the fastest string of increases in four decades to fight painfully high inflation. The Fed’s policymakers also signaled that they expect to make three quarter-point cuts to their benchmark interest rate next year, fewer than the five envisioned by financial markets and some economists. The relatively
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By Melissa Dittmann Tracey A new report finds innovation and adaptation are key to shaping “a resilient real estate landscape for the future.” NEW YORK – As the real estate market adjusts to new norms in a post-pandemic world, the commercial and investment property sectors are shifting. A retail rebound, changing investor sentiment about climate risks and eroding affordability are among the top trends commercial real estate professionals are contending with, according to the “Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2024” report from the Urban Land Institute and PwC. “It is clear that the real estate industry is entering a new
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By Katlyn Brieskorn Tampa, Altamonte Springs and Sarasota make Money.com’s top 50 “Best Places to Live in the U.S.” for 2022-23. TAMPA, Fla. — Three Florida cities were recently ranked among the best places to live in the United States, according to a new list from Money.com. Money said it looked at economic opportunities, quality of life, diversity, and where the best futures lie to come up with the top 50 cities in America. The report ranked Atlanta as the best place to live because of its “booming jobs market and eye on equality.” Three Florida cities made the list:
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By Amy Connolly Experts said the growth is encouraging for homebuyers but other factors, including AI and green energy, will play a role. WASHINGTON – A panel of national housing experts expect U.S. home prices to continue to grow through 2025, denoting “an encouraging consensus” as the new year ticks closer, a new Fannie Mae survey showed. Fannie Mae’s Home Price Expectations Home Survey (HPES), conducted by Pulsenomics, found an annual national home price growth of 2.4% in 2024 and 2.7% in 2025. The HPES polls more than 100 experts across the housing and mortgage sectors and academia for forecasts
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EnergyRe, a startup backed by real estate executives, is working to shore-up the country’s electrical grid. NEW YORK – EnergyRe, launched by executives at real-estate company Related Cos., said it raised $1.2 billion from a group of European investors to build more transmission lines across the United States. The deal comes as the Biden administration is pushing to modernize the national power grid, which is not equipped to handle the increasing amounts of renewable energy that the country is hoping to produce. Already, surging electricity demand has strained the grid and led to more frequent outages in recent years. “If
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By Isabella O’Malley In Florida, whole neighborhoods are springing up with an eye on resiliency and green construction. Mexico Beach, Fla. (AP) — When Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Panhandle five years ago, it left boats, cars and trucks piled up to the windows of Bonny Paulson’s home in the tiny coastal community of Mexico Beach even though the house rests on pillars 14 feet above the ground. But Paulson’s home, with a rounded shape that looks something like a ship, shrugged off Category 5 winds that might otherwise have collapsed it. “I wasn’t nervous at all,” Paulson said, recalling
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By Kerry Smith Freddie Mac’s new tool makes it easier for lenders to determine if a specific condo qualifies for a mortgage loan. It says buyers can now get a firm answer in “just minutes.” McLEAN, Va. – Freddie Mac announced enhancements to its Condo Project Advisor to help lenders “bring greater efficiency to the financing of condominiums.” Under the new system, lenders can determine whether a specific finance loan to purchase a condo unit meets Freddie Mac’s guidelines – and it takes “just minutes.” The designation – known as “Project Certified” status for Project Assessment Requests (PAR) – confirms
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Analysts are increasingly encouraged by what they say is an unusually smooth adjustment to lower inflation. WASHINGTON (AP) — With inflation edging closer to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, its policymakers are facing — and in some cases fueling — hopes that they will make a decisive shift in policy and cut interest rates next year, possibly as soon as spring.  Such a move would reduce borrowing costs across the economy, making mortgages, auto loans and business borrowing less expensive. Stock prices could rise too, though share prices have already risen in expectation of cuts, potentially limiting any further rise.
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