Al look at real estate headlines you may have missed this week. Sharp increase in home prices, fiscal cliff benefits, interest rates and so much more.
Year-over-year U.S. home prices up sharply in November
San Francisco Chronicle
U.S. home prices in November extended their steady recovery from the housing bust, rising 7.4 percent compared with a year ago. It was the biggest year-over-year increase in 6 1⁄2 years. Read full story
Interest Rates, how long can a trend continue
Di Matteo Group
Looking at a steady decline in interest rates over the past 20 years which begs the question, how long can the trend last? If you ask most economists, the answer is not very much longer. Read full story
As housing market rebounds, listing prices cut the other way
The Wall Street Journal
Out of the 100 largest metro markets, 33.6 percent of homes for sale saw price drops from their original or recent listing price in the last six months, according to data by home listing and research company Trulia. Read full story
Homeowners and sellers escape “fiscal cliff” with key benefits
The Los Angeles Times
Although it wasn’t a total win for homeowners and sellers, the patchwork legislation that emerged from the “fiscal cliff” fracas on Capitol Hill came pretty close. Read full story
Can I buy your house, pretty please?
The Wall Street Journal
In an echo of the last housing boom, ardent pitch letters from eager home buyers are popping up again in hot U.S. real estate markets like Silicon Valley, Seattle, San Diego, suburban Chicago, and Washington, D.C., housing economists and real estate brokers say. Read full story
Nearly one-third of U.S. homeowners have no mortgage
The Los Angeles Times
While millions of Americans have suffered the angst of lost homes, equity, and pride, nearly a third of the nation’s homeowners have no mortgage at all, according to an estimate by Zillow. Read full story