Yahoo Finance - Stock Market Live, Quotes, Business & Finance News

Housing market

Mortgage rates are declining, but buyers still need some coaxing to get back into the market. Signs in the market have analysts suggesting the worst of the current mortgage cycle may be behind us in 2024.

Tokyo Gas Mulling Real Estate Options After Elliott Investment

(Bloomberg) -- Japan’s biggest utility gas provider said it will consider a variety of measures to unlock the value of its real estate assets, including potentially selling some that are not efficiently used, after an activist investor targeted the firm’s properties.Most Read from BloombergIn Traffic-Weary Toronto, a Battle Breaks Out Over Bike LanesIn Italy’s Motor City, Car-Free Options Are GrowingNew York City’s ‘Living Breakwaters’ Brace for Stormier SeasIn Kansas City, a First-Ever Stadium

Bloomberg 1 hour ago

Hedge Funds Pile Into Japan’s $165 Billion Real Estate Trade

(Bloomberg) -- Global hedge funds and private equity firms are gravitating toward Japanese companies in a bid to unlock as much as ¥25 trillion ($165 billion) in undervalued real estate. Most Read from BloombergIn Traffic-Weary Toronto, a Battle Breaks Out Over Bike LanesIn Italy’s Motor City, Car-Free Options Are GrowingNew York City’s ‘Living Breakwaters’ Brace for Stormier SeasIn Kansas City, a First-Ever Stadium Designed for Women’s Sports Takes the FieldThe hidden value of property on corpo

Average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the US slips to 6.81%

The rate slipped to 6.81% from 6.84% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Wednesday. A year ago, it averaged 6.56%, Freddie Mac said. Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including the yield on U.S. 10-year Treasury bonds, which lenders use as a guide to price home loans.

Mortgage rates edge lower after Trump picks Bessent to lead Treasury

Mortgage rates were little changed this week as financial markets reacted to President-elect Donald Trump’s slate of Cabinet picks.

Home contract activity jumps for third straight month as consumers shrug off higher rates

Home contract signings rose in October for the third consecutive month as homebuyers took advantage of growing inventory levels and shook off higher mortgage rates.

U.S. housing affordability to worsen even as price rises slow: Reuters poll

Purchasing affordability for first-time U.S. homebuyers will worsen over the coming year on tight supply and just a few more Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, even as average home price rises slow, according to a Reuters poll of property experts. Without enough entry-level housing for sale, particularly for families, affordability has long been the burning issue in the housing market of the world's largest economy, consistently pricing out prospective first-time homebuyers. Slightly lower interest rates over the coming six months will not be enough to entice new buyers into a housing market where prices are still over 50% higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to a Nov. 12-27 Reuters poll of property analysts.

Tokyo Gas Faces Scrutiny Over $9.7 Billion Real Estate Portfolio

(Bloomberg) -- An annual report to shareholders from Tokyo Gas Co., expected this week, could be the first opportunity for Japan’s largest gas company to signal its plans for a sprawling, multi-billion dollar property portfolio that activist Elliott Investment Management estimates could be worth as much as 1.5 trillion yen ($9.7 billion).Most Read from BloombergNew York City’s ‘Living Breakwaters’ Brace for Stormier SeasIn Italy’s Motor City, Car-Free Options Are GrowingIn Kansas City, a First-E

Citi Pushes Further Into Mortgage Market With Pylon Investment

(Bloomberg) -- Citigroup Inc. has made a minority investment in mortgage infrastructure fintech Pylon, pushing further into the mortgage market, according to a statement seen by Bloomberg.The Wall Street behemoth joins investors such as Peter Thiel in backing Pylon, which helps originate mortgages through automation and provides interim financing to its customers until the loans reach the capital markets. The tech platform helps bring origination costs down, Pylon’s chief executive officer and f

Property Brothers explain 'the biggest problem' still driving up home prices

The Property Brothers explain on Opening Bid why housing prices keep increasing, along with "creative" ways to become a homeowner.

Property Brothers: Millions of boomers will need to retrofit their homes

Property Brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott discuss aging baby boomers and the housing dilemma.

Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in Barcelona

Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched in downtown Barcelona on Saturday to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living" and “The people without homes uphold their rights.” The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States.