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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.

Thanks to peace, two unexpected words are echoing across Afghanistan's capital: Luxury housing

In a town that has been through it all and is clawing its way back, a man named Omidullah is looking to hit paydirt. The Kabul real estate agent is selling a nine-bedroom, nine-bath, white-and-gold villa in the Afghan capital. The villa is listed at $450,000, a startling number in a country where more than half of the population relies on humanitarian aid to survive, most Afghans don’t have bank accounts, and mortgages are rare.

Associated Press Finance 57 minutes ago

How migration is dividing the housing market in two

Migration is causing a bifurcation of the housing market with the South seeing a slowdown and the north falling short on inventory.

Canadian banks to show mixed Q4 earnings as mortgage renewals, rate cuts loom

Four out of Canada's six largest banks are expected to show a rise in earnings for the fourth quarter as Bay Street turns its focus to the lenders' forecasts for the new year amid interest rate cuts, a slew of mortgage renewals and a new government south of the border. They faced several challenges over the past year that prompted lenders to set aside more money to cover for souring loans as clients struggled to make their mortgage and loan payments in a high interest rate environment and elevated costs of living.

New Zealand home prices to rise modestly in coming two years: Reuters poll

New Zealand home prices are forecast to rise around 5% in the next two years as lower interest rates boost demand again following a 19% correction in the market following the pandemic, according to a Reuters poll of housing experts. These same analysts said average rent increases will outpace consumer inflation, continuing to squeeze the budgets of prospective homeowners saving up for a deposit in a market where house prices doubled in just seven years to a peak in late 2021. A sharp economic slowdown and rising unemployment hit household incomes, but some optimism has returned following 125 basis points of interest rate cuts so far from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ), with more likely next year.

Australian Home Prices Rise at Weakest Pace in Almost Two Years

(Bloomberg) -- Home prices fell in Sydney and Melbourne while a gauge of Australia-wide values rose at the weakest pace in nearly two years as mounting affordability concerns soured buyer demand.Most Read from BloombergRiyadh Metro Partially Opens in Bid to Ease City’s Traffic JamsIn Traffic-Weary Toronto, a Battle Breaks Out Over Bike LanesSydney fell 0.2% in November from the prior month — its second straight monthly decline, property consultancy CoreLogic Inc. said Monday. Melbourne, where va

China's home prices set to stabilise by 2026 after slower falls - Reuters poll

China's home prices are expected to fall at a slower pace this year and next, and stabilise in 2026, a Reuters poll showed, as a slew of support measures to reverse a years-long property slump start to bear fruit. Analysts in the poll now expect home prices to fall 6.0% in 2024, versus a 8.5% decline tipped in a previous survey in August. In October new home prices fell the most year-on-year since 2015, but month-on-months falls have narrowed.

Tight supply and lower interest rates to lift Australia home prices: Reuters poll

Home prices in Australia will rise steadily over the coming two years, driven by tight supply and an expected modest easing cycle from the Reserve Bank of Australia, according to a Reuters poll. The Nov. 12-28 Reuters survey of 12 real estate analysts forecast home prices to rise 5.0% next year and in 2026, faster than in an August poll. Even as RBA's interest rates climbed from 0.10% to 4.35% since May 2022, Australia's median home prices have risen in double digits from early 2023, underscoring the property market's resilience.

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 SeasThe hidden value of property on corporate balance sheets is showing up as a theme behind some of the biggest activist

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 SeasSome of Tokyo Gas Co.’s real estate a

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.