Category Archives: Real Estate Law

Adam Samson reported earlier this week at The Financial Times Online that, “Shares in companies that own and manage US shopping malls and other retail properties dropped on Tuesday, the fourth-straight decline, amid mounting anxiety over disappointing sales at department stores and clothing retailers. “The S&P 500 retail real estate investment trust index dropped 1.9… Continue Reading

Laura Kusisto reported this week at The Wall Street Journal Online that, “Mortgage rates dropped below 4% for the first time since November, providing more kindling to an already hot housing market as the crucial spring selling season gets under way. “The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 3.97% for the week… Continue Reading

Laura Kusisto and Ben Leubsdorf reported this week at The Wall Street Journal Online that, “U.S. housing starts declined in March, but not enough to signal a reversal from the long-term trend of improvement in new home construction. “Starts decreased 6.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.215 million from a month earlier, the… Continue Reading

Wall Street Journal writer Laura Kusisto reported this week that, “U.S. home prices rose in January at their fastest rate since mid-2014, a trend that bodes well for sellers but could start to eat into demand as buyers get priced out of the market. “The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices, which cover the entire nation, rose 5.9%… Continue Reading

Bloomberg writer Wes Goodman reported on Monday that, “Federal Reserve officials say U.S. commercial real estate is expensive. That isn’t stopping the world’s biggest money manager from saying it’s time to buy. “BlackRock Inc. says property can deliver average yields of 3.5 percent, compared with 3.4 percent for U.S. investment-grade bonds and the S&P 500 Index’s… Continue Reading

Bloomberg writer Prashant Gopal reported yesterday that, “U.S. mortgage rates rose, sending costs for 30-year home loans to their highest level this year before the Federal Reserve meets to consider an increase in its benchmark interest rate. “The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage was 4.21 percent, up from 4.1 percent last week, Freddie Mac… Continue Reading

The Associated Press reported today that, “Long-term U.S. mortgage rates rose slightly this week, continuing a holding pattern that has prevailed this month. “Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate on 30-year, fixed-rate loans edged up to 4.16 percent from 4.15 percent last week. The benchmark rate stood at 3.62 percent a year… Continue Reading

Wall Street Journal writer Laura Kusisto reported on Tuesday that, “The U.S. homeownership rate fell in the fourth quarter, frustrating the efforts of policy makers trying to embolden more Americans to buy their own homes as the economy strengthens. “The share of Americans who own their homes declined to 63.7% in the fourth quarter from 63.8%… Continue Reading

Wall Street Journal writer Laura Kusisto reported on Tuesday that, “Home prices climbed strongly in November, as price growth showed no signs of slowing even after mortgage rates began to tick up during the month. “The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices, covering the entire nation rose 5.6% in the 12 months ended in November, up slightly… Continue Reading

Bloomberg writer Austin Weinstein reported on Tuesday that, “Contracts to buy previously owned U.S. homes rebounded last month as buyers adjusted to the recent jump in mortgage rates, according to figures released Monday from the National Association of Realtors in Washington. “The increase in contract signings follows a post-election jump in borrowing costs that pushed down… Continue Reading