FRIDAY - always better and better
- Granny flats and renters’ tax credits: Which California housing bills lived and died Friday
- Mortgage investors want to make it easier for gig-economy workers to get loans
- Run-up in home prices is 'not sustainable': Realtors' chief economist
- Freddie Mac May Outlook: Homebuyers Showing Resiliency Amidst Limited Supply and Affordability Constraints
- The ‘Trifecta’ Holding Up Home Shoppers
- Is Colorful Grout the Next Big Trend in Tile Design?
- Design Pop: Decor Tips for Book Lovers
Enjoy!
Granny flats and renters’ tax credits: Which California housing bills lived and died Friday
Mortgage investors want to make it easier for gig-economy workers to get loans - The gig economy refers to hundreds of income-earning activities that allow workers to set their own hours, work for as long or as little as they choose, and function as independent contractors or freelancers as opposed to salaried employees. Prominent examples include people who work as drivers for Uber or Lyft, assemble Ikea furniture through TaskRabbit and offer rooms in their homes on Airbnb. Estimates vary, but anywhere from just under 20 percent to 30 percent or more of the U.S. workforce participates in some way in the gig economy. Last year, Intuit, which owns TurboTax, estimated that 34 percent of the workforce earned money in gig pursuits and projected that this could rise to 43 percent by 2020.
Run-up in home prices is 'not sustainable': Realtors' chief economist - Home values have been rising for six straight years, and the gains have been accelerating for the past two years. Unlike the last housing boom, the gains are not driven by fast and easy mortgage money, but instead by solid buyer demand and very low supply. Still, like the last housing boom, some are starting to warn these price gains cannot continue.
Freddie Mac May Outlook: Homebuyers Showing Resiliency Amidst Limited Supply and Affordability Constraints - Swift home-price growth and the ongoing climb in mortgage rates this year have made buying a home more expensive, but home sales are still on track to squeak out a gain in 2018, according to Freddie Mac’s (OTCQB:FMCC) May Outlook. Through the first five months of 2018, home shoppers have battled the trifecta of climbing home prices, higher mortgage rates and low supply. Despite these obstacles, Freddie Mac expects the healthy economy and strong consumer confidence to lead to a 3.0 percent increase in total home sales (new and existing) this year.
The ‘Trifecta’ Holding Up Home Shoppers - Home sales are still on track to eke out a gain in 2018, but buyers are encountering three big obstacles as they shop: Swift price growth, climbing mortgage rates, and low supply of homes for sale. Freddie Mac researchers are calling it a “trifecta” of challenges for home buyers in the first five months of 2018. Nevertheless, researchers say they expect the healthy economy and strong consumer confidence to lead to a 3 percent increase in total home sales (new and existing) for this year, according to the company’s May Outlook report.
Is Colorful Grout the Next Big Trend in Tile Design? - See how grout in 7 eye-catching colors is spicing up kitchens and bathrooms abroad
Design Pop: Decor Tips for Book Lovers - As PBS launches ‘The Great American Read,’ designers and actor Ming-Na Wen weigh in on building around books
