Existing Home Sales in 2024 Were Slowest in Decades Amid High Mortgage Rates

Existing-Home Sales in 2024 Were Slowest in Decades Amid High Mortgage Rates

The market perked up late in the year when interest rates eased, but affordability challenges yielded the fewest transactions since 1995.

The New York Times - 1d

Trump promised to lower housing costs. Mortgage rates stand in the way.

The 30-year mortgage rate fell for the first time in six weeks, but remains elevated.

MarketWatch - 1d

Barry Callebaut Stock Melts as High Cocoa Prices Weigh on Sales Volume

The chocolate company’s shares fell after it missed sales volume expectations and cut its guidance for fiscal 2025 as soaring cocoa bean prices drag demand.

The Wall Street Journal - 3d

A Big Day for Fox News, but TV Ratings Were Down for Trump Speech

A peak of 34.4 million people tuned in live to watch the president’s lunchtime swearing-in on the major TV networks, according to Nielsen.

The New York Times - 4d

Mortgage rates aren't likely to fall any time soon — here’s why

Mortgage rates have more than doubled from recent lows in 2021. They're not poised to fall much any time soon, economists said.

CNBC - 4d

Mortgage rates are at the highest level in nearly 8 months. So why are some people refinancing?

The 30-year mortgage rate has inched up to the highest level since early last summer. Refinances are unexpectedly going up.

MarketWatch - 5d

US consumers ‘resilient’ in face of high prices and interest rates

Credit card data points to ‘robust’ growth at start of 2025 after shoppers spent $1tn during holiday season

Financial Times - Jan. 18

China’s economy hits 5% growth target but rate among slowest in decades

Latter part of 2024 ‘recovered remarkably’ after stimulus measures, says National Bureau of Statistics. Business live – latest updates China’s economy grew by 5% in 2024, in line with ...

The Guardian - Jan. 17

Mortgage rates rise past a key mark, signaling bad news for home buyers

The 30-year mortgage rate inched up for the fifth week in a row, Freddie Mac says, making it more expensive to take on a mortgage.

MarketWatch - Jan. 16

EV, hybrid sales reached a record 20% of U.S. vehicle sales in 2024

DETROIT — Sales of all-electric vehicles and hybrid models reached 20% of new car and truck sales in the U.S. for the first time last year — marking a landmark year for “green” vehicles but coming ...

NBC News - Jan. 16

30-Year Mortgage Rate Rises Above 7% for First Time Since May

The latest jump threatens to sideline more buyers and sellers.

The New York Times - Jan. 16

Mortgages, credit cards, auto loans: Expert predictions for interest rates in 2025

The Federal Reserve is expected to cut rates further in 2025, paving the way for slightly lower borrowing costs for consumers.

CNBC - Jan. 16

‘The memories still exist’: Amber Ugarte lost her Malibu home, built by her late fiancé, but she’s not even close to giving up

“The memories still exist,” Ugarte says, “but the property does not.”

MarketWatch - Jan. 16

Trump to inherit 5-month high inflation rate

President-elect Donald Trump is set to inherit inflation at a 5-month high. According to the Labor Department, consumer prices rose 2.9% year-over-year and 0.4% month-over-month in December, the ...

CBS News - Jan. 15

Will mortgage rates fall below 6% in 2025? What experts say

Rates could fall that low, but certain conditions must play out for that to happen this year, experts say.

CBS News - Jan. 13

FirstFT: Dollar hits 2-year high as interest rate assumptions change

Also in today’s newsletter, China’s trade surplus reached a new record and the reinvention of El Salvador

Financial Times - Jan. 13

ECB’s chief economist warns of too-low inflation if rates stay high

Philip Lane points to dangers of borrowing costs that remain ‘too high for too long’

Financial Times - Jan. 13

Mortgage rates were expected to fall, but they’re surging. There’s a reason for that.

Rates were supposed to go down — but a strong U.S. economy is getting in the way.

MarketWatch - Jan. 11

Mortgage rates are not rising yet but Reeves has to act

Why Rachel Reeves needs a more detailed growth strategy - and soon.

BBC News - Jan. 10

England's decade-long quest to bring Women's Ashes home

Players to watch, how to follow and England's chances - here's all you need to know as Heather Knight's side look to win the Ashes for the first time since 2014.

BBC News - Jan. 10

30-Year Mortgage Rate Climbs to 6.93%, the Highest Since July

Borrowing costs have been rising for months, tracking yields on government bonds. The move threatens to push more buyers and sellers to the sidelines.

The New York Times - Jan. 9

Average US long-term mortgage rate inches up to 6.93% for fourth straight increase

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate ticked up again this week, remaining at its highest level since July

ABC News - Jan. 9

What factors drive mortgage loan interest rates?

The Fed rate decisions aren't the only factor that plays a role in where mortgage rates head next.

CBS News - Jan. 8

Mortgage rates hit highest level since July, crushing application demand

Total mortgage application volume dropped 3.7% compared with the previous week.

CNBC - Jan. 8

Here's where mortgage rates could be headed in 2025

Mortgage rates in 2025 are expected to remain above 6%, according to multiple industry forecasts.

The Hill - Jan. 8

'Music is back' as vinyl and streaming help sales hit a 20-year high

Albums by Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift and Coldplay pushed sales of recorded music to a record £2.4bn.

BBC News - Jan. 8

Trump: ‘Interest rates are far too high’

President-elect Trump on Tuesday declared interest rates are too high even as he decried still-elevated inflation, setting up renewed tensions with the central bank chair who resisted pressure cut ...

The Hill - Jan. 7

Their remains were found decades ago. A new push could ID serial killer's victims.

Decades after investigators unearthed thousands of human bones and bone fragments on a suspected Indiana serial killer’s property, a renewed quest is playing out in laboratories to solve a ...

NBC News - Jan. 7

7 ways to get a lower mortgage rate in 2025

Lowering your interest rate can save you money over the life of the loan. Here are seven ways to make it happen.

CBS News - Jan. 6

Mortgage rates inch up to start the year at a near six-month high. Will the housing market become more affordable in 2025?

The 30-year mortgage rate averaged at 6.91%, Freddie Mac said in its latest weekly survey on Thursday.

MarketWatch - Jan. 4

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