The average 30-year fixed rate mortgage dropped to 3.13 percent for the week of Apr. 8, 2021, according to the Primary Mortgage Market Survey from Freddie Mac. This is down five basis points from 3.18 percent last week, and down from 3.33 percent last year.

Confidence in the U.S. economy and the housing market grew in March as the country ramped up vaccinations for COVID-19. Fannie Mae’s Home Price Sentiment Index increased by 5.2 points from February to 81.7 in March. Year over year, the index is up 0.9 points. Four of the HPSI’s six components increased month over month, including the components related to homebuying and homeselling conditions, household income and home prices. The mortgage rate outlook component experienced the only decline.... read more

If you’re a homeowner who’s retiring soon, you might be wondering: is now a good time to sell my property and move to my retirement destination? Here are a few reasons why it’s something you may want to consider!

Summer vacation plans are still on pause for millions of homeowners, which means lots of people are looking for ways to turn their outdoor spaces into dreamy warm weather escapes. “People are craving the idea of taking a vacation,” says designer Sara Barney. “As a way to replace a tropical trip, homeowners have started focusing on making their outdoor living spaces feel like a destination-inspired oasis.” Read on for some of the top trends and expert advice on turning a backyard, deck or pa... read more

While a treehouse is still most commonly associated with kids’ games in the summer, it can make a home seem much more luxurious — and bump sales price. According to data released by Zillow, a treehouse was the outdoor feature that saw the sharpest increase in sales price. Listings mentioning it saw an average sales price increase of 2.2 percent, compared to 1.6 percent for a hot tub and 0.7 percent for a finished basement.... read more