Homeowners withdrew an estimated $47 billion in home equity during the first three months of 2026, the highest first-quarter figure since 2021. This trend is driven by substantial equity built during the early 2020s housing boom and homeowners' reluctance to give up low mortgage rates.
Homeowners in Colorado's Rock Creek HOA received violations for brown grass despite a state drought emergency, sparking frustration as officials urge water conservation. The HOA cited property appearance and value, while residents argued for leniency due to extreme weather.
Owning a home, a long-held Indian dream, is becoming increasingly difficult in 2026 due to rising property prices and rents. While buying involves significant upfront costs and long-term financial commitments, renting offers flexibility but requires smart investment of the rent-EMI difference to compete financially.
Mortgage application volume fell 3.8% last week due to mixed rate movements. Refinance applications dropped 5%, while purchase applications decreased 3%. Rates are influenced by inflation data and optimism over the Strait of Hormuz opening, with potential impacts from oil price fluctuations.
Rising housing costs and stagnant wages are pushing educated Americans to seek alternative homeownership solutions, including tiny homes, relocating to cheaper markets, or forming multi-generational households. Renting from large corporate landlords also presents challenges.
Building a home requires extensive paperwork before construction. Key steps include verifying land ownership, preparing architectural plans, obtaining building plan sanctions from local authorities (like MCD in Delhi or BBMP in Bengaluru), securing additional permissions (fire, environmental), commencing construction as per the approved plan, and finally obtaining completion and occupancy certificates.
Cochin International Airport is considering using its CSR funds to compensate homeowners whose houses are damaged by low-flying aircraft, following repeated incidents near the airport. The DGCA will investigate.
Window heat pumps, a new self-contained technology, provide affordable and efficient heating and cooling for renters and owners of older homes. Unlike traditional systems, they are easy to install, portable, and cost significantly less.
Buying a home in Spain now requires 8.4 years of gross salary, up from 7.1 years in 2024, due to a 20.5% jump in housing prices vs. a 1% wage increase. The Balearic Islands and Madrid are the least accessible markets.
Total mortgage application volume fell 2.5% last week as demand for home purchases slowed to its lowest pace since April, despite a slight decrease in the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage to 6.57%. Refinance applications also declined.
Homeowners insurance premiums have surged 24% between 2021-2024. Experts suggest fortifying homes, raising deductibles, avoiding small claims, reviewing coverage, bundling policies, improving credit, and considering insurance costs when buying a home to mitigate rising costs.
Thousands protested in Madrid against rising housing costs, a major political challenge for PM Sanchez ahead of 2027 elections. Spain faces a housing shortage and high rents driven by tourism and population growth, with prices up 13% year-on-year. A government plan aims to build more public housing.
Thousands gathered in Madrid to protest soaring housing costs, a major political challenge for PM Sanchez ahead of 2027 elections. Rising rents, driven by tourism and population growth, have made homeownership difficult, with Spain facing a significant housing shortage.
Texas journalist Sara Gonzales questions why H-1B visa holders own beautiful homes, alleging they receive home loans despite not being permanent residents. She criticizes the Biden administration for this, while noting a 2025 HUD policy change aimed at restricting FHA loans for non-permanent residents.
Owners of Wang Chi House, spared in Hong Kong's Wang Fuk Court fire, must decide by June 30 whether to sell under a government buyback scheme, facing a tight deadline for crucial details.
Many homeowners with fixed-rate mortgages are seeing their monthly payments increase due to rising costs in escrow accounts for homeowners insurance and property taxes. About 65% of escrow accounts are projected to be short this year, with an average shortage of $2,157.
Homeowners facing unusable parking spaces can pursue claims under the Consumer Protection Act, as RERA doesn't mandate specific parking dimensions. The National Building Code serves as a benchmark, and buyers can seek compensation or a usable slot if parking is misrepresented or deficient.
Despite historically high unaffordability, a growing number of Gen Zers are buying homes, often through aggressive saving, single purchases, and leveraging financial tools, outpacing millennials in homeownership rates at the same age.
Residents of Wang Fuk Court return home to collect belongings after November 26 fire killed 168 people and displaced nearly 5,000
More than 240 owners representing over 12 per cent of households at Hong Kong’s fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court petitioned the government-appointed administrator in late April to hold an extraordinary general meeting, saying they might seek legal action if the request was ignored. The owners said in a statement on Tuesday that they would consider applying to the Lands Tribunal if Hop On Management Company failed to hold the meeting within 45 days in accordance with the Building Management...
Hong Kong government announces additional tax waiver for residents displaced by the deadly Tai Po fire, exempting them from final tax for 2025-26 assessment year. The November 2025 fire killed 168 people and displaced nearly 5,000 residents, making it the city's deadliest inferno since 1948.
The Hong Kong government is confident that at least 75% of homeowners in Wang Chi House – the only block unscathed in the Wang Fuk Court fire – will accept its buy-back package by end of June. Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun said 77% of owners have expressed initial interest in selling their property rights. The offer requires 75% of owners to sign an official letter of acceptance by June 30 and agreement for sale and purchase by October 15.
More than 800 families displaced by the deadly Tai Po fire have expressed an interest in visiting their homes again after being allowed to return to the estate in recent weeks, a senior Hong Kong official has said. The government also expressed confidence that at least three-quarters of homeowners of Wang Chi House – the only one of Wang Fuk Court’s eight blocks left largely unscathed by last November’s fire – would accept its buy-back package by the deadline at the end of June. Deputy Chief...
