Category Archives: Real Estate Law

Wall Street Journal writer Laura Kusisto reported today that, “Sales of previously owned homes rose in May, a sign that falling mortgage rates could be nudging the housing market toward a modest spring performance after a sluggish start to this prime selling season. “Sales rose 2.5% in May from the prior month to a seasonally adjusted… Continue Reading

Last week, Wall Street Journal writers Will Parker and Jimmy Vielkind reported that, “In passing a sweeping overhaul of rent laws on Friday, New York state lawmakers gave a boost to a movement among state capitals to try to address rental-housing affordability. “The New York legislation brings increased power to tenants in roughly one million… Continue Reading

Last week, Wall Street Journal writer Ben Eisen reported that, “Some low- and middle-income home buyers are having a hard time getting mortgages for an unexpected reason: The loans they’re applying for are too small. “Lenders extended about 106,000 mortgages with balances between $10,000 and $70,000 in the U.S. last year, worth $5.1 billion. That… Continue Reading

Bloomberg writer Prashant Gopal reported today that, “Sean Pan wanted to be rich, and his day job as an aeronautical engineer wasn’t cutting it. So at 27 he started a side gig flipping houses in the booming San Francisco Bay Area. He was hooked after making $300,000 on his first deal. That was two years… Continue Reading

Wall Street Journal writer Laura Kusisto reported recently that, “The U.S. homeownership rate fell for the first time in more than two years in the first quarter, putting the brakes on the recovery of an important piece of the economy. “The homeownership rate fell to 64.2% in the first quarter from 64.8% in the fourth… Continue Reading

Wall Street Journal writer Laura Kusisto reported earlier this week that, “Sales of previously owned U.S. homes sputtered in March, failing to build off strong gains in February, despite lower mortgage rates and a strong job market. “U.S. existing-home sales fell 4.9% in March from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of… Continue Reading

Wall Street Journal writers Sharon Nunn and David Harrison reported last week that, “A gauge of U.S. home building and approvals for new projects declined in March, continuing a recent weak stretch for new housing construction. “So-called housing starts fell 0.3% in March from the prior month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.139… Continue Reading

Wall Street Journal writer Laura Kusisto reported recently that, “The exurbs, the engine of the American housing market, are back. “A decade ago, the sight of new homes under construction in Maricopa, an enclave of tidy cul-de-sacs 35 miles from downtown Phoenix, was almost unimaginable. Four in five homeowners were underwater, with their outstanding mortgages… Continue Reading

Wall Street Journal writer Laura Kusisto reported earlier this week that, “House flipping is back to nearly the same level it was around the 2006 peak of the housing boom, when it became a symbol of the rampant speculation that soared before the bubble burst. “But a new analysis from CoreLogic Inc. suggests most of… Continue Reading

Wall Street Journal writer Aaron Back reported earlier this week that, “For banks, slowdown fears come with a silver lining. Sharply lower lending rates typically spur a surge in profitable mortgage originations as existing or aspiring homeowners pounce. This lining loses some of its luster every time storm clouds gather, though. “Interest rates have plummeted… Continue Reading