Brisk Weather Making You Think About Patio Heaters? Good Luck
Propane patio heaters are the “new toilet paper.” With the outdoors safer for avoiding the coronavirus, demand from Northerners has already decimated the supply.
Judge Temporarily Stops HUD’s ‘Disparate Impact’ Rule Change
HUD’s disparate-impact rule tries to stop discrimination that occurs in the absence of any overt discriminatory behavior. It’s now trying to walk that rule back a bit.
Fair Housing Groups Sue, Claiming a Business Practice ‘Redlines’
The group claims a “minimum price policy” business practice by Redfin benefits higher-income neighborhoods more than lower-income neighborhoods. Redfin denies the charges for “legitimate business reasons” but says it’s struggled with the issues raised.
RE Q&A: Can HOA Fine Me for Removing ‘Wear Your Mask’ Signs?
A condo owner removed signs that said “Wear Your Mask” from the building’s main doors, and the president now accuses him of vandalism. Can he be fined for this?
Commercial Website Reports Strong Interest in Office Space
The listing site, CommercialCafe, says a rising count of visitors are interested in commercial office space – a number that surpasses even pre-pandemic records.
Some Ultra-Rich Buyers Purchase a Home for Their Boat
The pandemic sparked strong demand for boats, an acceptable social distancing activity. But a dearth of parking spots led some people to buy homes for the dock space.
Realtor.com: Listing Uptick Suggests a Return to Market Balance
Inventory remains tight, but realtor.com’s weekly housing report suggests that supply may be slowly moving a bit closer to demand as more current owners decide to move.
NAR: Pending Sales Falter a Bit in Sept., Fall 2.2%
Higher home prices and low inventory may have sparked a slight drop in pending sales in Sept., but the number still surged 20.5% when compared to Sept. 2019.
Long-Term Mortgage Rates Flat this Week – 30-Year at 2.81%
The average 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage barely moved from last week’s record-low 2.80%. One year ago, the average 30-year FRM averaged 3.78%.
Builder Confidence in 55+ Housing Hits Record High
Builders see home-sales gold in a sea of retiring boomers. In a 55+ Housing Market Index where 50 is an optimism-pessimism balance, the index saw a rise to 83 in the 3Q.