Pros expect that higher mortgage rates will cool the housing boom somewhat. Getty Images/iStockphoto If mortgage rates continue on their current trajectory, some experts predict 30-year fixed rates co...
Tag: Construction/Real Estate
My wife and I have $750,000 in savings and earn over $144,000 a year. Can we afford to spend $5,000 per month on housing?
Financial advisers recommend spending no more than 30% of take-home pay on housing. I have always lived by this rule and now have $750,000 in cash savings. But now I need to make a big move. Is there ...
Is a yield curve inversion a foreboding sign for mortgage rates? Does it really signal a recession? Economists weigh in.
For a moment this week, the bond market flashed a signal that some associate with impending recessions. Home buyers need not worry just yet, according to economists. On Friday, the 2-year rate, which ...
My husband and I bought a retirement condo in 2008, and he died two years later. The condo is worth $50,000 more than we paid. Should I sell it now or wait?
Dear MarketWatch, I have a condo in Palm Desert, Calif., that my husband and I were going to retire to. We also have another primary residence in nearby Riverside. We bought the condo in 2008 for $363...
‘Is this a good deal, or should I run for the hills?’ My boyfriend of five years wants me to give him a $165,000 loan using his house as collateral
Dear Quentin, I would like your advice on giving a hard-money loan to the man I’ve been dating for five years. He pressed me on this issue three years ago. I didn’t do the loan then, and it was a seri...
Opinion: Preparing for the great sunset: What you need to know if tax code provisions expire
The hot equities and housing markets have contributed to a surge in U.S. household wealth during the pandemic. According to the Federal Reserve, household wealth grew by $19 trillion to $137 trillion ...
‘Reduced competition.’ 5 predictions for the housing market in 2022, from economists and real estate pros
We’ve already seen rates rise in the early months of 2022, and some pros say that will continue. Getty Images Aspiring home buyers may have watched as mortgage rates in recent months rose (though to b...
Fed’s Powell sees the light — and turns far more hawkish than expected
After remaining stubbornly dovish last year, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday jumped the central bank squarely into the hawkish camp at his press conference on Wednesday. “The March...
The latest mortgage rates, and what pros say will happen to mortgage rates in 2022
What you might pay for a mortgage now Getty Images/iStockphoto Mortgage rates are rising: According to the latest data from Bankrate, 15-year-mortgage rates rose slightly from a day prior to 3.65% (3....
Opinion: Timeshare apartments are wildly popular — and often lead to buyer’s remorse. Here’s how to unload one without losing money
(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Hi, Ms. MoneyPeace: I have been receiving your MoneyPeace email newsletter for years and enjoy reading them. My husband and I are in a difficult situation. We bought a timeshar...
Fed to hike interest rates Wednesday, undeterred by lack of visibility on Russia-Ukraine war’s impact
On Saturday, a strong late winter storm caused havoc on the East Coast, particularly in Pennsylvania, with drivers experiencing severely reduced visibility as winds blew snow across the roads. Speed l...
‘She had a will, but it was null and void’: My friend and her sister are fighting over their mother’s life-insurance policy and $32,000 bank account. Who’s right?
Dear Quentin, My friend’s mom passed away about a year ago. She had a will, but it was null and void because there was only one witness signature. She has two daughters. One of the girls, Mary, moved ...
Redfin stock tanks after forecast shows losses expanding as iBuying business grows
Redfin Corp. shares plunged more than 10% in after-hours trading Thursday, after executives predicted losses in the first quarter of 2022 would exceed full-year losses in 2021 as the company maintains...
‘We live 5 minutes from our in-laws who have a larger home’: Is it a good idea to swap houses? Will I end up with a surprise tax bill?
I am a California resident. My husband and I own a 1,800-square-foot home that we bought in 2019 for $1.5 million. We have between 40% and 50% equity in the property due to a large down payment. We li...
‘I don’t know if it’s worth dealing with tenants’: Should I convert my home into a rental, or sell it?
I have enough money to put down on a second home — I need a slightly bigger place and another bedroom. I currently live in Portland, Ore., but I am planning to move outside of Portland. However, I’m c...
Opinion: These 2 numbers sum up why the housing market won’t get back to normal for a long time
Last week I got a letter in the mail. Like you, I’m surprised this still exists as a practice but desperate times call for desperate measures: Courtesy Ben Carlson Now I would like to think our house ...
Bears beware. Past corrections for the S&P 500 are only 15% on average, outside of recessions
Even after a rough January for Wall Street, it might take the U.S. economy slipping into a recession before the S&P 500 index risks entering a bear market, according to Oxford Economics. “Equities...
Fed rate hikes are coming — how to tackle your savings, mortgage, car payments and credit-card debt in advance
Wall Street investors and Washington D.C. lawmakers are closely listening to what Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says Wednesday about the central bank’s next steps in its fight against decades...
At least 6 signs show the stock market is starting to break down
Strap in! It could be a bumpy ride this year. Financial markets are off to a woeful start for the bulls in 2022. Blame surging inflation, an out-of-step Federal Reserve, or a nagging pandemic. But wha...
‘I can tolerate him for 7 months — at the most’: My husband and I live apart in the summer. Should I refinance my house and set up a joint savings account?
Dear Quentin, My husband of seven years owns a home in Minnesota, and has a mortgage. I own a home in Florida with no mortgage. We have no savings or retirement accounts. Should I pull my equity from ...