FOCUS ON Housing Affordability
Old motel in Kalamazoo being converted into affordable housing
The LIFT Foundation has recently purchased an old motel in Kalamazoo and has begun taking the steps necessary to convert it into affordable housing.
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Harrisburg has proposed new legislation that would provide incentives to real estate developers in the city to add affordable rental units to their multifamily building plans. Read More >
“On the Home Stretch” is a closing cost assistance program that offers $1,000 in closing cost assistance in conjunction with homebuyer education. Read More >
Cities are working to address the lack of affordable housing as a means to boost homeownership opportunities. Small-dollar mortgages could help. Read More >
In an effort to expand affordable housing opportunities throughout the state, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) recently launched a loan to help with the purchase of a new home. Read More >
Show business is bringing jobs, tourism, and a housing boom to New Mexico. Industry giants like Netflix, Facebook, and most recently NBCUniversal, have been setting up shop in the Land of Enchantment since 2017. Read More >
If the Mountain State wasn’t popular before, it sure will be soon. As of August 2020, according to a study by The Ascent, West Virginia has a median home value of $107,064, which is the lowest in the U.S. by far. Comparatively, the most expensive housi … Read More >
Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code allows a real estate property, used for business or held as an investment, to be exchanged for another property that is of “like-kind.” Read More >
The reality is that an economic recession in the near term will only slow the development of more affordable housing moving forward. Read More >
Teachers and other public servants who are starting a job for the first time look for a place to live close to their work and find they can’t afford to live there. Read More >
In August, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed a variety of bills into law that are designed to fix the state’s housing crunch. Read More >
Data shows that across the state home prices are on the rise and with wages stagnating, these homes were becoming less and less affordable. Read More >
It’s been a long-time coming, but new loan policies for condominiums are finally coming to fruition which will create more housing affordability for Americans. Read More >
In June, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to create a new White House Council to tackle affordable housing issues across the country. Read More >
As home prices rise and inventory tightens up across the country, states and cities are proposing innovative solutions to provide more homes to more people. Read More >
Mortgage rates at the end of May dipped below four percent for the first time in 16 months and have now dropped a full percentage point since November. Read More >
Lawmakers in Olympia recently completed a landmark legislative session for housing in the state of Washington. Read More >
The Wisconsin is considering a bill that would create a First-Time Homebuyer’s Savings Account – a tax-free savings account for individuals or couples trying to buy their first home. Read More >
JustFaith Greenville has been urging churches in Greenville to give up some of their land to help build affordable housing communities. Read More >
Many rural residents today are struggling to find affordable housing, keep their homes in good repair or simply keep their homes at all. Read More >
Homeownership rates fell for the first time in more than two years, but there is a debate as to whether this is just a temporary blip or the start of a decline. Read More >
With a unemployment rate, it’s easy to assume the economy is booming, which, in turn, would benefit the housing market. Read More >
Recent data show that 23 percent of homeowners and 47 percent of renters are considered “cost-burdened,” meaning they paid more than 30 percent of their income for housing. Read More >
Inventory is too low – That’s a fact. It’s also a fact that industry groups aren’t sitting idly by. Here’s their strategy. Read More >
Miami-Dade has one of the country’s largest housing gaps between wealthy and lower income individuals and families and container homes could help address the need. Read More >
The supply of homes for sale and the vacancy rates for rental housing have stabilized and are inching up again. But, demand is outpacing the current supply — especially at entry-level points in the market. Read More >
Take our quiz to see how much you know about the factors impacting the housing supply in the US. Read More >
A recent conference in Main focused on an actionable, long-range plan that would address the changing housing needs of aging Mainers. Read More >
Nearly all metro markets saw increases in single-family home prices with a handful of markets increasing by double digits. Read More >
HousingTranslator.com, a Seattle King County REALTORS® microsite launched in 2017, provides simple and straightforward answers to this question and more about the King County housing market. Read More >
Prospective residents in the Los Angeles area are finding it increasingly difficult to purchase, or rent a home for their family. Read More >
In 2015, homeowners in the Washington area enjoyed a steady real estate market. Home prices were stable, and as a result homes sold quickly and the number of homes on the market increased. Read More >
The San Francisco REALTOR’s Association was key in the recent defeat of Prop. 1, The Mission Moratorium. The controversial moratorium would have instigated an 18-month pause on both new housing construction and the conversion of light industrial space into living accommodations. Read More >
There are about 90,000 cesspools in Hawaii receiving wastewater. The state’s Department of Health wants to shut them down and convert to a public sewer system or septic system, but local REALTORS® oppose the conversion because it will affect housing af … Read More >
Finding affordable housing is a major challenge in Massachusetts, but the North Shore Association of REALTORS® is actively working to help lower-income buyers discover housing options. Massachusetts is home to some of the country’s largest and most exp … Read More >
The lack of available housing in the Santa Barbara area is having an impact on local businesses. The Santa Barbara Association of REALTORS, through its involvement in the Coastal Housing Coalition, has helped produced a new study detailing the developing problem. Read More >
Prospective homeowners and home renters in San Francisco and San Diego continue to find it a challenge to find available properties to purchase. Read More >
With Charlotte, N.C., being one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, the Charlotte Regional REALTOR® Association has been working to ensure the availability of affordable housing in the city and surrounding Mecklenburg County by encourag … Read More >
Seattle King County REALTORS® ensured that the mayor and city officials understood the negative impacts of the city’s proposed foreclosure relief program on homeowners and the local housing market. Current and prospective homeowners in the Greater Seat … Read More >
State governments are always looking for ways to raise revenue, especially in today’s economy. The Kentucky Association of REALTORS® is working overtime to make sure those efforts don’t interfere with home ownership. In 2012, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshea … Read More >
The St. Louis Association of REALTORS® is committed to making its city a welcoming and affordable place to live for all people. Home buyers and home sellers benefit from the association’s many programs and resources and dedication to the community. Eve … Read More >
The Oregon Association of REALTORS® is continuing a strong history of supporting affordable housing opportunities in their state. Read More >
One of the ways the Little Rock REALTORS® Association is helping to make sure that home buying is affordable is to fight against burdensome fees imposed by local governments. In the Summer of 2013, the City of Little Rock began debating the merits of i … Read More >
Members of the Des Moines Area Association of REALTORS® support their communities through a charitable foundation that funds efforts to provide and improve housing opportunities. Read More >
Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a desert community with limited water resources. Sound water planning and regulation are vital to the city’s continued economic growth. Water policy has a particularly acute impact on the housing market, as water-related regulations and development decisions dictate the availability, affordability and desirability of housing. Read More >
The Salt Lake Board of REALTORS® believes that housing options should be available to families at all income levels, and it is working to make them a reality. Read More >
Honolulu’s Oahu island location makes it one of the nation’s most desirable and most expensive places to live. Unfortunately, the community currently faces a serious lack of housing inventory and a severe shortage of affordable housing. In response, Ho … Read More >
The Dallas area is a large, fast-paced housing market that, like many other metropolitan areas, has a shortage of homes for buyers looking at or below the area’s median price of $140,000. The tight market has raised concerns that lower- and moderate-in … Read More >
“Affordable housing” can mean different things in different markets. In Florida’s Miami-Dade and Broward counties, it usually means condominiums, which now make up about 60% of local housing inventory. For many potential condominium buyers, finding fin … Read More >
The REALTOR® Association of Pioneer Valley was awarded the “Ambassador for Cities” award from the National Association of REALTORS® for helping prospective home buyers find affordable housing in Massachusetts. The association is a leader in the public- … Read More >
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