Investment Learning

  • February 25, 2025

US home price growth slows in January as inventory improves

US annual home price growth increased by 3.04% in January, according to the ICE Home Price index. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Index illustrated home prices to have increased by 3.9% in December 2024. Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) vice president of research and analysis Andy Walden comes on the program to speak with Brad Smith about the "inflection point" becoming apparent for home prices, weighing in on mortgage rates and housing affordability. "The other thing that's very different today than it was a year ago is that there's more homes out there available for purchase. So if you look at the market in January, there were 24%, 25% more homes available to buy in the market than there were at this time last year," Walden says. "We're seeing the strongest inventory levels, even though we're still running a deficit, the strongest inventory levels that we've seen really in the better part of the last five years out there in the market." Watch the full interview above to hear Andy Walden's comments about regional prices and the ways the Trump administration's policies could affect the homebuilding industry. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

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  • February 25, 2025

US home prices rose 3.9% in December 2024: Case-Shiller Index

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Index illustrated home prices to have increased by 3.9% in December 2024. To speak more on this national housing data and regional home prices in major US cities, Yahoo Finance senior housing reporter Dani Romero sits down with Brad Smith on Wealth. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

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  • February 24, 2025

Black first-time homebuyers see strong rebound in 2024: Zillow

A Zillow survey saw Black homebuyers purchasing their first home held steady in 2024. To speak more about this survey's findings and what's pushing this trend, Zillow Group senior economist Orphe Divounguy sits down with Brad Smith on Wealth. "Less than half of all black households own their own home, compared to roughly 65%, which is the national average," Divounguy explains. "Technology is helping. Mortgage data shows a lack of credit history is the primary reason for black applicants' mortgage denials. The push to make utility payments and rent payments count towards someone's credit history is going to help." Watch the video above to hear more of Orphe Divounguy's insights into the types of metro areas driving Black homebuying and the challenges ahead for the broader US housing market. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

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  • February 21, 2025

Housing is currently a 'buyer's market' despite challenges

January's existing home sales data came in at 4.08 million, missing the projected 4.13 million. Redfin head of economic research Chen Zhao joins Asking for a Trend to discuss what the numbers indicate about broader housing market conditions. Zhao explains that after two years of "very slow loosening" of the mortgage lock-in effect, "we're actually seeing enough inventory pile up that what we see in the market right now looks more like a buyer's market than anything we've seen in the past six years," noting there's approximately a four-month supply in the national market. "All of that seems to point to buyers having a little bit more of an opportunity than they've had in a really long time," she adds. However, Zhao points out that many potential buyers may not perceive these improved conditions due to ongoing challenges, including high mortgage rates, elevated home prices, and persistent inflationary pressures. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Asking for a Trend here. This post was written by Angel Smith

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  • February 20, 2025

US mortgage rates tick lower: What this means for homebuyers

US mortgage rates move lower this week, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage ticking down from 6.87% to 6.85% as reported by Freddie Mac. Yahoo Finance senior housing reporter Claire Boston joins Wealth host Brad Smith to talk more about the mortgage data and a Redfin report that may illustrate that homebuyers have more bargaining power now. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

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  • February 19, 2025

Diversification will play role in driving global markets further

The bull market run in US equities (^GSPC, ^IXIC, ^DJI) continues, pushing the asset class to dominate global markets, with top companies worth more than all those in Asia combined. Citi Wealth chief investment strategist Steven Wieting joins Market Domination to note that this trend is driven by large, innovative firms. Though, he warns against taking this growth for granted, especially with the dollar (DX=F, DX-Y.NYB) at its second-highest level in history. "There are places where you just see some relatively dynamic growth and low expectations. Just think about low expectations," Wieting says, citing countries like Brazil's strong rebound despite facing recent challenges. Wieting also highlights broadening profit gains across sectors, such as healthcare (XLV) and mid-sized companies, as signs of diversified market performance in 2024 and beyond. For investors seeking balance, Wieting emphasizes that "diversification is the name of the game," noting that fixed-income (^TYX, ^TNX, ^FVX) assets offer competitive returns. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Market Domination here. This post was written by Josh Lynch

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  • February 18, 2025

2 mistakes to avoid and 3 tips for first-time home buyers

As challenges persist in the US housing market, Rate.com senior vice president of lending Jennifer Beeston joins Wealth with Brad Smith to outline common mistakes the first-time homebuyer can make, while shining a spotlight on several homebuying tips. Beeston says the "two biggest mistakes" she sees first-time homebuyers make are jumping into house hunting without making a budget and "not vetting experts." She outlines three tips for first-time homebuyers after they have "gone through that pre-approval and they've picked their team." "First of all, avoid tech fatigue" from spending too much time on Realtor.com, Zillow (Z, ZG), and other sites. Her second tip is to "play detective" and "look for any potential problems." "Thirdly, get a homeowners insurance quote. The unfortunate reality of 2025 is that homeowners insurance across America has soared, and it can really make homeownership unaffordable. So we really want to make sure you're going to be in that range before you start shopping," she adds. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.

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