COVID-19 restrictions last year led to many seniors feeling cut off and unconnected as they sheltered in. Now, many senior living condo and apartment operators are using digital services to help keep their residents more connected. These digital tools and services aim to fight social isolation using a wide range of gadgets and techniques, such as video chat apps, virtual assistants, livestreamed fitness classes, and virtual reality day trips. Read more.
The pandemic is exacerbating a crisis for middle-income frontline workers searching for homes, according to a new study from the Urban Land Institute’s Terwilliger Center for Housing. Read more.
Home remodeling has surged since the pandemic began, but many of the projects initially were smaller in scope. That is reversing as homeowners decide to go bigger with their renovation plans and beyond the DIY projects that dominated during the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak. Read more.
Home maintenance affects value over the long run. Yet, homeowners admit they know very little when it comes to how to properly maintain a lot of the appliances and systems in their home. Read more.
Despite a surge in buyer demand, fewer new homes were built in January. Builders blame rising material costs. Read more.
About one-third of multifamily building has moved to low-density markets in the suburbs and exurbs, which are seeing populations increase faster than are city centers over the past year, the National Association of Home Builders reported during the virtual International Builders’ Show on Thursday. The suburbs have been outpacing higher-density markets over the last four quarters, following a trend evident in single-family home construction too. Read more.
As home prices rise, home buyers are having to borrow more. The average amount for a mortgage on a home purchase recently surged to an all-time high of $395,200, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported for the week ending Jan. 22. Read more.
Wireless companies are installing boxes in front of homes as part of their 5G network rollout. But homeowners aren’t pleased, calling the chest freezer–sized boxes a big eyesore in their front yards. Read more.
Builders are less confident about the outlook in new-home construction than in recent months due to a major surge in lumber prices and COVID-19 cases across the country. But buyer demand for new homes remains high nevertheless. Read more.
About half of Americans say they’re considering a move in the next year, according to a study from LendingTree. But where do they plan to move? Read more.
