Kelly Hickey: Real Estate

05/28/2026

https://www.nj.com/realestate-news/2026/05/nj-home-sells-for-500k-over-asking-price-amid-the-netflix-effect.html?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter_pm_edition%202026-05-28&utm_term=Newsletter_am_pm

The home was listed for $2.1 million and sold for $2.6 million.

05/19/2026

Pending home sales rose 1.4% month over month and 3.2% year over year in April, according to National Association of REALTORS®, as buyers took advantage of growing inventory and easing prices despite higher mortgage rates and economic uncertainty.

05/03/2026

A 33-year-old single mother and cashier in North Carolina earning $45,000 a year bought a $350,000 townhome with no down payment through Habitat for Humanity's homebuyer program. Instead of cash, she contributed 200 hours of sweat equity, including construction work on other homes, homeownership classes, and volunteer shifts at a Habitat ReStore. Habitat then connected her with a local bank for a low-interest mortgage capped at 27% of her monthly income, bringing her payment to $1,100 a month.

05/03/2026

05/01/2026

Single-family housing starts jumped 9.7% in March, topping 1 million for the first time in more than a year, according to the Census Bureau. Total housing starts rose 10.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.502 million. But permits, a forward-looking indicator, declined month over month and year over year, signaling builders remain cautious despite the uptick in activity.

04/23/2026

Tens of millions of prospective homebuyers may soon qualify for mortgages due to new rules. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's changes include on-time rent and utility payments in credit score calculations.

04/10/2026

Tower Hill Farm, a rare 20-acre New Jersey estate built for Macy's heir Herbert Straus and steeped in Titanic history, is hitting the market for the first time since 1949, asking $10 million.

04/10/2026

Mortgage rates dropped for the first time in six weeks, falling to 6.37% for the week ending April 9, down from a seven-month high of 6.46%, as a tentative U.S.-Iran ceasefire sent oil prices lower and calmed financial markets, according to Freddie Mac. "The decrease could spark a more favorable spring homebuying season than last year," said Freddie Mac chief economist Sam Khater. But Realtor.com economist Jiayi Xu warns the relief may be short-lived, as peace talks are still in early stages and tensions remain fragile.

03/09/2026

Here are the 10 best places to retire in the U.S., according to U.S. News & World Report. This year, a newcomer charged its way to the top of the list: Midland, MI.

Ranked No. 1, this small Midwest city with a population of approximately 43,000 scored high in quality of life, affordability, and retiree taxes.