Remote work may no longer dominate the U.S. labor force as it did during the height of the pandemic in 2020, but it still represents a substantial share of employment today. The telework rate, which represents the number of people who teleworked as a percentage of people who were working, was 21.6% in April, and it has consistently ranged between 17.9% and 23.8% between October 2022 and April...

  When your house doesn’t sell, it does more than disrupt your plans, it hits close to home. You prepared for the next chapter. You told people you were moving. You pictured where you’d go next. And then nothing happened. It’s normal to feel frustrated, confused, or even a little embarrassed. But here’s the part you have to remember: just because your house didn’t sell the first time, doesn’t...

Mortgage rates could briefly drop below 6 percent in 2026 according to a new forecast. Lending Tree’s 2026 Housing and Economic Predictions report expects mortgage rates to drop into the 5% range sometime next year, something that has not happened since 2022. Freddie Mac currently has the 30-year fixed-term mortgage rate at 6.1 percent, and the overall rate has not dropped below 6 percent since 2022....

  Momentum is quietly building in the housing market. New data from NerdWallet shows more Americans are starting to think about buying a home again. Last year, 15% of respondents said they planned to buy a home in the next 12 months. This year, that number rose to 17%. Full article here: More Buyers Are Planning To Move in 2026. Here’s How To Get Ready. (512) 853-0110...

  When mortgage rates started to drop this fall, home buyers took notice. More consumers are stepping back into the housing market, and contract signings are on the rise. Those lower rates also have been credited with fueling three consecutive months of gains in existing-home sales. Economists are hopeful that the momentum will continue into the 2026 housing market. Full article here: Pending Home...

The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage fell to its lowest level of 2025 this week (w/e 12/31), an encouraging sign for prospective home buyers. The average long-term mortgage rate dipped to 6.15% from 6.18% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Wednesday. That’s the lowest average long-term rate since October 3, 2024 when it dipped to 6.12% before shooting back up. One year ago, the rate...

  Software developer is the most common occupation among Austin’s top earners and two-thirds of them are millennials, according to an American-Statesman analysis of census survey data. The analysis found the top 10% of earners in Austin made at least $173,000 in 2023, the most recent year with detailed occupational information available. That was notably higher than in every other Texas metro, the...

  One year ago, businesses — especially CEOs — were optimistic about the U.S. economy in 2025, expecting lower taxes and more market-friendly policies from incoming President Donald Trump. Then came April 2, Liberation Day. The market fell, uncertainty rose, and affordability became a more acute concern. Meanwhile, the labor market continued to weaken, as immigration restrictions led to a...

This is when many of us make our annual resolutions about what we plan on doing in the upcoming year.  I have a suggestion for one you may not have heard before: Make a will. I recently helped a long-term client (a recent widow) sell their home, but her deceased husband had never made a will. This cost her big time as she had to share 50% of the net proceeds (a substantial amount) with his 2 estranged...

  If you’re trying to decide if you’re ready to become a homeowner in the next twelve months, there’s probably a lot on your mind. You’re thinking about your finances, today’s mortgage rates, home prices, the current state of the economy, and more. And, you’re juggling how all of those things will impact the choice you’ll make. It’s a lot. Full article here: Not Sure If You’re Ready...