Home-Buying Companies Stuck With Hundreds of Houses as Demand Slows
Ribbon Home Inc. had a fast-growing business during the housing boom. The New York City-based startup purchased homes with cash on behalf of buyers. Then it sold the homes to the buyers at the same price, plus a fee, once the buyers got a mortgage. This approach made their clients’ offers more appealing, since sellers often […]
How would a gas stove ban affect wok cooking and the Asian American community?
When Charlene Luo was looking for a condo to buy in 2021, she had two nonnegotiable requirements: one, enough space to host friends for dinner; and two, a gas stove with the capacity to install a powerful range hood.Luo, a data scientist, cooks every day and hosts a supper club from time to time in […]
I ruined my family’s finances by withdrawing from my 401(k) to buy a house — and I regret it
I recently made a panic decision to withdraw all my money from one retirement account and I am now closing on a house in February (about $200,000). I am 36 years old, married and have a 1-year-old. Half of me is regretting it, and I’m worried about next year’s taxes due to the withdrawal and […]
My husband and I rent our second home to our son and his wife. Now we want him to own this house, but keep our 2.5% mortgage rate. How can we do that?
My husband and I bought a second home two years ago, for $160,000, with a 30-year mortgage at 2.5%. We bought it with the sole purpose of renting it out to our son and his new wife. They were recent college graduates, and just starting their careers. They’ve made this house their home. And it’s […]
I’m 65, retired and have a $2,000 pension. Should I sell my rental properties?
Dear MarketWatch, I’m a 65-year-old married man in Southern California. I retired about 5 years ago, and have very little in pension payments of about $2,000 from my old job, without any medical benefits. But I have rental income from about a dozen single-family homes that I collected during my professional career as a civil […]
‘This has bugged me all my life’: My estranged father gave me $1,000 a month to buy a house in California. My brother cried foul, and told me to stop. Who’s right?
This has bugged me all my life. My father left my family when I was 7. I’m not sure how much in child support he paid my mother. Soon after I graduated college, he visited me for the first time since he left the family. He told me that he wanted to send me money […]
I sold my late mother’s home for $250,000. I make $80,000 and have $220,000 in student debt. I want to buy a house. Should I use all my inheritance for a down payment?
My mom passed away, and left me her house, which I just sold and will net $250,000. I’m 41 years old with no real retirement savings. I make $80,000 a year, and I am maxing out contributions to my employer-matching retirement account. I own my car, pay off my credit cards in full every month, […]
‘She never has enough money’: I was adopted by a wealthy family, but my biological grandma says I need to financially support her — and buy her a condo
My biological mom died when I was a toddler, and the state felt that my grandmother wasn’t appropriate as a placement given that they found she had mental-health issues at that time. I was adopted by an upper-class family, and all communication with my biological grandma was prohibited after the adoption. Fast forward to when […]
‘Concessions have made a comeback’: In a cooling housing market, sellers pull out all the stops to lure buyers
Some home sellers are finally accepting the writing on the wall, and offering concessions to home buyers as demand remains weak in the housing market. According to a new report from Redfin RDFN, +4.39%, approximately 42% of homes sold in the fourth quarter of 2022 came with concessions. In contrast, over the same period in […]