About this episode
In today’s Daily Download episode, HW+ Managing Editor Brena Nath examines if right now is a good time for Americans to purchase homes. For some background on the story, here’s a brief summary of the article: This spring home-buying season is anything but normal. What traditionally has been known as the busiest season for buying and selling homes has been upended by COVID-19. The pandemic has spurred concerns about people entering homes and job security, all while potential buyers are hearing that interest rates are lower than ever but are being met with extremely tight credit restrictions. At the same time, a growing number of borrowers are filing forbearance requests . Despite the list of evolving challenges, one thing that is still true this buying season is that there’s a lot of pent-up demand. Although some of the conventional thinking on what makes now a good time to buy still remains true, there are new factors for home shoppers to consider, especially since the last recession was drastically different than this one. Following the main story, HousingWire Digital Producer Alcynna Lloyd covers a new relief bill introduced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), a forbearance announcement from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and a report from LendingTree that claims Google searches for “homes for sale” have rebounded. The Daily Download examines the most captivating articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom. Each afternoon, HousingWire provides its readers with a deeper look into the stories that are not only chronicling the biggest announcements within the housing finance industry but are also helping Move Markets Forward . Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd. HousingWire articles covered in this episode: Is now a good time to buy a home? House set to pass $3 trillion relief bill as Fed chairman urges Congress to spend Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac: Borrowers in forbearance can defer all missed payments until the end of their loan Searches for “homes for sale” rebound 54%