The Dallas-Fort Worth area exemplifies a renewed faith in the housing market.
“With home prices in the Dallas-Fort Worth area soaring over the last few years, local property owners are sitting on billions of dollars,” according to an article by Steve Brown.
All that cash is due to the region having some of the highest home equity rates in the country, according to a recent analysis by CoreLogic.
“With so much money locked in housing, the number of consumers breaking into that piggy bank is growing. Homeowners are refinancing their properties to pull out cash or getting lines of credit tied to the equity in their homes,” according to Brown. That behavior seems reminiscent of times before the year 2008, but Brown also notes some key distinctions between then and now.
Read the full story: Soaring home values are fueling a rise in cash-out loans and credit
Federal Eviction and Foreclosure Moratorium Extended Until the End of August
Breaking news: a federal moratorium on evictions and foreclosures of single-family mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be extended until at least the end of August. The moratorium had been set to expire at the end of June.
Few Homeowners in Forbearance in April; Number Expected to Grow
The Mortgage Bankers Association surveyed the U.S. home mortgage servicing market for indications about how the nation's 26.9 million home loans were holding up during the first weeks of the pandemic.
Texas Losing its Housing Affordability Advantage
Trends pre-dating Covid-19 showed housing affordability slipping away from many residents in Texas. The pandemic will likely only exacerbate the trend, according to this analysis.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
NYC bus network redesign speeds up Queens buses
Rush routes have seen a 4.6% speed increase after the redesign.
California High-Speed Rail Authority picks trainset manufacturer
The California High-Speed Rail Authority aims to start servicing passengers by 2033.
LA may place emergency ban on karaoke room permits
If Councilwoman Heather Hutt’s proposal passes, the moratorium would last between 45 days and one year.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority