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Story Archives of 'Housing'
December Housing Market Stays the Path
By Jon Greenberg on Monday, January 11, 2010.The New Hampshire housing market in 2009 ended with more homes sold than the year before but with prices still falling.
According to the latest figures from the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, December followed the pattern of the previous months. Statewide, the number of homes sold rose over 17 percent compared to December a year ago. The median price for a home was about 2 percent cheaper.
Record High Mortgage Delinquency Rate
By Jon Greenberg on Wednesday, December 2, 2009.According to the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority's data, 8.54% of home owners fell behind on their mortgage payments between July and September of 2009, 2.47% higher than during the same period in 2008. National and regional delinquency rates were also at record highs. New Hampshire is still faring better than the national average, but delinquency and foreclosure rates are expected to continue to rise until jobless numbers improve.
Relief for Long Term Unemployed; Another Boost for Homebuyers
By Jon Greenberg on Thursday, November 5, 2009.With hundreds of thousands of jobless people about to run out of all benefits, congress has moved to extend unemployment benefits by 14 weeks nationwide for those whose relief has run out, and up to 20 weeks in states — 26 currently — where the unemployment rate is over 8.5 percent.
For the moment, the extra 14 weeks is the number that applies in NH.
The legislation also continues the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers for another five months. It creates a new $6,500 tax credit for certain homeowners who want to buy another home.
Foreclosures Rise In June
By Jon Greenberg on Thursday, July 29, 2010.The number of home foreclosures in New Hampshire remains high. NHPR’s Jon Greenberg reports that officials expect little improvement until the job market recovers.
Eliminating Homelessness for NH Veterans
By Rick Ganley on Thursday, July 1, 2010.The state has a new plan that aims to eliminate homelessness among New Hampshire veterans.
Foreclosures Edge Down
By Jon Greenberg on Tuesday, June 29, 2010.From the NH Housing Finance Authority:
Reimagining Ancient Architecture
By Virginia Prescott on Tuesday, June 29, 2010.
The Jewish holiday of Sukkot falls in late September this year. It’s a week-long holiday celebrating the completion of the harvest and giving thanks for nature’s bounty.
In commemoration, observant Jews today erect temporary huts, or sukkahs, as their ancestors were instructed to do by God, via Moses, after they were freed from bondage in Egypt.
Thousands of years later, a group of New York City architects, designers and critics have put forward a challenge to update the ancient sukkah. In a competition called Sukkah City, submissions will be whittled down to twelve final designs, which will be installed at Union Square in New York City this fall. Visitors can vote on the designs, and the popular favorite will be declared the official sukkah of New York City.
Sukkah City is the brainchild of Joshua Foer. We spoke with him in the past about another project - Atlas Obscura - an online guide to some of the world’s weirdest, out-of-the-way places.
Design Observer: In Search of Sukkah City
The Forward: A Sukkah Bound for New York
(Photo by ForestForTrees)
May Home Sales Increase
By Jon Greenberg on Friday, June 18, 2010.The New Hampshire Association of Realtors is reporting increases in both home sales and prices for the month of May, compared to last year. Sales were 16 percent above last year and the median price climbed five percent, to 222-thousand dollars. Spokesman Dave Cummings says many of the sales were the result of buyers taking advantage of the tax credit. But he says realtors have been seeing a steady increase in sales and pricing over the last five months.
Advocates Concerned over Federal Housing Policy Shift
By Dan Gorenstein on Tuesday, June 8, 2010.Federal officials are designing new affordable housing programs.
They've signaled an interest in helping communities with high numbers of mortgage foreclosures and neighborhoods with access to mass transit.
But housing advocates worry rural states like New Hampshire will be overlooked.
And with foreclosures ballooning and few inexpensive rental units, the federal changes threaten to exacerbate the state’s affordable housing crunch.
New Hampshire Public Radio’s Dan Gorenstein reports.
Foreclosures Still High in April
By Jon Greenberg on Thursday, May 27, 2010.About 360 homeowners lost their homes in foreclosure in April. The latest figures come from the state's Housing Finance Authority. The number is down from March but still leaves the state on a record pace.
Foreclosures are nearly 20 percent higher than April a year ago.
Housing officials say there are no signs of improvement and that foreclosure rescue efforts have had little effect on the numbers. They hold out some hope that stabilizing housing prices and higher demand will bring down the foreclosure rate.
