Inventory Limits June Home Sales

July 22, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell in June to the slowest pace since January, as a near-historic low number of homes for sale and rising mortgage rates kept many would-be homebuyers on the sidelines. The national median sales price fell on an annual basis for the fifth month in a row, though fierce competition led to a third of homes selling for more than their list price. Existing home sales fell 3.3% last month from May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.16 million, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. That’s slightly below what ...

New Chautauqua County Budget Director Appointed

July 19, 2023

MAYVILLE — A Lakewood native has been appointed Chautauqua County’s new budget director. Jennifer C. Swan, the current fiscal supervisor for the Chautauqua County’s Sheriff’s Office, will assume the post starting on Thursday, July 27. Swan initially started working for county ...

It’s About Time

July 15, 2023

WASHINGTON — Squeezed by painfully high prices for two years, America’s households have gained some much-needed relief with inflation reaching its lowest point since early 2021 — 3% in June compared with a year earlier — thanks in part to easing prices for gasoline, airline fares, used ...

Elevated Mortgage Rates Leading To Higher Monthly Payments Even As Home Prices Ease

July 15, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Would-be homebuyers are willing to take on sharply higher mortgage payments, even as home prices have begun to pull back this year. The median monthly payment listed on applications for home purchase loans jumped 14.1% in May from a year earlier to an all-time high $2,165, ...

It Just Got Harder To Save For Retirement

July 15, 2023

The Secure Act 2.0 legislation that passed late last year added new retirement savings options but also has a few potential catches for unsuspecting savers. Understanding these possible pitfalls may help you make better decisions, or at least be prepared for what’s to come. In my last column, I covered one set of these changes: new exceptions to the 10% federal penalty for tapping retirement money early. For this column, I’ll cover what you need to know about Secure 2.0’s changes to catch-up contributions and company matches for workplace plans. A POTENTIALLY PROBLEMATIC ...

CEO: Hybrid Work Here To Stay

July 15, 2023

NEW YORK — Larry Gadea, CEO of the workplace platform Envoy, founded his company a decade ago to solve inefficiencies around front desk management. When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down offices, the San Francisco-based company had to adapt fast. Envoy launched tools to help clients manage ...