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WalletHub’s most and least energy-efficient states:
- New York, Vermont and Minnesota were the most energy-efficient states.
- Texas, Louisiana and South Carolina were the least energy-efficient states.
- WalletHub measured the consumption of home and car energy in 48 states; Alaska and Hawaii were excluded from this analysis.
Source: WalletHub
Livability’s 10 Best Cities for Singles:
- Carrboro, North Carolina; Hoboken, New Jersey; West Hollywood, California were the top three cities for singles.
- Oxford, Mississippi; San Marcos, Texas; Ypsilanti, Michigan; and Ames, Iowa were ranked 4 through 7.
- Miami Beach, Florida; Athens, Georgia; and Moscow, Idaho took spots 8 through 10.
Black Knight Financial Services’ August Mortgage Monitor Report:
- Cash-out refinances were up 68 percent year-over-year in August 2015.
- The average borrower was tapping $67,000 in equity.
- Though they’re at the highest volume since 2010, cash-out refinances were still almost 80 percent below 2005 peak levels.
Weekly mortgage rates:
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Last week’s most recent market news:
RealtyTrac’s “Why Homes Are More Affordable With Home Prices Higher” report:
- Home prices in the first quarter of the year hit their most affordable level in two years.
- The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage dropped 57 basis points, or 13 percent from the first quarter of 2014 to the first quarter of 2015.
- The drop in interest rates — along with wage growth outpacing home price appreciation in 32 percent of counties — meant buying a home in the first quarter required a smaller share of the average wage compared to a year ago.
U.S. Census Bureau’s August 2015 construction report:
- Construction spending during August was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.09 trillion.
- This is a 13.7 percent increase over August 2014’s estimate of $955 billion.
- From January 2015 to August 2015, construction spending comprised $683.4 billion.
Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey:
- The rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages was 3.85 percent.
- The rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages was 3.07 percent.
- The rate for five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages was 2.91 percent.
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