MarketWatch: Weekly Real Estate Update for Riverdale, Bronx – 9/22/2025 – 9/29/2025

Did You Know?

DID YOU KNOW?

* At least one-fifth of individuals among the world’s 500 biggest fortunes now have a family office that help to oversee wealth totaling more than $4 trillion.  (BLOOMBERG)

* Almost 9% of Americans 75 and older were working or looking for work last year, up from 6% two decades earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The share between 65 and 74 rose to 27% in 2024, versus 22% in 2004. The government estimates those percentages will rise more along with the aging population. (And I suspect they will stay in their homes longer too!) (WSJ)

* How prepared is your state to respond to a natural disaster? As the role of FEMA is diminished on the Federal level shifting the responsibility of responding to natural disasters to the states, home owners need to evaluate how well equipped their state is to deal with this type of response. (WSJ)

* First Brands Auto Parts filed for Chapter 11 protection in the Southern District of Texas late yesterday, formalising the abrupt unravelling of a business that has borrowed billions of dollars in private markets and raised concerns over riskier lending on Wall Street. Investors are gobbling up corporate debt like it is going out of style even though the rewards, by some measures, are lower than they have been in decades. Bond prices are going up because investors—from individual retirees to big pensions—are expecting yields to fall even further if the Fed continues to cut interest rates. Some analysts see the greatest risk in private credit, a source of financing that barely existed a decade ago and is fast approaching $2 trillion. Much of the market consists of loans made directly by private fund managers such as Apollo Global Management and Blackstone, mostly to companies but also to individual consumers and real-estate investors. (WSJ)

* The Gold price – often an indicator of concern about markets and a safe-haven against inflation and global instability – soared past $3,800 as the dollar continues to weaken, making assets in the US much cheaper for foreigners to buy. Including real estate.

Mortgage Rate Updates:

The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage backed by Freddie Mac rose by 4 bps from the previous week to 6.3% as of September 25th, rebounding after four straight weeks of declines to their lowest level since early-October. “Following several weeks of decline, mortgage rates inched up this week. Housing market activity continues to hold up with purchase and refinance applications increasing by 18% and 42%, respectively, compared to the same time last year,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. 

Source: Freddie Mac