Most homeowners think short-term rentals hurt resale, survey suggests
In a survey of 1,000 homeowners, nearly half of the respondents said short-term rentals should be banned in residential areas, Clever Real Estate reported Tuesday.
About 40% of the respondents said these renters made good neighbors.
Sixty percent said living near one would be a drawback when trying to buy a home, and one-third said they would be willing to pay more for a house if it's in a community where short-term rentals are illegal.
"This is clear evidence that, despite more than a decade of existence in many markets, most people still haven’t firmly made up their minds about whether these services are a good or bad thing for their general area — even if they’re certain they don’t want one on their block," the report concluded.
Consumers lower expectations of inflation
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York released its June survey of consumer expectations Tuesday, and, within it, the median inflation expectation dipped 0.2 of a percentage point to 3%.
The Fed conducts this online survey every month by polling about 1,300 heads of household across the U.S. The survey asks Americans for their predictions on aspects of the economy, including the job market, inflation, and household finances.
In the survey, consumers said their chances of finding a job if they lost their current one decreased by 1.1 percentage points to 49.6%. But their perceived probability of losing their job in the next 12 months decreased by 0.8 of a percentage point to 14%, marking the lowest level since December 2024.
U.S. consumers also believe it's easier to access credit compared to a year ago, the survey suggested.
Community bankers optimistic about economy
Leaders from 250 community banks nationwide voiced a positive sentiment when it comes to the economy, according to a recent survey from the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, or CSBS.
The Community Bank Sentiment Index hit 126 in the second quarter, the conference said Tuesday. An index reading of 100 means bankers have a neutral sentiment, while anything above that is positive.
The 126 mark is among the highest three readings since 2019.
“Even though the economic outlook still remains clouded by uncertainties arising from tariff talks, immigration reforms, and fiscal and monetary policy decisions, overall community banker sentiment remains mostly optimistic and similar to the last two quarterly surveys,” Tom Siems, CSBS chief economist, said in a statement.
Results from the survey are included in the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the online database that the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis maintains.
FTC sends Ygrene Energy Fund customers refunds
The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday said that it had sent more than $2.9 million to customers harmed by the Ygrene Energy Fund, a home-improvement financing company.
Officials at the federal agency said Ygrene employees were deceptive when they told homeowners that using the service would not affect the sale or refinancing of their homes. Signing up for the service resulted in liens being placed on the homeowners' property without their consent, the FTC said.
The refunds come after the FTC and California state prosecutors filed a lawsuit against Ygrene in 2022. In the suit, the FTC also alleged Ygrene used high-pressure sales tactics, including forgery, to sign up consumers.
The FTC said the checks are going out to 960 customers. "As part of the settlement, Ygrene agreed to stop its deceptive and unfair practices, to monitor its contractors closely, and to pay $3 million to provide relief to certain consumers whose homes are still subject to the company’s liens," the FTC said. "The settlement did not remove Ygrene’s liens, and those liens remain outstanding until paid.
Ygrene did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
FHA wants the public's thoughts on lending programs
Officials from the Federal Housing Administration said they want input from Americans so they can "better understand the implications of Buy Now Pay Later lending on housing affordability and stability."
In a request posted June 24, the FHA said the information gathered will help the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development "ensure that FHA single-family mortgage insurance policies effectively address the evolving financial landscape and support the needs of American households."
The deadline for comments is Aug. 25. They can be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov or via mail: Regulations Division, Office of
General Counsel, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh St. SW, Room 10276, Washington, D.C. 20410-0500.
Deadly Texas flash flood causes tens of billions in damage
The flooding damage in central Texas caused $18 billion to $22 billion in total damage, according to an estimate from AccuWeather that includes search and recovery efforts, cleanup, insurance claims, and lost tourism.
More than 100 fatalities have been reported in the event, labeled the deadliest U.S. weather event thus far in 2025. The natural disaster happened last week in an area of Texas that AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter called the flash flood capital of the United States.
AccuWeather meteorologist Brian Lada noted in a report this week that water damage will be costly to repair because it's not covered in many homeowner's insurance policies.