Many U.S. suburbs are again facing growing pains, with not enough schools, too much traffic for two-lane roads, and the loss of scenic farmland to housing tracts. Apex, North Carolina, and suburbs like it now account for 14 of the 15 fastest-growing U.S. cities with populations of more than 50,000, according to U.S. Census data. Millennials priced out of the big cities increasingly are …

 Oregon is joining a growing movement to loosen up single-family zoning laws in order to ramp up homebuilding. While several cities have passed similar bills, Oregon could be the first to offer state-level legislation. Oregon’s House and Senate have passed a measure to require cities with more than 10,000 people to allow duplexes in areas that have been zoned only for single-family homes. In …

Just how secure is that “smart” security camera or door lock? That is being called into question after reports of a massive data breach hitting the smart-home industry that could extend to smart locks, home security cameras and full smart-home kits. A database for devices manufactured by Orvibo, which runs an “internet of things” management platform, was left exposed to the internet without any password …

The federal government will seize two Miami properties tied to an alleged money laundering and bribery scheme involving Venezuelan officials and the country’s state-run electricity company, Corporacin Elctrica Nacional, also known as Corpoelec. The forfeitures follow the guilty pleas of Jesus Ramon Veroes and Luis Alberto Chacin Haddad to one count of conspiracy to violate provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, according to …

Housing is harder to find for those of lesser means and people of color – but those who can achieve homeownership will have an economic edge, according to the annual State of the Nation’s Housing report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University. The report stresses that inventory is tight, with the vacancy rate for owner-occupied homes last year at its …

Spending on U.S. construction projects fell in May, the first drop in six months, as home building fell for a fifth straight month. The Commerce Department reported Monday that spending fell 0.8% in May, the first decline since a 1.3% drop in November, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.29 trillion. Spending in April was revised up from a flat reading to a …

Want an easy way to improve your credit score? Talk to your landlord. The credit scores of many Americans could get an immediate boost of as much as 40 points if their rental payments were added to their credit histories, according to a pilot program run by Goldman Sachs, which gave a first look to USA TODAY. The pilot’s results highlight one way to …

A new Freddie Mac survey finds that only 24% of renters polled said it was “extremely likely” that they would ever own a home, down 11 percentage points from four years ago. The survey also found that 82% of renters said renting was more affordable than buying, up 15 percentage points from February 2018. Meanwhile, rising rents are creating hardships: 44% of renters who …

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index declined in June following increases in the three prior months. The Index now stands at 121.5 down from 131.3 in May. The Present Situation Index – based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions – decreased from 170.7 to 162.6. The Expectations Index – based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business and labor market …

Sales of new U.S. homes slumped 7.8% in May, as sales plunged in the pricier Northeastern and Western markets. The Commerce Department says that new homes sold at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 626,000 in May, down from 679,000 in April. During the first five months of the year, purchases of new homes have fallen 3.7% compared to the same period in 2018. …