Americans bought homes last month at the fastest pace in nearly eleven years. According to the National Association of Realtors, sales of existing homes climbed 5.6% in November. They reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of almost six million units.
The last time home sales were this strong was in December of 2006, when properties sold at an annual pace of 6.4 million. Some of the factors that are driving this boom are the strengthening economy and rise of millennials getting into the housing market.
In other real estate news, the average size of the American home is getting bigger. According to real estate company Zillow, 44% of baby boomers live in houses larger than 2,000 square feet.
As the last members of the baby-boom generation become empty nesters, demand is growing for dual-purpose homes. Boomers are looking to remodel so that their homes comfortably fit a couple, but can also accommodate children and grandchildren when they visit for extended periods.
Merriam-Webster has fully revised its popular “Collegiate” dictionary with over 5,000 new words. They include “petrichor,” “dumbphone” and “ghost kitchen.” Also “cold brew,” “rizz,” “dad bod,” “hard pass,” “cancel culture” and more.
YouTube will offer creators a way to rejoin the streaming platform if they were banned for violating COVID-19 and election misinformation policies that are no longer in effect.
Lukas Alpert of MarketWatch explores how networks, brands, and ad buyers absorb the shockwaves when late‑night show hosts are suddenly cut — and brought back.
A new poll finds U.S. adults are more likely than they were a year ago to think immigrants in the country legally benefit the economy. That comes as President Donald Trump's administration imposes new restrictions targeting legal pathways into the country. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey finds Americans are more likely than they were in March 2024 to say it’s a “major benefit” that people who come to the U.S. legally contribute to the economy and help American companies get the expertise of skilled workers. At the same time, perceptions of illegal immigration haven’t shifted meaningfully. Americans still see fewer benefits from people who come to the U.S. illegally.
