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What's behind up-and-coming Duluth's sluggish population growth?
There's been a lot of positive buzz around Duluth recently — tourist numbers are soaring, the city's outdoor scene has gotten lots of national press. Yet despite all that enthusiasm, the population has barely budged in 20 years, while many other midsize cities in Minnesota are growing.
Black and Latino homeowners are about twice as likely as whites to get low appraisals
A new analysis by Freddie Mac has found that only 7.4 percent of appraisals in majority-white census tracts came in below contract price, compared with 12.5 percent for Black areas and 15.4 percent for Latino ones.
A 10-foot wide house in Boston sells for $1.25 million
It's been called the "Skinny House" or the "Spite House." The legend is that two brothers shared land but one built on more than his share, so the other built a skinny house to block access and views.
A new housing regulator could make the American dream more accessible for millions
While not a household name, the Federal Housing Finance Agency has enormous power because it controls Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two entities at the heart of the mortgage market. They largely decide who can qualify for a home loan and at what cost.
The federal government sells flood-prone homes to often unsuspecting buyers, NPR finds
The Department of Housing and Urban Development disproportionately sells homes in flood-prone areas, NPR finds. Housing experts warn that this can lead to big losses for vulnerable families.
Are mobile home parks the answer to Minnesota's affordable housing shortage?
As pressure continues to mount for the creation of affordable housing, some worry that lower-cost options are vanishing. Manufactured housing parks are less common than decades ago, and some that remain face financial challenges.
The housing shortage is significant. It's acute for small, entry-level homes
The American dream of owning a small home with a backyard is being put on hold. In 1982, 40 percent of houses built were entry-level homes. By 2019, the annual share had fallen to 7 percent.