The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and others may drive mortgage rates lower, says NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.

Home buyers or sellers may back out of a home sale for any number of reasons, but lawsuits are a real risk. Know how to protect yourself.

Ogilvy New York created a "The Giving Bag" spot for IKEA that shows a family moving into a new house, with one of the brand's bags magically containing everything a young boy needs to feel at home. The push, featuring the tagline, "Affordable design. Endless possibilities," is running across linear, connected and cable TV, digital and social.

City life typically means living in a condominium, townhouse or apartment building. That doesn't mean savvy homeowners can't take proactive steps to enhance curb appeal.

Among individuals worldwide with a net worth greater than $30 million, 21,714 own primary or secondary homes in New York City, according to real estate data firm Altrata. Six of the top 10 cities where ultra-high-net-worth people have residences are in the U.S.

Eboni K. Williams, a well-known author, broadcaster and reality television star, asked Ty Larkins to design her Harlem condo with history in mind. "Imagine if Josephine Baker lived in Harlem today. That's what I want this apartment to look like. I want it to be a Harlem jewel box," Williams said.

Reminders about mental health benefits can encourage use and dispel stigma, says John Crable, senior vice president for employee benefits consultancy firm Corporate Synergies. In addition to demonstrating care for employees, these benefits counter absenteeism and lost productivity, which costs $9,450 annually per employee in the case of untreated depression, according to Kaiser Permanente.

Some employers such as Meta and Elon Musk are building affordable communities for employees, while others are offering mortgage and rental assistance programs as housing becomes part of recruitment and retention strategies, write Atta Tarki and Edward L. Glaeser. "Housing assistance, like almost any benefit, can help attract the right kind of worker and make existing workers more productive," they write.

Banks could encounter a fresh problem due to risk stemming from commercial real estate loans, especially in the office sector, where small and midsize banks have an extensive lending presence, experts say. A combination of factors such as layoffs in the technology sector and a trend of tenants reducing their office space could result in debt-servicing challenges for landlords.

The Justice Department, the U.S. attorney's office and the Securities and Exchange Commission have begun examining whether stock sales by Silicon Valley Bank executives broke trading rules, sources say. The executives have not been named, and no bank staffer has been accused of wrongdoing.