News | Penn IUR

News April 7, 2026 The Financial Planning Expert Who’s Boycotting 529s for His Kids Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter weighs in on a Wall Street Journal report, highlighting why some financial experts are reconsidering the traditional wisdom of 529 college savings plans. Housing

News April 3, 2026 Mounting foreclosures around Temple U spotlight questionable real estate deals In a Philadelphia Inquirer investigation into $45 million in questionable real estate deals near Temple University has prompted Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter to warn of systemic risks to the local housing market as these inflated properties spiral into foreclosure. Housing

News April 3, 2026 Mounting foreclosures around Temple U spotlight questionable real estate deals Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter on a troubling pattern emerging in North Philadelphia’s housing market with implications beyond a handful of distressed properties.

News March 31, 2026 Housing Is Stable, but Still Out of Reach for Many Americans Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter discusses the current state of the U.S. housing market in Knowledge at Wharton. Housing

News March 22, 2026 President Trump’s portable mortgage push may let you keep your 3% rate — experts say it might backfire. What to do now Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter on how interventions in the housing finance system must balance mobility with market stability Housing

News March 1, 2026 Real Estate Business Data Shows Housing Market Shifting Back Toward Buyers In Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter weighs in on the direction of the housing markets. Housing

News February 25, 2026 The Housing Market Is Tilting Back Toward Buyers Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter on the nationwide shift toward a buyer’s market. Housing

News January 28, 2026 A Municipal Debt Boom Is Driving Public Projects and Tax Breaks for Investors Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter on how municipal debt is reshaping how cities build... and who benefits State & Local Finance

News January 27, 2026 Trade tensions are whipsawing US mortgage rates. What happens next? Penn IUR Co-Director and Wharton professor Susan Wachter weighs in on an ABC News report on the volatile state of the U.S. housing market. Housing

News January 21, 2026 Trump Jabs CNN as Mortgage Rates Hit 3-Year Low A new Newsmax piece quotes Penn IUR Co-Director and Wharton professor Susan Wachter to underscore how the drop in mortgage rates could offer substantial affordability relief for homebuyers. Housing

News January 15, 2026 Mortgage rates fall to lowest level in more than three years In WRAL News, Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter discusses the recent drop in mortgage rates to their lowest levels since September 2022. Housing

News January 6, 2026 Waymo, meet Pittsburgh: Are driverless taxis ready for Steel City streets? Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Erick Guerra on how Waymo's technology fits into the U.S. traffic safety crisis. Urban Development

News January 4, 2026 Beyond zoning reform Penn IUR Faculty Fellows Ben Keys (The Wharton School) and Vincent Reina (University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design) on how the solution to the housing affordability crisis goes beyond zoning reform Housing

News January 3, 2026 Despite Fed rate cuts, mortgage rates could still rise. Here's why. In WCVB, Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter discusses why the Federal Reserve's recent interest rate cuts may not translate into lower mortgage rates. Housing

News December 30, 2025 Home prices ticked up in October, but the pace of growth remains slow Penn IUR Co-Director and Wharton professor Susan Wachter weighs in on a recent Marketplace story examining the cooling U.S. housing market. Housing

News December 30, 2025 Housing Market 2026 Forecast: Wharton Professor's Real Estate Trends to Watch Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter of The Wharton School on predictions for real estate in 2026 Housing

News December 16, 2025 Leslie Richards on Penn’s Ambitious New Transportation Initiative The former CEO of PennDOT and SEPTA is working to break down silos and overcome the barriers to innovation. Leslie Richards Urban Development

News December 15, 2025 Rethinking streets designed for life Yadan Luo, lecturer in the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of the Design's Department of Landscape Architecture, on a blueprint for what’s possible for Philadelphia's streets. Urban Development

News December 12, 2025 Evidence-Based Design Is Making Philadelphia Safer Penn IUR Faculty Fellows Charles Branas, Eugenia South, and John MacDonald, among others on how small, targeted environmental design interventions can meaningfully improve safety and strengthen community bonds in the process Urban Development

News December 9, 2025 New Report on Pennsylvania’s Creative Workforce Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Jamaal Green on his data analysis involvement for the statewide report to inform workforce development, apprenticeships, and creative economy policy Urban Development

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