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Left-hander Max Fried agrees to $218 million, 8-year contract with Yankees, AP source says DALLAS (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that Max Fried and the New York Yankees have agreed to a $218 million, eight-year contract, the largest deal for a left-handed pitcher in baseball history. New York made the move two days after outfielder Juan Soto left for a pending $765 million, 15-year contract with the rival Mets. Fried, who turns 31 in January, gets the fourth-highest contract among pitchers behind the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole and Washington’s Stephen Strasburg. Fried broke the mark for lefties set by David Price at $217 million. Mbappe, Vinicius and Bellingham on target as Real Madrid beats Atalanta 3-2. Liverpool wins again Real Madrid’s big stars turned on the style to revive the Spanish giant’s faltering Champions League title defense. Galacticos Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham all scored in a 3-2 win at Italian league leader Atalanta. It was only Madrid’s third win in the competition’s revamped league phase and leaves the 15-time champion in the unseeded playoff positions in 18th place. In contrast Liverpool leads the way after maintaining its perfect record in Europe this season after a 1-0 win against Girona. Mohamed Salah scored his 50th Champions League goal to seal it for Liverpool. Analysis: After Juan Soto's megadeal, could MLB see a $1 billion contract? Probably not soon For the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter, with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that’s the richest in baseball history. It comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. The way it’s going, a contract approaching $1 billion doesn’t seem out of the question. But several factors are working against it — at least in the near future. Joe Burrow's home broken into during Monday Night Football in latest pro-athlete home invasion ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (AP) — Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s home was broken into during Monday Night Football in the latest home invasion of a pro athlete in the U.S. Authorities said Tuesday no one was injured in the break-in, but the home was ransacked. Deputies weren’t immediately able to determine what items were stolen. Both the NFL and NBA issued alerts to players following prior break-ins, urging them to take precautions. The homes of Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were broken into in October. In the NBA, Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. had their homes broken into. Scottie Scheffler in a landslide to win PGA Tour player of the year for third straight time Scottie Scheffler is the PGA Tour player of the year in a vote that had about as much drama as some of his victories. Scheffler earned 91% of the vote in winning the Jack Nicklaus Award for the third straight season. He joins Tiger Woods as the only players to win three straight times. Woods won it five times in a row, and three straight times on another occasion. Scheffler won seven times on the PGA Tour against only the strongest fields. He also won the FedEx Cup. He also won the Masters green jacket and an Olympic gold medal. MLB investigated to ensure no early Sasaki deal in place, pitcher likely to pick team mid-January DALLAS (AP) — Major League Baseball investigated to ensure no team had an advance deal in place for Roki Sasaki, and the agent for the Japanese pitcher says picking a club will be “like the draft in reverse.” On the first day of Sasaki’s 45-day window to sign with an MLB team, agent Joel Wolfe says the 23-year-old right-hander likely will sign shortly after the 2025 international signing pool window opens on Jan. 15 and wouldn’t wait until the Jan. 23 deadline. Sasaki helped Japan win the 2023 World Baseball Classic and has a fastball clocked at 102.5 mph. Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg says cancer has returned, spread CHICAGO (AP) — Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg says the prostate cancer he thought had been eliminated by radiation has returned and spread. The Chicago Cubs great made the announcement on Instagram on Tuesday. Sandberg announced in January that he had metastatic prostate cancer and in August said he was cancer-free after chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Sandberg was the National League MVP in 1984 and a 10-time All-Star during 15 seasons for the Cubs from 1982 to 1997, with 282 home runs and 344 stolen bases. After his playing career, he served as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies from 2013 to 2015, going 119-159. Nolan Arenado open to switch from third base to first and leaving Cardinals for a team he approves DALLAS (AP) — Nolan Arenado is open to a trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, at age 33 wanting to be on a World Series contender. Agent Joel Wolfe says “it’s like his biological clock is ticking and if the team’s not winning it’s driving him crazy every day.” An eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove third baseman, Arenado is open to a switch to first base. He hit .272 with 16 homers and 71 RBIs this year, his poorest season in a decade. St. Louis acquired Arenado from Colorado ahead of the 2021 season. Washington Nationals win lottery for No. 1 pick in next amateur baseball draft, Angels No. 2 DALLAS (AP) — The Washington Nationals will have the No. 1 overall pick in the amateur draft next summer. The Nationals won the draft lottery through a drawing of ping-pong balls at the winter meetings in Dallas. Unlike last year, when the Nationals were ineligible after initially coming out with the top spot, they will get to make the first pick in July in Atlanta during All-Star Game festivities. The Los Angeles Angels got the second overall pick for next summer. Seattle, Colorado, St. Louis and Pittsburgh round out the six lottery picks. Lindsey Vonn will serve as a forerunner, test out the course before World Cup races at Beaver Creek Lindsey Vonn will test out the downhill and super-G courses as a forerunner before the World Cup races this weekend in Beaver Creek, Colorado. The U.S. Ski Team confirmed her role. A forerunner goes before the field to make sure the course is running smoothly and the timing system is properly working. There’s a downhill race slated for Saturday on the tricky Birds of Prey course and a super-G on Sunday. The 40-year-old Vonn is on the comeback trail nearly six years since her last major race.
Hyperview establishes headquarters in Quzhou cityMade in Tarrant: Former hairstylist’s ‘eco-goods’ meant to inspire sustainable lifestyles
FILE – A cargo ship traverses the Agua Clara Locks of the Panama Canal in Colon, Panama, Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File) FILE – President Jimmy Carter applauds as General Omar Torrijos waves after the signing and exchange of treaties in Panama City on June 16, 1978, giving control of the Panama Canal to Panama in 2000. At far right is Zbigniew Brzezinski, Carterís National Security Advisor. (AP Photo, File) FILE – President Jimmy Carter views the Panama Canal at the Miraflores Locks in Canal Zone on June 17, 1978. On Friday Carter signed the final Panama Canal Treaties giving control of the canal to Panama in 2000. (AP Photo/Tasnadi, File) FILE – A cargo ship traverses the Agua Clara Locks of the Panama Canal in Colon, Panama, Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File) By WILL WEISSERT, JUAN ZAMORANO and GARY FIELDS PANAMA CITY (AP) — Teddy Roosevelt once declared the Panama Canal “one of the feats to which the people of this republic will look back with the highest pride.” More than a century later, Donald Trump is threatening to take back the waterway for the same republic. Related Articles National Politics | President-elect Trump wants to again rename North America’s tallest peak National Politics | Inside the Gaetz ethics report, a trove of new details alleging payments for sex and drug use National Politics | An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump National Politics | Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal National Politics | House Ethics Committee accuses Gaetz of ‘regularly’ paying for sex, including with 17-year-old girl The president-elect is decrying increased fees Panama has imposed to use the waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He says if things don’t change after he takes office next month, “We will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question.” Trump has long threatened allies with punitive action in hopes of winning concessions. But experts in both countries are clear: Unless he goes to war with Panama, Trump can’t reassert control over a canal the U.S. agreed to cede in the 1970s. Here’s a look at how we got here: It is a man-made waterway that uses a series of locks and reservoirs over 51 miles (82 kilometers) to cut through the middle of Panama and connect the Atlantic and Pacific. It spares ships having to go an additional roughly 7,000 miles (more than 11,000 kilometers) to sail around Cape Horn at South America’s southern tip. The U.S. International Trade Administration says the canal saves American business interests “considerable time and fuel costs” and enables faster delivery of goods, which is “particularly significant for time sensitive cargoes, perishable goods, and industries with just-in-time supply chains.” An effort to establish a canal through Panama led by Ferdinand de Lesseps, who built Egypt’s Suez Canal, began in 1880 but progressed little over nine years before going bankrupt. Malaria, yellow fever and other tropical diseases devastated a workforce already struggling with especially dangerous terrain and harsh working conditions in the jungle, eventually costing more than 20,000 lives, by some estimates. Panama was then a province of Colombia, which refused to ratify a subsequent 1901 treaty licensing U.S. interests to build the canal. Roosevelt responded by dispatching U.S. warships to Panama’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The U.S. also prewrote a constitution that would be ready after Panamanian independence, giving American forces “the right to intervene in any part of Panama, to re-establish public peace and constitutional order.” In part because Colombian troops were unable to traverse harsh jungles, Panama declared an effectively bloodless independence within hours in November 1903. It soon signed a treaty allowing a U.S.-led team to begin construction . Some 5,600 workers died later during the U.S.-led construction project, according to one study. The waterway opened in 1914, but almost immediately some Panamanians began questioning the validity of U.S. control, leading to what became known in the country as the “generational struggle” to take it over. The U.S. abrogated its right to intervene in Panama in the 1930s. By the 1970s, with its administrative costs sharply increasing, Washington spent years negotiating with Panama to cede control of the waterway. The Carter administration worked with the government of Omar Torrijos. The two sides eventually decided that their best chance for ratification was to submit two treaties to the U.S. Senate, the “Permanent Neutrality Treaty” and the “Panama Canal Treaty.” The first, which continues in perpetuity, gives the U.S. the right to act to ensure the canal remains open and secure. The second stated that the U.S. would turn over the canal to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, and was terminated then. Both were signed in 1977 and ratified the following year. The agreements held even after 1989, when President George H.W. Bush invaded Panama to remove Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega. In the late 1970s, as the handover treaties were being discussed and ratified, polls found that about half of Americans opposed the decision to cede canal control to Panama. However, by the time ownership actually changed in 1999, public opinion had shifted, with about half of Americans in favor. Administration of the canal has been more efficient under Panama than during the U.S. era, with traffic increasing 17% between fiscal years 1999 and 2004 . Panama’s voters approved a 2006 referendum authorizing a major expansion of the canal to accommodate larger modern cargo ships. The expansion took until 2016 and cost more than $5.2 billion. Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said in a video Sunday that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to.” He added that, while his country’s people are divided on some key issues, “when it comes to our canal, and our sovereignty, we will all unite under our Panamanian flag.” Shipping prices have increased because of droughts last year affecting the canal locks, forcing Panama to drastically cut shipping traffic through the canal and raise rates to use it. Though the rains have mostly returned, Panama says future fee increases might be necessary as it undertakes improvements to accommodate modern shipping needs. Mulino said fees to use the canal are “not set on a whim.” Jorge Luis Quijano, who served as the waterway’s administrator from 2014 to 2019, said all canal users are subject to the same fees, though they vary by ship size and other factors. “I can accept that the canal’s customers may complain about any price increase,” Quijano said. “But that does not give them reason to consider taking it back.” The president-elect says the U.S. is getting “ripped off” and “I’m not going to stand for it.” “It was given to Panama and to the people of Panama, but it has provisions — you’ve got to treat us fairly. And they haven’t treated us fairly,” Trump said of the 1977 treaty that he said “foolishly” gave the canal away. The neutrality treaty does give the U.S. the right to act if the canal’s operation is threatened due to military conflict — but not to reassert control. “There’s no clause of any kind in the neutrality agreement that allows for the taking back of the canal,” Quijano said. “Legally, there’s no way, under normal circumstances, to recover territory that was used previously.” Trump, meanwhile, hasn’t said how he might make good on his threat. “There’s very little wiggle room, absent a second U.S. invasion of Panama, to retake control of the Panama Canal in practical terms,” said Benjamin Gedan, director of the Latin America Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. Gedan said Trump’s stance is especially baffling given that Mulino is a pro-business conservative who has “made lots of other overtures to show that he would prefer a special relationship with the United States.” He also noted that Panama in recent years has moved closer to China, meaning the U.S. has strategic reasons to keep its relationship with the Central American nation friendly. Panama is also a U.S. partner on stopping illegal immigration from South America — perhaps Trump’s biggest policy priority. “If you’re going to pick a fight with Panama on an issue,” Gedan said, “you could not find a worse one than the canal.” Weissert reported from West Palm Beach, Florida, and Fields from Washington. Amelia Thomson-Deveaux contributed to this report from Washington. 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Powering tomorrow: Navigating India’s battery landscapeIn November, the world's most powerful democracy elected as its next president a man who schemed to overturn its last presidential election. A month later, South Koreans swarmed their legislature to block their president's attempt to impose martial law. The contrast sums up a year that tested democracy on all sides. Incumbent parties and leaders were battered in elections that covered 60% of the world's population, a sign of widespread discontent in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. It also was a sign of democracy working well, as it continued its core function of giving citizens the opportunity to replace the people who govern them. That made 2024 a year in which the state of democracy is both a glass half full and half empty. From Asia to Africa to the Americas, it produced examples of democracy working and citizens standing up against attempted coups or authoritarians. At the same time, some of the new regimes ushered in are taking a distinctly authoritarian tack. And the year ends with fresh turmoil in three prominent democracies, Canada, France and Germany. Donald Trump ended his last term trying to overturn his loss to President Joe Biden and rallying an angry crowd of supporters, some of whom then stormed the U.S. Capitol in a violent attempt to block Congress from certifying Biden's victory. It was a shocking end to the U.S.'s long tradition of peacefully transferring power from one president to the next. Nonetheless, voters in November agreed to give Trump another term in the White House, even as he increasingly embraced authoritarian leaders and promised to seek retribution against those who defended democracy in 2020. Voters didn't heed warnings about Trump's threat to democracy and were driven more by frustration at inflation and a surge in migration during Biden's term. That, of course, is democracy in action: Voters can choose to throw out an incumbent party even if the establishment warns that it's dangerous. Indeed, the glass half full position on Trump is that his win was entirely democratic. Trump's 2016 victory was due to a quirk in the country's 18th century Constitution that awards the presidency not based on a majority of the popular vote, but to whoever wins a majority of state-based Electoral College votes. But in 2024, Trump won both the popular and Electoral College votes. He also expanded his margins among Latino and Black voters. He won with high turnout, debunking a long-held myth that U.S. conservatives struggle when many people vote. That belief has driven Republican attempts to make it tougher to cast a ballot. The quiet period after the election is to some extent an illusion. Had Trump lost, he and his allies were poised to contest a victory by his Democratic opponent, so it's not as if anti-democratic tendencies were erased by his win. Trump's victory helped trigger turmoil in Canada, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government was rocked this week by the resignation of his prominent finance minister over disagreements on handling Trump's threatened tariffs. And Germany's government collapsed ahead of elections next year, sparking turmoil in Europe's largest economy less than two weeks after a similar political meltdown in France. The returning U.S. president is part of a wave of new leaders who have gained ground in Western countries, some of whom analysts warn are anti-democratic, even if popularly elected, because they seek to dismantle the system of checks and balances that has made it possible for voters to replace them or halt potentially dangerous policies. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a major Trump booster, is an icon of this movement after he revamped his country's judiciary, legislative maps and media to make it almost impossible for the opposition to win. Two years ago, European Union lawmakers declared that Orban had transformed his country from a democracy into “a hybrid regime of electoral autocracy.” Analysts warn that Slovakia's leftist, pro-Russian prime minister Robert Fico is headed in that direction. Conservative populist parties also gained ground in the European Union Parliamentary elections in June. Trump also highlights another worrying trend for democracy — a surge in violence around elections. The billionaire candidate, controversial for his own rhetoric urging violence on protesters or migrants, was the target of two assassination attempts. According to Washington, D.C.-based Freedom House, 26 of the year's 62 elections across the world featured violence, including attacks on local candidates in Mexico and South Africa and violence at polling places in Chad. Slovakia's Fico was targeted, as well. That comes as there is a notable dip in enthusiasm for democracy. A Pew poll of 24 countries released earlier this year found widespread dissatisfaction with democracy worldwide, with a median of 59% of voters concerned about how it is working in their country amid economic concerns and a sense of alienation from political elites. Still, there is a clear silver lining for democracy. The same Pew poll that found its appeal slipping also found that it remains by far the preferred system of government worldwide. And people turned out to demonstrate that, during elections and in protest of anti-democratic moves. South Korea was not the only foiled attempt to disband democracy. In Bolivia in June, the military tried to replace President Luis Arce, with armored vehicles ramming through the doors of the government palace. But the troops retreated after Arce named a new commander who ordered them back. In Bangladesh, protests over limits on who can work for the government expanded into public frustration with the 15-year reign of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, toppling her regime and forcing her to flee the country. In Senegal, the country's president tried to delay its March election but was overruled by the nation's top court, and voters replaced him with a largely-unknown opposition leader who had just been freed from prison. In Botswana and South Africa, parties that had ruled for decades stepped aside or shared power without incident after losing elections. Democracy isn't static. Its health always depends on the next election. The fall of Germany's government and possible collapse of Canada's could just be democracy in action, giving voters a chance to elect new leaders. Or they could usher in more authoritarian regimes. More will be revealed about how democracy did over the last year as its election results play out in 2025 and the years to come.
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None"That's my husband," I said to my friend on a beautiful summer evening. We were having drinks at a bar when I spotted John for the first time. He was handsome and wore a blue golf shirt that brought out his blue eyes. "If he doesn't come over here, I'm going over there," I told my friend. John clearly felt the same energy as I did because he approached me shortly after. By the end of the night, we both knew we had something special. John and I spent the next four years together in a relationship I can only describe as a fairytale. Yes, we had disagreements and hurdles, but the love, attraction, respect, and adoration we had for each other always outweighed the bad. He had this way of looking at me that would instantly change my mood, even on the hardest of days. Just when we had picked out my engagement ring and talked about our timeline for children, everything changed. After experiencing some memory loss and vision impairment, he was diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Five short weeks after sharing his first alarming symptom with me, he died. At 35, I was left to grieve my boyfriend , our love, and our future. Five years after his death, I'm now in a relationship with a great man. But grief made the dating stage extremely hard. Mainly because of all the deep emotions that come along with grieving a partner. When John first passed, I obviously wasn't looking for a relationship. How could I just start dating again, like we broke up and I could just jump right back into the dating pool? The man I loved was six feet in the ground; who would even compare? Months later, I still wasn't actively dating. I didn't download dating apps , pursue men at the bars, and I definitely wasn't asking friends to set me up. I was still so in love with John, I didn't think I could connect with anyone else. I also didn't really want to. But a little less than a year after John's passing, I reconnected with someone I had known years before. We had worked together previously and reconnected over Instagram. He was thinking about getting a dog, and since we had similar lifestyles, he reached out to me to ask about what it was like to have one. I offered for him to come meet her and spend some time getting to know what it was like to have a dog, and we enjoyed each other's company. I wasn't looking for a relationship when it all happened, but it's as if we just seemingly fell into one. We didn't even have a first date , and I'm grateful for that because I didn't have to worry about the stress of formally dating again. But it still didn't make it easier. In the early stages of our relationship, I had to work through complex emotions that only one who has lost a deep love could understand. I felt crushed by the weight of having someone's love in my hands when I wasn't sure I was ready to give it back. I felt everything . I felt guilty for moving forward. I felt sadness and happiness all in the same moments. I felt awkward around my friends and family for dating again. I felt angry at John for leaving me, but I also felt angry at myself for dating someone new. When my new boyfriend told me loved me for the first time, all I could say was "thank you." Then, I excused myself to the bathroom and cried. I cried a lot in those days. I felt crushed by the weight of having someone's love in my hands when I wasn't sure I was ready to give it back. I felt guilty because I still loved someone else. For something that should have made my heart flutter, it was a very heavy moment. "Did I love John less?" and "How does this look to other people?" were thoughts that crossed my mind on a regular basis. I tried to put all of it out of my head. I even spoke with other widows on what it was like to start dating again for reassurance. "I thought you might have started dating again too soon," a friend recently said to me. And she may have been right. But dating after loss is a no-win situation. No matter when I started dating, it would be too soon for some and not long enough for others. I just had to go with my gut. Eventually, I learned that I could love two people. Each love was different, but both were (and are) incredibly fulfilling and unique. I learned to manage and channel my emotions with the help of a good therapist. I also had to remember that my new boyfriend had never suffered the kind of loss I had, so sometimes I have to step back and process before reacting. I learned to give him the kind of grace he gives to me. The loss of John is a void that has never gone away. Some days, the grief feels like a pinhole. Other days, it feels like a black hole. But no matter how big or small, I feel grief every day. When you lose a partner you are still in love with, the love doesn't die, disappear, or lessen. I just had to learn to live differently with it — and eventually, to love again, too. I Took My Mom on a Birthday Trip After My Dad Died, and It Was Cathartic Emily Cappiello is a writer, editor, social media maven, and digital media specialist. She believes in true love, is a serious foodie, and has a penchant for adult beverages and Britney Spears. She loves coffee, her husky, and her camera — all three a little too much.( MENAFN - Gulf Times) The Qatar International Art Festival (QIAF) wrapped up its 6th edition Saturday, with a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and cultural exchange. Organised by MAPS International WLL and hosted in collaboration with Katara – the Cultural Village, the British Council Qatar, ICOM, and Qatar Sports and Olympic Museum 3-2-1, this year's festival showcased the diversity of global artistry with the participation of more than 360 artists from 73 countries. The festival ran from November 25-30, captivating thousands of art enthusiasts and visitors who flocked to witness an exhibition featuring over 1,000 paintings and sculptures. The week-long event was marked by 14 activities, ranging from interactive art workshops to engaging panel discussions, inviting both seasoned art connoisseurs and casual visitors to immerse themselves in the vibrant world of art. The opening ceremony on November 25 featured a red carpet event attended by Katara general manager Prof Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti as the chief guest, alongside ambassadors and representatives from over 70 nations. Dignitaries and art lovers were treated to a showcase that set the tone for the week ahead. This year's festival was distinguished by its diversity, with 16 art galleries and 22 exclusive art pavilions from every continent contributing to an inclusive dialogue that transcended geographical and cultural boundaries. Each exhibition and event harboured unique artistic expressions and perspectives, including street art, contemporary installations, and traditional crafts, fostering meaningful connections among creators and audiences alike. One of the highlights of the QIAF 2024 was the cultural evening, where attendees indulged in the rich tapestry of global traditions. The special performance by DJ Mo Ayoub from the UK, was mesmerising. This year's festival also emphasised cultural appreciation through curated city and museum tours, allowing participants to experience Doha's vibrant art scene and historical narratives first-hand. Additionally, guests were given the opportunity to partake in thrilling desert safari tours that offered a glimpse into Qatar's breathtaking landscapes. For aspiring artists, the QIAF 2024 hosted 12 art workshops and 10 dedicated masterclasses, where participants learned directly from experts in their respective fields. This hands-on approach created a nurturing environment for creativity and passion to flourish, ensuring that both seasoned practitioners and emerging talents left the festival inspired and equipped with new skills. The Artistic Fashion Show, a unique feature this year, blended art with haute couture. Designers presented visionary works that transformed the runway into a living canvas, celebrating the intersection of fashion and creative expression. As the festival drew to a close yesterday, the award and felicitation ceremony recognised the outstanding contributions of participants and valued partners. Awards were presented to individuals and groups who demonstrated exceptional skills and creativity throughout the week. Their works, reflecting the essence of cultural diversity and artistic innovation, served as a testament to the festival's mission of fostering dialogue and collaboration among artists from all backgrounds. MENAFN30112024000067011011ID1108942199 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. 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HOT LUNCH PRODUCTIONS RELEASES 'JINGLE JEWS': A HOLIDAY ACTION-COMEDY PREMIERS DECEMBER 23RDBy Abby Badach Doyle, NerdWallet It won’t be impossible to buy a house in 2025 — just be prepared to play on hard mode. According to a November 2024 report from ICE Mortgage Technology, the monthly principal and interest payment on an average-priced home is $2,385. While that’s not the highest it’s ever been, it’s still a sharp increase — nearly 80% — from just three years ago. In November 2021, when mortgage rates averaged 3%, the monthly principal and interest on an average-priced home was $1,327 per month. So here’s the key to buying in 2025: Look ahead, not back. Regret won’t help you budget for today’s new normal. And with this year’s election also in the rearview mirror, so is some uncertainty among buyers and sellers that historically slows the market during every presidential election cycle. “People have just been kind of sitting waiting to see what’s going to happen,” says Courtney Johnson Rose, president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, an industry group for Black real estate agents. “I’m hopeful that the new year will bring more attention to real estate, more excitement to real estate, and more opportunities for first-time home owners to get in the game.” Preparing to buy a house is a lot like dressing for the weather. It’s easier when the outlook is sunny — but with some planning, you can gear up to face any condition. Here’s what housing market experts are forecasting for the upcoming year. Related Articles Real Estate | Affordable housing projects in Central Florida get financial help from millions in grants Real Estate | Richland buys Bronson’s South Lake Toho ranch for $110 million Real Estate | Average rate on 30-year mortgage snaps 3-week slide and rises to highest level since late November Real Estate | US home sales hit fastest pace since March with more properties up for sale Real Estate | Ask a real estate pro: Our neighbor flies drones near houses. What are our privacy rights? First, home prices: We’ll likely see more modest growth in 2025, a change from skyrocketing prices in recent years. After 16 consecutive months of year-over-year price increases, the median existing-home sales price hit $407,200 in October, according to the National Association of Realtors. In 2025, with more supply trickling in to temper price increases, NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun forecasts a median existing-home sales price of $410,700, up just 2% over this year. Next, housing inventory: Demand still outpaces supply. While we don’t expect a return to a buyer’s market, competition should be less cutthroat. Realtor.com forecasts a balanced market in 2025 with an average 4.1-month supply of homes for sale, up from an average 3.7-month supply so far in 2024. That would make 2025 the friendliest market for buyers since 2016, which had an average 4.4-month supply. Finally, mortgage rates: After topping 8% in October 2023, the 30-year mortgage rate has slowly eased into the 6.5%-7% range this year. Rate cuts from the Federal Reserve have helped nudge that downward. Despite earlier optimism, forecasters’ latest consensus is for rates to effectively plateau above 6% throughout 2025. That said, every year has its wild cards. In 2025, it’s still uncertain how President-elect Donald Trump and a Republican-led Congress might shake up regulations and tax policies that affect the U.S. housing market. National forecasts don’t analyze what matters most: Your personal cash flow. To get ready to buy, first meet with a financial advisor or use an online calculator to determine how much house you can afford . You can also get free or low-cost advice from a housing counselor sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Next, look into down payment and closing cost assistance from state housing finance agencies, local governments, nonprofits and mortgage lenders. Your employer or labor union might offer assistance, too. First-time buyers with income below their area median have the most options, but repeat or higher-income borrowers can qualify for some programs as well. “I think that there’s a lot of free money being left out there,” Rose says. Your not-so-secret weapon for buying in 2025 just might be an experienced buyer’s agent. “Anybody can write a contract,” says Sharon Parker, associate broker with Tate & Foss Sotheby’s International Realty in Rye, New Hampshire. “But you need somebody who’s seen the market, the ups and downs, who knows how to get creative because every transaction is different.” Following a settlement with the NAR , buyers can now negotiate their agent’s compensation up front. (Previously, home sellers took on that task.) While new norms are still shaking out, Rose says she hasn’t seen too much drama since the change took effect in August. “So as long as buyers remember that we have to talk about this in the beginning of our relationship, everything typically works out fine,” she says. Finally, it’s time to shop for a mortgage. To get the best interest rate, get a quote with at least three different lenders. You could also delegate the shopping to a mortgage broker, who can compare quotes and even negotiate a lower rate on your behalf. Though brokers charge a fee, their access to more mortgage options and lower rates can often mean net savings overall. With a mortgage preapproval in hand, it’s go time. And you don’t have to wait until spring: If you’re ready to buy now, buyers have less competition and more negotiating power from December through February, so you could snag a deal. “The people who are selling and the people who are buying in the off season are very serious,” Parker says. “They’re not just lookie-loos.” However, lower inventory means fewer choices for buyers. So start your search prepared to compromise — a “good enough” house will still help you build equity. If a down payment or monthly mortgage payment is financially out of reach, there’s no shame in postponing your search to pad your savings. And owning a home isn’t the right lifestyle choice for everyone, with the ongoing commitment of money and time. But once you’re ready to buy — whether for the first time, or to upgrade or downsize — avoid the trap of waiting for a dip in mortgage rates. “Nobody can predict what the market, or the world, is going to do,” Parker says. “There is no better time than right now.” Mortgage rates will always fluctuate, and if they drop significantly, you can refinance. For first-time buyers, homeownership is a major financial glow-up — and the sooner you jump in, the longer you’ll have to build home equity. “Time value of money is really, really critical when it comes to real estate,” Rose says. “So I would always encourage somebody to buy as soon as you can and get the clock ticking.” More From NerdWallet Abby Badach Doyle writes for NerdWallet. Email: abadachdoyle@nerdwallet.com. The article Buying a House in 2025: Your How-To Guide originally appeared on NerdWallet .
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