Sawmill Timberdoodle Farm has been investing in new equipment and looking into providing services along with its products, its co-owner says.

Rising interest rates plus a strong dollar equals stiff economic headwinds.

Many potential homebuyers have moved to the sidelines as mortgage rates have more than doubled this year.

Migration shifts due to the pandemic are among the factors that have contributed to price fluctuations in the rental market.

Rates are near 7% for a 30-year fixed mortgage, highest in two decades. For buyers who can afford it, shopping is less stressful.

Los Angeles mortgage broker Vivian Gueler says high rates, high home prices and a weak stock market are stopping people from buying homes.

Institutional investors are buying up houses to use as rental properties – and renting them to people who can’t afford to buy a starter home right now.

Lumber is about as cheap as it was before the pandemic, a sign of the slowing housing market. But savings are offset by rising financing costs.

The reasons may vary, but one factor: rising mortgage rate.

The answer is mixed, according to a report from a real estate data firm.