Stephen Basaha

It was expected to be a strong home buying season.

Average interest rates for a 30-year fixed mortgage dropped below 6% in February, the first time in three and a half years.

But the war against Iran increased the cost of borrowing, and this week the mortgage rate is about 6.5%.

Real estate business Zillow says sales in May were below where they were a year ago, nearly 3 percent, and housing recovery is back on pause.

Families choosing to stick with renting are seeing the benefits of an apartment construction boom.

The retail data company Yardi Matrix reports the average advertised rent was virtually flat compared to a year earlier.

Stephen Basaja, NPR News.

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Companies can try to pass refunds along to consumers.

Terrence Lau is the dean at Syracuse University's College of Law.

He says companies raised prices because of tariffs, but often did not pass on the full cost.

So how much of that price increase do you attribute to tariffs?

Companies can't even answer that question.

That leaves some consumers like Edwin Martinez feeling ambivalent and annoyed.

FedEx says it will give refunds.

Costco says it will try using them to lower prices.

Both are facing class action lawsuits over refunds.