Home prices

Home-price gains in the U.S. slowed in July as still-high mortgage rates kept would-be buyers on the sidelines while inventory piled up.

Residential markets are set to gain momentum again with prices rising over the next few quarters as rising rents in cities support demand, according to Holzhey. 

While housing demand remains strained, national home price appreciation continued to make more room for buyers in August, according to First American.

Home selling sentiment was mostly unchanged, even though some shifts appeared on a regional basis, according to the latest Fannie Mae research.

Growth in housing costs should slow down over the next two years, but projections for 2024 were revised upward in a Fannie Mae survey of experts.

While listings are ticking up, house hunters are still struggling to find affordable properties. But thanks to high mortgage rates, there aren't enough buyers in the market to create the level of competition that would drive prices up more significantly.

The FHA-loan market, in particular, saw the share of piggyback originations increase over two years, while the pace of growth in conventional lending was more muted, Corelogic said.

A pick-up in home prices during spring buying season pushed the share of equity-rich households higher across the country, according to Attom.

The index of contract signings from the National Association of Realtors increased 4.8% to 74.3 in June, reflecting increases in all four major regions, the group said Wednesday.

Higher interest rates over the spring applied some downward pressure on prices, which still managed to grow by over 4% in the first five months of the year, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index.