Louisiana

Home prices are rising again in New Orleans after taking a dip last year, giving a boost to property owners but also likely intensifying the city's shortage of affordable housing.

The New Orleans housing market is strengthening, with home prices climbing in most neighborhoods and the number of vacant or blighted properties shrinking, according to a new analysis.

New Orleans is falling further behind when it comes to providing affordable housing for its low-income residents, with fewer than 200 units added since last fall, and is unlikely to achieve the goals set by housing advocates and the city itself, according to a new report.

Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoed legislation that would have asserted state authority over local zoning efforts aimed at creating affordable housing in gentrifying neighborhoods.

While mortgage application defect risk declined overall in March, at the local level it varied considerably, according to First American Financial Corp.'s Loan Application Defect Index.

It was a minor entry on the crime blotter earlier this month: Mandeville, La. police booked a 27-year-old man they said was breaking into a foreclosed home and trying to remove property.

Home equity levels increased year-to-year in the fourth quarter of 2017 following a larger-than-expected surge in home prices during the past year.

Baton Rouge, La., area home sales jumped 3.7% in 2017, despite tough comparisons with the sales boost caused by the August 2016 floods.

Here's a look at 10 cities where the fewest house hunters have prime credit.

Baton Rouge-area home sales dropped by 16% in November from the year before, the result of continued tough comparisons with the sales gains resulting from the August 2016 flood.