Mortgage rates

The Bay Area home market remained sluggish in November, as buyers searched for cheaper homes and sales slowed entering the holiday season.

Homebuyer purchase power took another big jump in October as wages grew and mortgage rates stayed low despite continuously tight housing inventory, according to First American Financial.

Palm Beach County's housing market continues to confound the lofty expectations created by robust job growth and rock-bottom interest rates.

Sales of new homes increased in November, capping the best three months for demand since 2007 and reflecting sustained momentum in a residential real estate market that’s helping to underpin the economy.

Pending new home sales increased both on a month-to-month and annual basis, benefitting from the current low mortgage rate environment, although they are still constrained by inventory issues, a Meyers Research report said.

Despite home prices continuing to rise faster than household income, affordability gains inched up due to the low mortgage rate landscape, according to Attom Data Solutions.

The critical defect rate for closed mortgage loans continued its decline in the second quarter, as lenders benefited from increased loan volume and profitability, an Aces Risk Management study found.

Mortgage rates ended the week unchanged from the previous seven-day period, according to Freddie Mac, although not without some gyrations from the results of the elections in the United Kingdom and U.S-China trade talks.

Sales of previously owned homes declined to a five-month low in November, indicating lean inventories are holding back a residential real estate market that's been supported by low mortgage rates and job growth.

Dallas-Fort Worth home sales and construction totals are expected to rise only modestly in 2020, but the expected increases could still be enough to push area home numbers to new highs.