Attom Data Solutions

While buying a home in most markets results in lower monthly housing payments, in the nation's most populated counties renting is the more affordable option, Attom Data Solutions 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.

Among the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, home prices hibernate and offer consumers the best time to buy a house, according to Attom Data Solutions.

Median home prices rose annually by more than the national average of 8.3% in nearly half of low-income areas with certain tax advantages, according to Attom Data Solutions.

The third-quarter delinquency rate fell to its lowest point since 1995, according to the MBA. However, Attom Data Solutions' numbers show foreclosure filings experienced a near-term growth spurt in October.

As more people have gotten into the flipping business, and as home costs continue to increase and inventory shrinks, the profitability of fix and flips has dwindled.

The share of severely underwater mortgages shrunk by over two percentage points compared with a year ago, as these borrowers benefited from the rise in equity levels, Attom Data Solutions said.

Years after the foreclosure crisis ended, the Tampa Bay area still has 305 "zombies'' — vacant homes in some stage of foreclosure.

The median value in the housing market shot to an all-time high between July and September, adding to affordability concerns, according to Attom Data Solutions.

While foreclosures and distressed mortgages continue to descend overall, trends are moving in the opposite direction in a handful of states, according to Attom Data Solutions.