Purchasing power

A measure of contract signings for the purchase of previously owned homes unexpectedly increased in November after surging a month earlier, according to data released by the National Association of Realtors.

Homebuyer interest dipped slightly in November, but remains well above year-ago levels, according to Redfin.

In a sign that the Bay Area's housing shortage has reached new heights, even having a boatload of cash now may not be enough to land your dream home.

Here's a look at the 11 housing markets where the share of entry-level homes for sale is greater than the share of first time home buyer shoppers.

The maximum loan amount for Federal Housing Administration mortgages will go up in more than 3,000 counties for 2018.

Despite rapid price gains and tight inventory nationally, prices in many of the largest housing markets are still below the peaks reached before the Great Recession.

Conforming loan limits for mortgages bought by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will increase for the second consecutive year in response to the rapid rise in home prices, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said.

Home price appreciation continues to increase at a much higher than normal pace, although the rate of growth has been slowing since the summer.

The housing market has been underperforming its potential since May, and October's performance gap was the largest it's been since November of last year, according to First American Financial Corp.

The treatment of local property taxes and the mortgage interest deduction in the House Republicans' tax plan would cause homeowners in high-cost states like California to incur much higher tax bills.