Purchasing power

Bankers in St. Louis weren't surprised when mortgage data released this summer showed a drop in loans made between 2017 and 2018.

Consumer confidence in the housing market remains relatively strong, but economic uncertainty is testing its resiliency, according to Fannie Mae.

Home prices have more than recovered since the recession, but higher-than-ever medical and student debt is robbing many homeowners from realizing the benefits, while keeping others away from the market, according to Zillow.

Existing-home sales exceeded their market potential again in August, and the improvement may continue for some time before there's a correction, according to First American.

Soaring home prices are pushing homebuyers out of walkable neighborhoods into those that are more car-dependent, Redfin said.

Mortgage rates remained near three-year lows last week, but their movement did not mirror the period's big shifts in the 10-year Treasury yield.

While affordability continues to affect homebuyers, rising income combined with descending interest rates and decelerating housing values boosted the purchase market, according to First American.

Here's a look at 12 of the nation's most affordable housing markets, based on the lowest shares of median local income needed to buy a house in the area, according to Redfin.

July's existing-home sales lived up to their potential after falling short the previous month, but that potential remains limited because tenure continues to increase, according to First American.

Foreign buyers have cooled on the U.S. residential home market, dropping investments by more than one-third over the previous year and spending less in expensive California.