Housing affordability

From the desert of the Southwest to all across Florida, here's a look at the 12 housing markets deemed best for first-time home purchasers.

Houses selling well at lower price points are likely to encourage the creation of more entry-level homes, according to a new report by the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo.

Home sale prices posted their smallest annual gain since March 2012 and mortgage rates have declined, leaving bidders less inclined to race for a deal, but at the same time, a cooler housing market suggests more consumers may be willing to explore homeownership.

While home prices continued the gradual annual growth in February, its plateaued monthly progression could open a big spring for mortgage lending, according to Quicken Loans.

Home price appreciation tapered as buyers battling tight inventory and rising housing costs pulled back from the market, according to CoreLogic.

Minneapolis' offering of affordable starter homes and inflated supply of below-median-priced options made it the housing market with the highest low-income ownership rate, according to Redfin.

Home purchaser affordability declined in the fourth quarter, which also negatively affects the amount Americans have to spend on cost-of-living expenses, a report from Zillow said.

Rises in the amount of low down payment loans and private mortgage insurance due to tight affordability led to the most first-time homebuyers since 2006, according to Genworth Mortgage Insurance.

Slower home price growth and cooled mortgage rates could bring buyers out in droves in 2019, according to NerdWallet.

Home prices in 20 U.S. cities rose in December at the slowest pace in four years, continuing to decelerate as buyers balked at purchases amid still-elevated housing costs and a falling stock market.

Rising household incomes paired with December's drop in mortgage rates gave consumers their largest monthly jump in home buying power since 2013, according to First American Financial Corp.

While overall housing sales have suffered due to affordability, the trend is even more drastic for typically higher-priced new homes, according to Redfin.

Home affordability is at a 10-year low across the nation. Here's a look at the 12 cities most in danger of a housing bubble in 2019.

The agency's pilot program, designed to streamline mortgage insurance applications associated with the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, will now include applications for new construction and substantial rehabilitation.

As expected economic growth remains at 2.2% — down from 2018's 3.1% — 2019 should only be accompanied by a solitary rate hike from the Federal Reserve, according to Fannie Mae.

Despite a healthier economy supporting wage and income growth, the narrative that homebuyers are struggling to afford homes for sale hasn't changed much. House values are still on the rise, meaning shoppers are struggling with how much house they can afford.

Women have lower incomes than men, limiting their options when buying a house. But in some of the more pricey housing markets, single female homeowners outpace single male homeowners, which could suggest some tightening in the home value gap, according to Attom Data Solutions.

While property values continued rising in most markets, they grew at a healthier pace for homebuyers, according to the National Association of Realtors.

While home price appreciation showed steady growth in January, it's a lower rate than years past and consumer appraisal perception lags reality, according to Quicken Loans.

From the gateway to the West to just below the Mason-Dixon Line, here's a look at the 12 housing markets with the highest percentage of homes affordable to millennial purchasers with median incomes.