Housing inventory

Popular TV shows about house fixers and flippers have sparked consumer interest in remodeling, creating an opportunity for lenders to build a specialty in renovation loans while traditional mortgage lending is weak.

Homebuilders are growing confident in 55+ communities, which could suggest more movement in the housing market at a time when homeowners continue aging in place.

Affordability remains a challenge for homebuyers, but barely any mortgage lenders attribute last year's sluggish home sales to insufficient consumer income or lack of loan products for new buyers, according to Fannie Mae.

Sales of new homes rebounded in November to the strongest pace in eight months as lower prices helped to attract more buyers.

Even with a vibrant residential real estate market in Maine's major cities, homeowners in the state tend to stay put longer than those in the 50 largest American cities.

Sales of single family-homes in the Tampa Bay area plunged in December as prices again rose.

Jan. 22--Home sales in metro Baton Rouge were 5.3 percent lower in 2018 than the year before, but home prices continued to rise as did the inventory and days on the market.

Property values have continued rising across the country, but six cities bucking the national trend are leading a shift in the housing market, which could lessen affordability hurdles for homebuyers, according to First American Financial Corp.

The median home price in the city of Santa Fe in 2018, based on sales over the year, came to a record $370,000, surpassing the prerecession peak of $360,000 in 2007.

The percentage of first-time homebuyers financed through builder D.R. Horton's in-house mortgage unit has risen notably as market trends have driven it to intensify its focus on lower-priced housing.