Housing inventory

Mortgage activity fell across the board despite analysis that 14.5 million current qualified borrowers would benefit from a refinance, according to Black Knight.

Homebuyer competition reached new heights right as the purchase market hits its busiest time of year, according to Redfin.

In spite of an improving economy, acute competition and supply scarcity soured homeshoppers on the purchase market in April, according to Fannie Mae.

Residential value growth in March reached heights not seen since the lead up to the housing bubble, according to CoreLogic.

“Low inventory has been a consistent problem,” Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the NAR, said in a statement. “With mortgage rates still very close to record lows and a solid job recovery underway, demand will likely remain high.”

Despite home purchasing power growing for the 14th consecutive month in February, rising property values and mortgage rates are likely to influence would-be sellers to stay put, according to First American.

Property values climbed 12% in February, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller index.

The end of the refinancing boom and impending rise in rates are not the only challenges lenders face. As one observer put it, they "can't make loans on homes that don't exist."

The ritzy east end of Long Island is somehow still throwing up more high-end listings to meet demand.

As listings were snagged at near-record speed, inventory hit yet another new low point, according to Remax.