Housing inventory

Summer sales of single-family homes in Thurston County, Wash., ended with a bang in August as sales nearly matched last year's red-hot results and the median price climbed almost 10% over August 2018.

For the first half of 2019, the real estate market in Billings, Mont., is looking strong, with local organizations noting a few aspects of the industry to keep an eye on.

Oahu home sales were flat year-over-year in August with properties remaining on the market longer.

From the tech hub of San Francisco to upstate New York, here's a look at the top 15 housing markets providing the safest harbors in the case of an economic downturn, according to Redfin.

Barely more than a tenth of homebuyers found themselves in a bidding war in August, as consumers shied away with a possible recession looming on the horizon, according to Redfin.

Toronto home sales and prices rose in August as demand continues to outstrip supply.

The industry has taken some steps to lower barriers to affordable housing, but some observers say that more can be done.

Strong home purchase activity — especially by millennials — pushed up annual price appreciation in July after a disappointing June, according to CoreLogic.

Freddie Mac now forecasts that refinance volume will make up nearly half of third and fourth quarter production, and has increased its origination estimate for the year to over $2 trillion.

Contract signings to purchase previously owned homes fell in July by the most since early 2018, indicating a pause in buyer interest even against a backdrop of falling mortgage rates, a firm job market and steady income gains.

Single-family home prices in Colorado Springs rose by 8.2% from the second quarter of last year to the second quarter of 2019, which ranked as the fifth highest appreciation rate among the nation's 100 largest metro areas.

Here's a look at five perspectives from potential homebuyers, from their plans to purchase to how they view the current real estate market.

Homes in the Rockford, Ill., region sold for $147,000 on average last month, the highest monthly average price since July 2006.

The median sales price for existing single-family homes in Manatee County, Fla., hit $325,000 in July, the highest median price since the housing crisis and Great Recession more than a decade ago — and near a historic all-time high.

Sales of existing single-family homes in Maine remained relatively flat in July compared with a year earlier, while the median sale price increased by about 2%.

Sales of new homes fell in July, missing estimates, after an upward revision to the prior month brought those sales to the highest level since 2007, a sign that lower borrowing costs may be helping stabilize purchases.

Austin-area home sales and the median price of those homes both hit all-time highs last month for any July on record, the Austin Board of Realtors said.

The median price of Palm Beach County, Fla., houses sold by Realtors last month was $355,013, up 1.4% from July 2018, but a bit below May's high point of $364,900.

Sales of previously owned homes increased in July to a five-month high, underscoring stability in the residential real estate market that may be starting to get a boost from falling borrowing costs.

Last year, the battle for the bid, the guerrilla warfare over the Lehigh Valley's dwindling supply of middle-priced homes, was a public spectacle.