Interest rates

Ordinarily, declining property sales will cool the costs for housing. But existing-home sales have been underperforming their potential for 40 straight months and property values are still on the rise, according to First American Financial Corp.

Sentiment among homebuilders fell in December to the lowest level since 2015, missing all forecasts and signaling that the industry's struggles are intensifying amid elevated prices and higher borrowing costs.

If the predictions prove correct, the benchmark rate would reach 3.50% by the end of next year.

Confidence among homebuilders plummeted by the most since 2014 as the highest borrowing costs in eight years restrain demand, adding to signs of a cooling housing market that will weigh on the Federal Reserve's debate over how far to raise interest rates.

The end of one-party rule in Washington could move the needle on efforts to devise a new housing finance framework.

Rising mortgage interest rates not only will continue to constrain banks' once-robust revenue from this business, they will also affect existing borrower credit quality, a report from Moody's said.

With the home selling season winding down and autumn in full swing, here's a look at the cities where both home purchase prices and monthly rents are starting to ease.

Former Chair Janet Yellen defended the Fed, expressed worry for the economy and gave advice to women on the rise at the MBA Annual Convention this week.

Mortgage applications decreased sharply from one week earlier as key interest rates stayed above 5%, although purchase volume grew from a year ago, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.

Mortgage-related earnings at five banks were lower due to the effect of higher interest rates on loan volume this year, even though late-season homebuyers improved consecutive-quarter origination numbers at three companies.

Mortgage applications fell last week as rates for the 30-year fixed conforming loan topped 5% for the first time since 2011, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.

Rising interest rates, both current and the prospect for future increases, took a toll on consumers' outlook on the housing market during September, according to Fannie Mae.

The new policy, meant to assist borrowers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, will let servicers evaluate borrowers using pre-disaster payment information.

Despite available home equity shooting up in the first quarter, the share of total equity withdrawn by borrowers hit a four-year low, likely due to an increase in interest rates, according to Black Knight.

Higher interest rates on home mortgages drove the share of loans used to purchase houses rather than refinance to new heights in May.

Despite the long, stratospheric rise of home prices in the U.S., the inflation-adjusted monthly payment on the median single-family home in 2017 was less than in 1987, when home prices were lower but interest rates were higher.

The Fed’s rate hike and its signal of two more increases to come this year will only add to investors’ worry that the U.S. housing market is getting too expensive.

The value of commercial-property deals rose 6.7% in the first quarter from a year earlier, but higher interest rates and softer demand will weigh on the market, Ten-X Commercial said.

As mortgage rates continued rising, the percentage of closed home purchase loans grew to its highest level in about four years, according to Ellie Mae.

The news of the data breach cast a shadow over relatively strong first-quarter earnings for the Atlanta bank.