Purchase

Homebuilder stocks are slipping after sales of previously owned homes fell more than forecast in March and KBW cut its rating on D.R. Horton shares.

Any worries about the possibility of higher interest rates and an economic expansion that might eventually fizzle haven't been enough to soften the housing market throughout the South Bend, Ind., region.

Millennials act differently than prior generations, including moving to second-tier markets to buy a home, and that is the opening for community lenders to reach this market.

After a strong February, existing-home sales took a U-turn in March. While buyer conditions heat up and mortgage rates remained low, consumers took a patient approach — especially in the expensive West Coast markets.

If favorable interest rates and rising consumer incomes continue, market potential for home purchases will be boosted in the short term, according to First American Financial.

Buyers in the tightest housing markets finally got what they've been looking for: inventory. But instead of sales surging as a result, they're sinking.

Sales of previously owned homes eased more than forecast in March, suggesting the housing market is still finding its footing after a weak 2018.

New-home construction unexpectedly fell in March, decelerating to the slowest pace since May 2017 and suggesting builders remain wary even as lower mortgage rates and steady wage gains offer support to consumers.

Economic growth will slow in 2019, but conditions will help home sales hold steady, with mortgage volume now being projected to rise over 2018, according to Fannie Mae.

Mortgage rates rose for the third consecutive week, but home purchases are up as well, to their highest level in nine years, according to Freddie Mac.

Amid ongoing strong housing demand, home sales in Central Texas climbed to a new high for March, as did the median home-sale price, the Austin Board of Realtors said.

House prices fell last month in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, and in half of all counties included in the California Association of Realtors' latest housing report.

Mortgage rates continued to decline through the spring home buying season, driving up the share of refinance loans and overall closing rates, according to Ellie Mae.

Higher interest rates cut refinance mortgage application volume and reduced overall activity even as the purchase index reached a nine-year high, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The housing market in Houston picked up in March as interest rates fell and the supply of properties for sale grew to its highest level in five months.

As prices climbed, the number of homes sold in Northeast Ohio dipped from year-ago levels in March.

Homebuilders are growing more confident in the market for newly built single-family homes as demand grows. At the same time, mortgage companies are streamlining the new construction loan process, suggesting they, too, see value in the market.

While improving market conditions set up for an anticipated boom in spring home buying, March had the smallest month-to-month sales growth since 2014, according to Remax.

Canadian home sales and prices rebounded in March from a dismal showing a month earlier, but remained below historical averages.

Metro Atlanta home prices rose less steeply in March than previous months, despite a continued shortfall in the supply of homes listed for sale, according to separate market reports.