Purchase

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.

March foreshadowed a cooler Portland-area housing market as the busy spring selling season begins.

Tax reform leaves mortgage-related deductions far too low to help the average homeowner this tax season, in contrast to last year, when they slightly exceeded the standard deduction.

The tightest housing markets in the U.S. are unwinding in time for the key spring selling season, giving buyers an edge for the first time in years, a Trulia study said.

Access to public transit is the new granite countertop when it comes to home listings in Los Angeles.

From the middle of the country to the Pacific Northwest, here's a look at cities where consumers wield the most purchasing power for the upcoming home buying season, based on changes in housing values compared to local wages and mortgage rates.

The spring housing season launched with a bang in central Ohio as the region was named the nation's hottest real estate market by Realtor.com.

While home prices in Spokane County, Wash., were on the upswing in March, sales dropped dramatically compared to last year.

Mortgage rates rose slightly for the second consecutive week, but should remain low for the foreseeable future, which will aid the purchase market, according to Freddie Mac.

The supply of Colorado Springs-area homes for sale remained historically low last month, and finding a house in cheaper price ranges continues to be especially tough.

The Hispanic homeownership rate increased for the fourth consecutive year, despite the fact that the demographic remains more exposed to barriers to buying a house than the general population.