Purchase

Nowhere is the widening gap between real estate and the real economy more apparent than in Las Vegas, where tourism is in ruins, wages are plunging and home prices just keep rocketing higher.

The median housing prices in Merced County, Calif., have increased in each of the last five months.

Low rates, along with increased new and existing home sales activity drives the latest forecast.

U.S. homebuilder optimism rose to a record in September, with low mortgage rates driving a housing boom that has boosted the pandemic economy.

Mortgage applications decreased 2.5% from one week earlier as refinance activity appears to decelerating, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Loan applications for new homes have staged a remarkable turnaround this year after falling 25% month-over-month and 12% year-to-year due to the coronavirus' impact in April.

The number of homes sold in metro Baton Rouge, La., was 11.2% higher in August than the year before, continuing a hot streak triggered by low interest rates.

The North Texas housing market continued to thumb its nose at the pandemic in August, with home sales up 11% from a year ago.

The Harrisburg, Pa., area real estate market has come a long way since it was shut down completely by Gov. Tom Wolf due to COVID-19 back in March and reopened slowly in April and May.

Listing prices in California have risen 34% since January as inventory shriveled amid the pandemic.

Median closing prices hit a new record high during the four-week period ended Sept. 6, Redfin said.

High-end home sales fueled the market in August while inventory fell to its lowest level in five years, culminating in one of the busiest summers ever for Houston housing.

Only 18% of refinance borrowers returned to the same lender in the second quarter, the second lowest rate since 2005.

Even though second-quarter originations were nearly double the same period in 2019, most were refinancings, which generate less revenue for title companies.

The guidelines are somewhat similar to those the Federal Housing Finance Agency established for the government-sponsored enterprise market in response to the high number of loans impacted by coronavirus-related hardships.

The Spokane County, Wash., housing market continues to show resilience during the coronavirus pandemic as the median closing price skyrocketed to a record-breaking $317,000 in August.

From an increased interest in outdoor space to a need for a dedicated home office, the pandemic has created new drivers for refinancing, moving and other housing decisions, TD Bank found.

Albuquerque, N.M., area home prices continued to rise in August, driven in part by a spike in demand for luxury homes.

That, along with continued high refinance volume over the next three months, keeps originators' profit forecasts elevated, Fannie Mae said.

Oahu single-family homes hit a record-median price in August and sales held steady, while the condominium market remained challenged by the pandemic.