Real estate

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.

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.

Investors include New Orleans sports franchise owner Gayle Benson, placing the hotel under local ownership for the first time since it was built in 1976.

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.

A trio of Los Angeles-area real estate developers were accused by the federal government of taking $1.3 billion of investor funds that was supposed to be used for hard money loans for their own use.

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.

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.

From Syracuse, N.Y., to Lake Havasu City, Ariz., here's a look at the top 12 cities where property taxes are skyrocketing, signaling a potential strain on some homeowners' ability to make mortgage payments.