Real estate

Thanks to lower interest rates and higher job growth, the market for existing-home sales is performing very close to its potential, according to First American Financial Corp.

Sales of previously owned homes unexpectedly climbed in June to the highest level in more than nine years, giving a boost to residential real estate as it approached the end of its busy selling season.

Wintrust Financial in Rosemont, Ill., reported strong momentum from mortgage growth and acquisitions.

Property valuation firm LRES will now offer commercial evaluations as a result of its March acquisition of InsideValuation.

There were patterns of racial disparities in mortgage originations in the St. Louis, Milwaukee and Minneapolis metropolitan statistical areas, according to the National Community Reinvestment Coalition.

Karl "Chip" Case, the co-creator of the S&P/Case-Shiller Index of home prices, has died at 69.

The value of owning a home has never been greater, at least according to one figure buried in a monthly Commerce Department report.

MGIC Investment Corp. earned $109 million in the second quarter, as an income tax provision for the period cut into net income.

Mortgage origination volume is now expected to grow in 2016 versus the prior year, according to Fannie Mae.

In markets where consumers spend a substantial amount of income on housing, it's often cheaper to rent than buy. But in these expensive markets, owning a home is more affordable.

RealtyTrac is renaming its parent company Attom Data Solutions as it rolls out a new property database that links different data sources into a centralized resource.

Synovus Financial in Columbus, Ga., reported higher second-quarter earnings on solid growth in revenue and loans for investment properties.

New home construction in the U.S. rose more than forecast in June, providing some momentum for residential real estate near the end of its busy selling season.

Confidence among homebuilders declined in July from a five-month high, showing the construction industry remains in a slow, if unspectacular, recovery as the busiest part of the selling season comes to a close.

While all prospective homebuyers may face challenges to buying a home, the perception of what those obstacles are can take different forms based one's race or ethnicity.

RealtyUSA has merged with Pittsburgh-based Howard Hanna Real Estate Services.

Mortgage applications for new home purchases dropped slightly in June, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Homes that were foreclosed on during the housing crisis have since gained nearly twice as much value when compared with other homes, according to Zillow.

Nonbanks continue to expand their share of lending volumes as depositories keep scaling back their business in the residential mortgage space.

Foreclosure inventory and the number of completed foreclosures both dropped in May compared with a year ago, according to CoreLogic.