Real estate

Every month it seems the Charlotte home market can't get much tighter, then every month, it does.

California is set to become the first state to require solar panels on all newly built single-family houses.

Real estate brokers said it could easily be a year or two before property values in the immediate and surrounding areas of lava breakouts recover after the eruption ceases.

Dallas-area home prices grew slightly faster than the nationwide rate in the latest comparison by CoreLogic.

Spokane, Wash.-area housing prices took another big leap in April, with the median sales price topping $231,000.

The number of mortgage borrowers for whom it made sense to refinance declined by nearly half since the end of last year and is at its lowest since November 2008.

Blackstone Group is doubling down on industrial real estate by buying Gramercy Property Trust, the second multibillion-dollar takeover of a warehouse company in as many weeks with the growth in e-commerce raising demand.

California lost lower-income residents to other states over a recent 11-year period, while gaining wealthier households from elsewhere in the U.S. The disparity reflects the state's sky-high rents and home prices.

The Colorado Springs homebuilding industry has had a good year — and it's only four months old.

An economic revival in Canada's second-biggest city is fueling a real estate renaissance, speeding up sales, shrinking inventories and luring foreign buyers.

The same story is playing out, over and over: People are flocking to the Bay Area for high-skilled, highly paid jobs, while cashiers and teachers are, increasingly, saying goodbye to a place they no longer can afford.

Los Angeles County and Inland Empire home prices grew at the fastest pace in three years in March, yet another sign that the local housing market is maintaining its punch for a seventh consecutive year.

The next Baltimore County executive will be responsible for fulfilling a promise made by the current one: Enticing developers to build 1,000 homes for low-income families.

The median sale prices for single-family homes and condominiums in Connecticut rose significantly in March, even as the number of sales in both categories decreased.

Canada's big banks don't seem keen to follow Toronto-Dominion Bank's lead on mortgage hikes – at least not all the way.

Canada's mortgage growth has fallen to the lowest in nearly two decades as interest rates rise and after new mortgage rules took effect at the start of the year.

March's residential construction spending declined by 3.5% on a seasonally adjusted basis from February, but was virtually flat for new single-family properties, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Tight housing inventory continues to be an enemy to homebuyers as supply constraints keep putting upward pressure on home prices, which are now above where they were 12 years ago.

When it comes to purchasing a home, buyers have to put a lot of research and thought into any decision they make. From finding the best fit with a real estate agent, to how much work they are willing to do on move-in day, setting a budget and of course, picking the house itself.

Here's a look at 12 cities where median home prices are under $200,000 and the combination of local wages and interest rates offer buyers the most purchasing power.