Real estate

The Portland area's housing market fell into in a familiar pattern in March, with strong demand undercut by a slim supply of homes on the market.

South Florida's economy seems to be firing on all cylinders. Unemployment is low, construction activity has rebounded and home values have bounced back.

The Austin area's home sales and median home sales price both hit record highs for the month of March, bringing the region's housing market to a strong close for the first quarter.

Homes sales in metro Toledo, Ohio, dropped 4.3% in March even as area home prices continued to rise, according to new figures from the Toledo Regional Association of Realtors.

Fierce competition for a limited number of homes pushed house prices higher in March, with Southern California homebuyers paying the highest median prices in more than a decade.

Dallas-Fort Worth homes was one of the fastest-selling home markets in the country last year.

Home sales in Northeast Florida perked up in March after a slow start to the year while prices also increased, according to the latest report from the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors.

Home sales last month in metro Atlanta dropped more than 10% from a year ago, according to a report from the Atlanta Realtors Association.

New-home construction rose by more than forecast in March on a rebound in multifamily starts, giving a boost to first-quarter economic growth.

The New York State Department of Financial Services is warning that alternative home purchase finance agreements might be a cover for predatory mortgage lending practices by unlicensed entities.