Real estate

Sales of existing homes in Northwest Indiana grew in January as compared to a year ago, but not by as much as prices.

First-time homebuyers using loans backed by private mortgage insurance soared in the fourth quarter on the growing popularity of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's 3% down payment options, according to Genworth.

Private mortgage insurance continued to take market share from the Federal Housing Administration in 2017, with both products outpacing the growth in mortgage debt outstanding.

Nearly 50 years after the federal Fair Housing Act was signed into law, banning racial discrimination in lending, black prospective homebuyers in the St. Louis area continue to be denied conventional mortgage loans at a much higher rate than whites.

Marin County's already inflated housing market climbed even more in 2017, with the median price of all homes at $980,000, an 8.9% jump from the 2016 median of $900,000.

Sales of previously owned homes unexpectedly fell in January to a four-month low, indicating a shortage of available properties is increasingly hindering the real estate industry.

Mortgage borrowers 60 days or more late with their payments declined both quarter-to-quarter and year-over-year, as recession-era defaults work their way out of the system.

Still shaken from last fall's wildfires, the Sonoma County, Calif., housing market saw its inventory drop in January to the lowest level for the month in more than a quarter-century.

Bay Area home prices are out of reach for many middle-income families, but surely if you're a highly prized engineer at Apple or Google you can afford a house here, right?

New-home construction rose in January to the highest level since October 2016, helped by a surge in apartment building, as momentum in the housing market continues into 2018.