Housing markets

Moderating price growth and higher wages are leading to affordability relief, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Government data reports from June, though, point to an inauspicious start for new construction in the current quarter.

Rent growth will see a decrease of 2.7% and the vacancy rate will grow to 6%, Freddie Mac predicts.

Sales of new U.S. homes unexpectedly declined for a second month in June as the mix of stubbornly high mortgage rates and prices deterred prospective buyers. 

While the number of refinances saw a small uptick last week, purchase lending languished as housing costs keep buyers sidelined, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

A run-up in mortgage rates and a constrained resale market has enabled builders to capitalize on the fractured U.S. housing landscape.

Nearly 56,000 home-purchase agreements were voided in June with the underlying cause likely affordability, a Redfin report claims.

Institutional investors have an opportunity to "do well while doing good" while advancing a flagship public/private partnership model writes the Chief Growth Officer of Rocktop.

Contract closings decreased 5.4% from May to a 3.89 million annualized rate, data released Tuesday from the National Association of Realtors show.

The new law, which went into effect on July 19, also has provisions that deal with heirs property, an issue that clouds ownership.