Housing markets

Consumers are meanwhile filing objections to the near $1 billion in settlements from the nation's largest brokerages ahead of a November court approval.

The number of vacant, abandoned properties in foreclosure, while up from the third quarter, was nearly 1,800 lower than a year ago, Attom Data said.

The report card for the world's largest economy illustrates solid momentum in domestic demand as the Fed began unwinding its tightest monetary policy program.

Despite the increase, the index level remains historically low, going back more than two decades as many prospective buyers still await a decline in mortgage rates.

August's Corelogic S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index was down 0.13% versus July, affected by tougher housing markets in the South and West.

Homebuilder stocks are tumbling Tuesday, down as much as 7.8%, after D.R. Horton delivered a 2025 revenue forecast that failed to meet Wall Street's expectations.

Neil Bader once headed up a company that was one of, if not the, largest mortgage brokerage in the 1990s. His career has covered the various shifts in how the business is done.

About 48% of mortgaged residential properties fell into the equity-rich category, slightly down from a peak of 49.2% reported in the quarter prior, per Attom's report.

Price tags for the industry leaders' homes either stayed the same or declined from the same time a year ago.

Sales of new single-family homes increased 4.1% last month to a 738,000 annualized rate, government figures showed Thursday.

Contract closings decreased 1% from a month earlier to a 3.84 million annualized rate, according to figures released Wednesday from the National Association of Realtors.

The top five states saw an average change in average mortgage rates of 3.15% quarter-over-quarter.

The affordability crisis has moved to the center of national politics, posing complicated challenges for both Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump as they try to woo voters in battleground states with promises to address housing costs.

Harvard University housing experts anticipate home improvement spending to rise in the next 12 months.

Housing starts decreased 0.5% last month to a 1.35 million annualized rate, according to government data released Friday, after a big rebound in August.

Losses related to natural disasters and other perils rose for the seventh year, and that costs both insurers and consumers more money, LexisNexis said.

A measure of housing market conditions from the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo increased for a second straight month in October.

The share of homes constructed in community associations rose for the first time in three years in 2023, the National Association of Home Builders reported.

While people are talking about supply, the former National Association of Realtors exec adds more attention must also be given to home insurance affordability.