Housing markets

Spending on furniture and related items fell nearly 12% from the year-earlier period in October.

Affordability decreased during the month across all racial groups and loan types tracked by the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The National Association of Realtors' index of contract signings to purchase previously owned homes declined 1.5% to 71.4, the lowest in data back to 2001, the group reported Thursday.

Of the top five factors influencing a home buying decision, an Assurance IQ survey of real estate agents said price and affordability was at the top, followed by financing & mortgage options.

A national gauge of prices rose 0.7% in September from August, according to seasonally adjusted data from S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller.

Purchases of new single-family homes decreased 5.6% to a 679,000 annualized pace last month, government data showed Monday.

The former Trump-appointed Federal Housing Finance Agency head offers insights on the road ahead for mortgage lenders and residential real estate at large.

Contract closings decreased 4.1% from a month earlier to a 3.79 million annualized pace, still the lowest since 2010, National Association of Realtors data showed Tuesday.

The top five cities have an average down payment of $181,282.

Regulatory changes and a dearth of existing new inventory is opening a pipeline of leads in the market, but interest rate pressure cuts into optimism.