Housing markets

An index of contract signings from the National Association of Realtors climbed 3.4% to 78.2 last month, the highest since February 2023.

U.S. economic growth slid to an almost two-year low last quarter while inflation jumped to uncomfortable levels, interrupting a run of strong demand and muted price pressures.

A majority of consumers earning more than $100,000 annually said they were concerned about their own ability to purchase a home, demonstrating how affordability issues are impacting those at many socioeconomic levels, the University of Michigan study found.

The latest rate increases contributed to a 1% drop in purchases from the previous week and 15% annually, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

While income decreased from the fourth quarter, it accelerated on an annual basis across NVR's building and lending units.

New single-family home sales increased 8.8% to a 693,000 annual pace last month, the fastest since September, government data showed Tuesday.

Because of rising home values, more transactions have proceeds over the federal tax exemption, especially in California, a CoreLogic study found.

In a Senate hearing, Director Sandra Thompson said a raise to the required income threshold provided to affordable housing was on the table, while housing regulators also faced questions related to property insurance hikes and title insurance waivers.

Contract closings decreased 4.3% from a month earlier to a 4.19 million annualized rate, according to National Association of Realtors data released Thursday.

Conventional lending drove volumes higher, particularly in the purchase market, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

While newly constructed home mortgage applications rose both on a monthly and annual basis, the gains were slower than typical.

Residential starts decreased 14.7% in March to a 1.32 million annualized rate, the lowest since August, government data showed Tuesday.

The former Realtor says a lack of teamwork between real estate agents and lenders in today's climate could compromise buyers and sellers.

A pair of metrics that examine competition in the marketplace went in different directions in March, Zillow found.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo index of housing market conditions held at 51 in April, still the highest since July but breaking a string of four straight monthly gains, according to data released Monday.

Lumber prices climbed higher for the first time since July, but prospects for single-family construction to grow look promising based on early-year data.

More than a quarter of the respondents to a Redfin survey don't know how much their agent got, with 19% unaware of who actually paid them.

The downward trend comes as servicers and agencies continue to implement programs aimed at keeping borrowers in their homes.

While refinances surged, a subdued purchase market resulted in flat borrowing activity for a third straight week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Since the launch of vacant-loan sales, a majority have come from properties located in 10 states, HUD reported.