Housing markets

Premiums written increased 45%, while net operating income was up over 65%, the American Land Title Association said.

While purchasing power grew for the 16th straight month in April, surging property values and increased mortgage rate forecasts will keep driving down affordability, according to First American.

The lack of homes for sale is supporting the record values, unlike what happened in the mid-2000s, analysts say.

Median home prices are higher than the historical average in 61% of U.S. counties, Attom Data Solutions said, and it's unclear if the situation gets better or worse.

For all respondents, cash edged financing by one percentage point, but half of those that bought last year used cash, ServiceLink found.

Shipping bottlenecks and higher input prices have held back homebuilding, contributing to skyrocketing prices for the limited supply of homes available.

While purchasing power rose due to low rates and increasing income, “homebodies” suppressed inventory, according to First American.

Contract closings decreased 0.9% from the prior month to an annualized 5.8 million, according to data out Tuesday from the National Association of Realtors.

As home prices set new records, a shift in consumer attitude led to fewer bidding wars and a growing number of listings, according to Zillow and Redfin.

Residential starts rose 3.6% last month to a 1.57 million annualized rate, according to government data released Wednesday

The real estate technology company had a $498 million valuation, according to PitchBook, but it could get a sizable premium to that if it were to go public.

Changed borrower psychology and the severe housing inventory shortage dropped lending activity across the board, according to Black Knight.

There’s now a unique, additional source of demand that’s opening up in an already fiercely-competitive housing market that VA lenders have to solve for.

Tighter mortgage rules could also be weighing on second-home buyers given that loans for such purchases, along with those for investment properties, can only make up 7% of a lender’s total pipeline

Recent reports show inflation rising, but employment underperforming, while interest rates dropped across the board.

The continued home price spike also drove the negative equity share to an all-time low, according to CoreLogic.

Rising sea levels aren’t keeping buyers from scooping up oceanfront homes as work flexibility gives consumers wider options on where to live, according to Redfin.

While a growing share of consumers feel optimistic about the economic recovery underway, the extreme seller’s market made the majority of prospective borrowers pessimistic for only the second time in 10 years, according to Fannie Mae.

Home prices grew at a record annual pace in April but indicators of a possible slowdown popped up in May, Redfin noted.

After almost a year and a half of intense demand for houses, the real estate market in South Florida shows no signs of easing up.