Housing markets

The government sponsored enterprise’s latest forecast calls for a nearly $4 trillion year for 2021.

While home sales have softened since October, they are still above pre-pandemic levels, indicating that construction activity will remain strong for some time.

Lumber futures have surged more than 60% to record highs this year, and analysts aren’t expecting any relief until late 2021.

Even as properties spent the least time ever on the market and the average sale-to-list home price ratio broke 100%, some indicators point to a slight reversal, which could head off “runaway home price speculation or a housing bubble,” Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather said.

Vaccinations and a third round of stimulus payments are boosting consumers views on the housing market, according to Fannie Mae.

As vaccinations proliferate, homeowners who held off during the pandemic are finally gearing up to list their properties, a recent survey finds.

That means depreciation is a risk that could creep back into some regions, potentially requiring lenders and government-related agencies to consider it when setting down payment requirements or managing loan workouts once forbearance ends.

Increasingly extreme weather patterns and natural disasters weigh heavy on the majority of borrowers looking to buy a house, while half will move because of it, according to Redfin.

The increase won’t hurt the incentive for the average home shopper, but it means those who were looking to “buy the dip” in prices amid the pandemic may have missed their chance.

Ballooned home prices and a dearth of options deterred February 2021 sales, according to the National Association of Realtors

While there were fewer new mortgages sought on a week-to-week basis, the index was higher than it has been during the same week in the last two years.

As home values surged at record highs, the latest month-to-month movements indicate price growth could start returning to a pre-pandemic pace, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

That growth could be attractive to a housing finance industry that needs to find new loan sources as easy rate-and-term refinances dwindle.

Willis, Texas led the list, with the most borrowers who would be likely to default if faced with sudden financial hardship.

Stuck between local zoning hurdles and a lack of ideal federal financing, ADUs could be an important aspect to unlocking much-needed inventory.

Sales in February rose 22.8 percent from the same month in 2020. A total of 1,062 homes changed hands last month compared with 865 the previous February, according to a Maine Listings report released Monday.

Purchases of new single-family homes decreased 18.2% to a 775,000 annualized pace from an upwardly revised 948,000 rate in the prior month, government data showed Tuesday.

These trends, in addition to the increase in appraisal contingency waivers, could add risk to mortgage lender businesses.

Contract closings decreased 6.6% from the prior month to an annualized 6.22 million from a downwardly revised 6.66 million in January, according to National Association of Realtors data released Monday.

The Military Urban Development Initiative, which is also open to civilians, allows buyers to select a lot, house design and mortgage.