Housing markets

Sales of previously owned homes dropped in May by more than forecast to the lowest level since October 2010 as the coronavirus pandemic sent demand skidding along with the rest of the economy.

While home-buying season was on hold due to the coronavirus, a dearth in supply could hamper any big rebound in sales.

JA wave of new homebuyers from the northeast and other parts of the country flooded the Hilton Head, S.C., real estate market over the past few weeks.

Buying power for many consumers is hampered and some originators said that affects their ability to serve consumers.

The coronavirus lockdown walloped California house sales in May, resulting in a 41.4% drop in transactions from the previous year, the California Association of Realtors reported.

House listings in the Twin Cities metro during May were down nearly 25% compared with last year.

Potential sales last month rose compared with April as homes became more affordable due to low mortgage rates.

Prices have continued to rise, although the pandemic closures have slowed that down: The region's median sales price last month was $257,048, up 1.6% from May 2019, according to Georgia MLS.

The coronavirus put a dent in May's home sales and inventory, but some indicators offer hope for a turnaround on the horizon.

The number of existing, single-family home sales that closed last month fell 51.1% compared with the same month last year and the median price dropped 2.5%, according to the California Association of Realtors.

Home construction starts rose less than forecast in May, suggesting builders were slow to resume work even as states across the country began to reopen.

The report by Unison also advised investors to focus on "diversified residential real estate" over traditional retail and office spaces.

The number of homes sold in Central Florida sunk dramatically in May, an indication of the anxieties swirling around Orlando's previously booming market and the wide-reaching effects of the economic fallout caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

In the thick of the pandemic in Greater Hartford, home sales took it on the chin, falling nearly 13% in May, compared with a year ago, but sale prices held their own, rising slightly.

Homebuilder sentiment improved in June as record-low interest rates and demand for more space spurred buyers to re-emerge after the coronavirus shut down sales and construction.

During a seven-day period earlier this month, there were 1,740 new home listings and 270 listings coming back on the market, and 2,065 pending sales, according to the Greater Metropolitan Association of Realtors.

The number of clicks for Dallas-Fort Worth home searches is surging.

A Clever Real Estate survey found a significant share of new borrowers are not making their full payment.

Anyone who has been watching real estate in Palm Beach, Fla., over the past several weeks has seen the number of new contracts — and closed sales — attest to the remarkable vibrancy of the market in chaotic times.

Albuquerque, N.M., home prices continue to outpace last year's figures, but there's reason to think the summer home-buying season might be quieter than anticipated.