Housing markets

The spring home buying market got off to a disappointing start in April, as sales sputtered and the state marked the ninth consecutive month of year-over-year sale declines.

With Sen. Elizabeth Warren's cancellation plan to alleviate student debt, millennials would save up for mortgage down payments three years sooner, according to Redfin.

Mortgage application fraud risk declined for the first time since last summer because the home sales market became less competitive with an easing of the inventory shortage, First American said.

San Diego County home sales were down for the 12th month in a row in April, said real estate tracker CoreLogic.

Sale prices continued to inch higher in the Albany, N.Y., region and the number of houses sold continued to inch lower in April.

Expectations of economic growth paint a sunny picture for summer home buying with consumer confidence near an 18-year high, but borrowers' mixed view of their income prospects could compound affordability constraints.

Increased use of the digital mortgage process contributes to improved closing times, but falls short when it comes to borrower education, according to a TD Bank survey.

The Pittsburgh City Council has given preliminary approval to a plan for distributing $10 million in 2019 from an affordable housing fund.

As the bond market drives yields down because of the economic turmoil, mortgage rates moved in concert, dropping below 4% for the first time since January 2018, according to Freddie Mac.

Contract signings to purchase previously owned homes unexpectedly fell in April, adding to signs the housing market is struggling to regain momentum.

Chattanooga home prices rose only about half as fast as the country as a whole in the past year and were nearly 27.5% below the U.S. average the first quarter of 2019, according to the National Association of Realtors.

With the starter home inventory shortage pressuring first-time homebuyers to act, four out of five millennial purchasers lament at least one aspect of their mortgage, according to Zillow.

First-time homebuyers face growing competition from out-of-state investors and corporate landlords looking to capitalize on Boise's increasing rents.

Michigan has an estimated 239,000 manufactured homes, which comprises about 5% of the state's housing stock, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The number of renters is growing three times faster than homeowners as would-be homebuyers increasingly are priced out of the market.

The exurbs were the only area that posted annual growth in new single-family home permits in the first quarter, highlighting an ongoing affordability battle for homebuyers and builders looking for land, according to the NAHB.

From secondary markets along the East Coast to the heart of the Midwest, here's a look at cities where consumers are losing ground in purchasing power as summer approaches, based on changes in housing values compared to local wages and mortgage rates.

Loan officers need to market their services toward the fact millennials are more likely to become homeowners prior to marriage than baby boomers were, a SunTrust survey found.

The sale of Lisa Kloid's Northeast Baltimore house was moving along quickly. It went under contract in April after less than a month, and the settlement was moved up to accommodate the eager first-time buyers.

After years as an oasis of affordability, Tacoma is rapidly losing its status as a refuge for homebuyers priced out of places like Seattle.