Housing markets

From the desert of the Southwest to all across Florida, here's a look at the 12 housing markets deemed best for first-time home purchasers.

During February, sellers listed just 4,355 properties across the metro, 14% fewer than last February, according to the Minneapolis Area Realtors.

Manufactured and modular home lender Tammac Holdings is using $60 million in debt and equity financing from its new majority owner to fund construction loans.

Metro Orlando home sales slid 5.4% in February compared with the same month a year ago as the region's real estate market continues to cool.

Sonoma County's housing market started the year the way it finished 2018 — in decline as buyers remain content to sit tight as sellers reduce home prices.

Houses selling well at lower price points are likely to encourage the creation of more entry-level homes, according to a new report by the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo.

Sentiment among homebuilders held steady in March, sustaining a rebound from a recent three-year low on improvement in sales and a brighter outlook for the next six months.

A strong spring home purchase season could reverse the downward trends in single-family construction and remodeling activity and help deter an economic downturn, a report from BuildFax said.

Homes in Charlotte are selling fast. Prices are shooting up. Demand is growing.

The Colorado Association of Realtors is confirming an earlier report from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors that metro Denver home prices suffered an annual decline in February.

New-home mortgage applications are on the rise, incentivizing builders to add housing stock in a market drained of supply and signaling a healthy spring buying season ahead, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Portland-area home sales picked up in February from a winter slump, but remained cooler than the same time a year ago.

Fewer homes sold last month on Maui but they sold for generally higher prices, according to the Realtors Association of Maui.

Commercial and multifamily mortgage debt outstanding grew 6.8% in 2018, benefiting from strong employment numbers and strained inventory, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Home sale prices posted their smallest annual gain since March 2012 and mortgage rates have declined, leaving bidders less inclined to race for a deal, but at the same time, a cooler housing market suggests more consumers may be willing to explore homeownership.

After a cool January, home sales in Northeast Ohio warmed up a bit in February.

Sales of new homes in January fell to the weakest pace since October, driven by a decline in the Midwest as still-elevated prices keep buyers on the sidelines.

Mortgage rates declined across the board this week, which should make home buying more attractive although there are continuing concerns about inventory, according to Freddie Mac.

Millennials make up the largest cohort of homebuyers, but a quarter of them don't even know their credit score, which could be a call for mortgage lenders to help them prepare to enter the housing market.

While home prices continued the gradual annual growth in February, its plateaued monthly progression could open a big spring for mortgage lending, according to Quicken Loans.