Housing markets

The housing market's chill grew colder in December, as sales plunged across Southern California and home prices barely rose.

Affordability remains a challenge for homebuyers, but barely any mortgage lenders attribute last year's sluggish home sales to insufficient consumer income or lack of loan products for new buyers, according to Fannie Mae.

While home sellers gained the most money on their houses since 2006, the fading impact of tax cuts and slow rise of mortgage rates could shorten upcoming margins, according to Attom Data Solutions.

Sales of new homes rebounded in November to the strongest pace in eight months as lower prices helped to attract more buyers.

Mortgage and real estate professionals are navigating new technology to support a better consumer experience and grow their customer base, but those who lose sight of the end goal are in danger, according to Remax CEO Adam Contos.

Sales of single-family houses in Rhode Island dropped 15.6% in December from the same month a year ago, the Rhode Island Association of Realtors said.

The Houston region registered increases in new-home sales and prices in December, bucking the trends in other large Texas cities, a new report showed.

Mortgage originations for the next two years will be higher than previously expected as lower interest rates at the end of 2018 will lead to more refinance volume, Freddie Mac said.

Bay Area adjacency without the exorbitant home prices make Sacramento, Calif., an attractive option for consumers, according to Redfin's migration report.

Contract signings to purchase previously owned homes unexpectedly fell for the third straight month in December, yet another sign the housing market is struggling amid elevated property prices and borrowing costs.

Even with a vibrant residential real estate market in Maine's major cities, homeowners in the state tend to stay put longer than those in the 50 largest American cities.

Sales of single family-homes in the Tampa Bay area plunged in December as prices again rose.

Current housing market conditions are sending the real estate and mortgage industries back to the drawing board to craft strategies ultimately in support of customer acquisition and retention at a time when competition is tight.

Home prices in 20 U.S. cities rose in November at the slowest pace since early 2015, decelerating for an eighth straight month as buyers balk at the ever-receding affordability of properties.

Portsmouth, N.H., officials have been talking for years about the need for more housing in the city.

Jan. 22--Home sales in metro Baton Rouge were 5.3 percent lower in 2018 than the year before, but home prices continued to rise as did the inventory and days on the market.

Property values have continued rising across the country, but six cities bucking the national trend are leading a shift in the housing market, which could lessen affordability hurdles for homebuyers, according to First American Financial Corp.

The median home price in the city of Santa Fe in 2018, based on sales over the year, came to a record $370,000, surpassing the prerecession peak of $360,000 in 2007.

Independent mortgage banks have been instrumental in filling the void left by banks that have retreated from the home lending market since the Great Recession.

The percentage of first-time homebuyers financed through builder D.R. Horton's in-house mortgage unit has risen notably as market trends have driven it to intensify its focus on lower-priced housing.