Housing markets

California, Midwest and Northeast cities are poised to see the greatest combined rise in sales and home values, but some affordability relief will also emerge nationwide in the next 12 months, Realtor.com said.

Spending on furniture and related items fell nearly 12% from the year-earlier period in October.

Affordability decreased during the month across all racial groups and loan types tracked by the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The National Association of Realtors' index of contract signings to purchase previously owned homes declined 1.5% to 71.4, the lowest in data back to 2001, the group reported Thursday.

Of the top five factors influencing a home buying decision, an Assurance IQ survey of real estate agents said price and affordability was at the top, followed by financing & mortgage options.

A national gauge of prices rose 0.7% in September from August, according to seasonally adjusted data from S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller.

Purchases of new single-family homes decreased 5.6% to a 679,000 annualized pace last month, government data showed Monday.

The former Trump-appointed Federal Housing Finance Agency head offers insights on the road ahead for mortgage lenders and residential real estate at large.

Contract closings decreased 4.1% from a month earlier to a 3.79 million annualized pace, still the lowest since 2010, National Association of Realtors data showed Tuesday.

The top five cities have an average down payment of $181,282.

Regulatory changes and a dearth of existing new inventory is opening a pipeline of leads in the market, but interest rate pressure cuts into optimism.

Also, Wells Fargo, Finance of America entered into partnerships affecting real estate tax and cybersecurity solutions.

Follow-through has been weak, but there's hope lower mortgage rates could improve conditions, according to new housing reports from Redfin and MBS Highway.

More than half of millennials and Gen Z ranked house hacking — the opportunity to rent out a portion or the entire property to earn extra income — as an important factor in their search, according to Zillow research.

Residential starts increased 1.9% last month to a 1.37 million annualized rate, the highest in three months, government data showed Friday.

With mortgage rates retreating and inflation abating, short sellers who'd been capitalizing on the three-month slump in homebuilder stocks may need to prepare for a rebound toward year-to-date highs.

Applications to purchase newly constructed properties increased for the ninth consecutive month on an annual basis, as the inventory shortage for existing homes continues.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo gauge decreased six points to 34 this month, according to data out Thursday.

With a scarcity of listings driving high home prices, both repeat and new purchasers are putting the most money down in decades, the report found.

The top five cities have an average down payment of $51,920.