Pending home sales to lag until inventory crisis ends : The year isn’t starting off too hot, with inventory shortages and rising home prices once again impeding any potential housing growth. If something doesn’t change in new and existing homes for sale, the path to homeownership will remain an uphill climb.
NAR: Inventory shortages push homeownership further out of reach : A lack of housing inventory continues to stifle the housing market, making it difficult for potential homeowners to get on the property ladder. And according to the latest quarterly report from the National Association of Realtors, the problem is not going to subside anytime soon, impacting more than first-time homebuyers.
Monday Morning Cup of Coffee: Risky home lending really on the comeback? : Mortgages received plenty of attention this weekend, and not just during Super Bowl commercial breaks, with reports offering divided views of the markets, according to the various media platforms that published the copy. Despite the click-bait headlines, it's not time to panic.
MBA: Mortgages applications reverse trend, drop : After three weeks of steady increases, mortgage applications posted a drop, falling 2.6% from one week earlier. Meanwhile, the average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances dropped to its lowest level since October 2015.
CoreLogic: Home prices maintain pace, increase 6.3% : Home prices maintained recent trends in CoreLogic’s latest report, with home prices rising at a 5% to 6% annual rate for more than a year now. However, when broken down to local-market level, the results can start to vary.