Mortgage rates have risen rather dramatically since May; what impact could those increases have, though, on the housing market? At the beginning of May the average mortgage rate for a 30-year FRM was just 3.35 percent. Since then, as

Higher mortgage rates negatively impacted pending home sales, according to new data from the National Association of Realtors. The Pending Home Sales Index, the leading measure of contract signings in the residential housing market, declined 1.3 percent from June

There are many factors that consumers consider when searching for homes, and a new Trulia survey shows the impact that kids have on homebuying decisions. Homebuyers have many factors to consider when searching for a home. From the area’s

New home sales fell by a hefty amount in July; what does such a decline suggest about the housing recovery? July was a lukewarm month for new single-family home sales, with the Census Bureau reporting declines in sales numbers.

Residential construction put up some great numbers in July, but are those gains consistent with our local real estate market? July was a very strong month for residential new construction. Not only were building permits up 2.7 percent from

Home sellers have been tiptoeing back into the housing market throughout 2013, and we’ve collected the most important traits of those sellers. We’ve been covering the National Association of Realtors’ Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends report pretty extensively

We keep hearing that mortgage lending standards are unfairly tight, but does the data support that meme? One of the more prevailing memes in the housing recovery has been the relative tightness of lending standards on residential mortgages, and

Not only were existing-home sales up by monthly and yearly measures in July, but housing inventory continued to stabilize as well. July was a rock solid month for existing-home sales, according to the latest data from the National Association

The downpayment remains the staple of most home financing; how are buyers, nowadays, funding their downpayments? Only 9 percent of homebuyers so far in 2013 have funded less than 50 percent of their home purchases with financing – which means

Residential construction posted great numbers in July, with housing starts, building permits and housing completions all in positive territory. July was a sterling month for residential construction, with all measured tracked by the Census Bureau posting positive numbers for

The rapid rise in home prices has been one of 2013’s major economic stories, but there’s mounting evidence that those increases will slow down – and soon. If there’s been a poster child for the housing recovery, it’s been

Builder confidence continued its upward trend in August, rising to its highest mark since 2005. August has proven another sterling month for homebuilders, with the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, the leading measure of builder

One of the more common housing memes, as of late, has been the end of suburbia: that because of the housing boom, and all the rampant suburban speculation that drove it, prospective homebuyers are opting for smaller units in

The second quarter was a spectacular one for Freddie and Freddie, but are such successes problematic for the government’s reform efforts? Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had mighty good second quarters – not only did the GSEs post respective

The nation’s mortgage markets continued to improve in 2013’s second quarter, with the MBA’s report being one of its most positive. The mortgage markets improved in several notable ways in the second quarter, according to the latest National Delinquency

Is Chicago among the busiest housing markets in the U.S.? A new report from Redfin shows how the Windy City stacks up to the competition. What are the busiest housing markets in the U.S.? That question was at the