Market Watch

The number of homes sold across Ohio rose 20.5 percent in April, as the market posted gains in activity for the 22nd consecutive month. Sales through the first four months of 2013 reached 35,412, a 15.6 percent increase from the 30,636 sales posted during the same period a year ago. The average sales price (January through April) this year is $128,547, a 5.1 percent increase from the $122,349 mark set during the period a year ago. Total dollar volume this year is more than $4.5 billion, a 21.4 ...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau announced the following new residential construction statistics for April 2013. Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.02 million. This is 14.3 percent (±1.0 percent) above the revised March rate of 890,000 and is 35.8 percent (±1.3 percent) above the April 2012 estimate of 749,000. Single-family authorizations in April were at a rate of ...

The median price paid for a Bay Area home moved above the half-million-dollar mark for the first time in almost five years, pushed up by pent-up demand, an improving economy, investor activity, low mortgage interest rates and constrained supply, as well as a continued decline in distressed sales, a real estate information service reported.  The median price paid in the nine-county Bay Area rose to $510,000 in April. That was up 17.0 percent from $436,000 in March, and up 30.8 percent from $390,000 i...

CoreLogic, a residential property information, analytics and services provider, released an analysis of home price trends in more than 380 U.S. markets based on the CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indexes. The indexes are owned and generated by CoreLogic, supplemented with data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). 

Southern California homes sold at the fastest pace for an April in seven years amid the release of pent-up demand for move-up homes and high levels of investor purchases. The median sale price rose to a 58-month high, reflecting both home price appreciation as well as the simultaneous plunge in foreclosure resales and surge in mid- to up-market buying, a real estate information service reported.

The latest FNC Residential Price Index (RPI) shows the U.S. housing market continues to recover, recording its 13th consecutive price increase in March. In recent months, the ongoing housing recovery has maintained its pace with steady and persistent gains in home prices despite signs of continued job market weakness and soft economic growth.

CoreLogic, a residential property information, analytics and services provider, released its May MarketPulse report. In this report, CoreLogic Chief Economist Mark Fleming and Deputy Chief Economist Sam Khater examine factors contributing to the increase in residential investment and new home sales so far in 2013. 

Metropolitan area median home prices continued to rise in the first quarter, with the national gain showing the best year-over-year performance in over seven years, according to the latest quarterly report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).  A companion breakout of income requirements to purchase a median-priced home on a metro basis shows the typical buyer earns roughly double the income needed to buy a home in his or her area.

CoreLogic released its March CoreLogic home price index (HPI) report. Home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased 10.5 percent on a year-over-year basis in March 2013 compared to March 2012. This change represents the biggest year-over-year increase since March 2006 and the 13th consecutive monthly increase in home prices nationally. On a month-over-month basis, including distressed sales, home prices increased by 1.9 percent in March 2013 compared to February 2013*. 

The March Mortgage Monitor report released by Lender Processing Services found that new problem loan rates (seriously delinquent mortgages that were current six months ago) have fallen below 1 percent for the first time since 2007. At 0.84 percent, the March new problem loan rate is approaching pre-crisis levels, and nearing the conditions of 2000-2004 when the rate averaged 0.55 percent.