Market Studies

Female renters have a harder time buying a home than their male counterparts. According to recent analysis, this is due to several factors, including lower wages, more student loan debt, more risk aversion, and lower credit scores. Closing the wage gap could help, though that isn't projected to happen until 2052.

Orlando is the single best spot for first-time homebuyers, according to a new analysis. Tampa took the No. 2, followed by other cities in the Southeast and Midwest. The analysis took into account median home value, forecasted values, inventory, and other factors.

Luxury home prices are up more than 4 percent over the year, with Washington, D.C., seeing the biggest spike in price. According to one economist, potential tax cuts for the wealthy may be the cause. Other cities to see high year-over-year luxury home price growth were St. Petersburg, Florida; Portland, Oregon; Paradise, Nevada; West Palm Beach, Florida; and San Francisco.

Home prices are up yet again, both over the month and over the year. The latest House Price Index shows a more than 6 percent uptick over 2016's prices and nearly a full percent jump since January of this year. The most annual growth was seen in the Mountain region.

A new analysis shows the USDA’s single-family loan programs offered a strong alternative to conventional loans during the housing crisis. At one point, 502 Guaranteed loans even exceeded 100 percent LTV. Guaranteed loans jumped by 483 percent from 2006 to 2010, while Direct ones rose 88 percent.

According to STRATMOR Group’s Technology Insights survey, LendingQB, a provider of a web-based loan origination system (LOS) based in Costa Mesa, California, has received high marks for vendor satisfaction and customer support.

The increase in new home sales could be due to the warm winter which allowed construction to stay on schedule, last year’s strong home construction starts, and a gradual shift from building apartments to individual homes. However, Kirchner says that while construction is up overall, existing home sales are falling.

Nearly $800B in equity returned to U.S. homeowners in 2016; 94 percent of homeowners considered in the black. Negative equity decreased in Q4.

A recent poll of battleground states showed 51 percent don’t want to see an overhaul of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The cost of living for families with children in the city compared to the suburbs is averaging close to $9,000 more.