Market Studies

Consumer confidence in the housing market rose in September nearly to its record high, driven mostly by positive sellers' attitudes and home price strength.

Emerging real estates markets offer investors promising returns on increasing home prices, as foreclosure housing opportunities are nearly non-existent.

The average risk of home price declines over the next two years rests at the low level of 6 percent, except for states that are highly dependent on oil production.

Employment gains, wage growth, and continued low mortgage rates are pushing home prices up both year-over-year and month-over-month.

In light of the recent, lower-than-expected jobs report for September, the Federal Reserve may hold off on raising interest rates until stronger labor market data comes forth.

As the season changes, prices soften, and homes remain on the market longer, the real estate market transitioned a seller's market to a buyer's market in September.

Cash-out refinance volume rose nearly 70 percent year-over-year in the second quarter of 2015, as borrowers took advantage of the increased equity available to them and historically low mortgage interest rates.

Following recent volatile stock market reports, the Global Economic Outlook from Fitch Ratings forecasts that the global economy will grow by 2.3 percent in 2015, the weakest growth recorded since the global financial crisis in 2009.

The lower-than-expected labor market gains for September brought the average monthly job growth for the year down below 200,000, which could possibly slow down the heretofore robust activity for the housing industry so far in 2015.

While student loan debt does play a role in the low homeownership rates among millennials, it does not fully explain why this generation is slow to purchase a home, according to Freddie Mac's monthly Insight & Outlook for September released Wednesday.