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Though new home sales soared in July to their best numbers in nine years, existing-home sales in the month lost steam.

By all accounts, recent good economic news combined with solid demand and low mortgage rates have all resulted in single-family home sales reaching levels not seen since before the crisis. Homes are selling at a higher rate—but are they more affordable?

New single-family home sales took a notable upturn in July, with the month becoming the best month for new sales since 2007. What drove the increase, and will new home sales continue to rise?

Gains in existing-home sales, wage growth, job growth, low mortgage rates have fueled consumers’ confidence in the U.S. housing market, according to one analysis.

Both new and existing-home sales reached decade-high levels in June. Will July's reports bring similar news? The industry will find out this week on Tuesday for new home sales and Wednesday for existing-home sales.

The homeownership rate is down and prices are up, and both metrics present chances for mortgage loan officers and their Realtor partners to ferret out opportunity.

The share of homeowners who are underwater is only a fraction of what it was at the height of the crisis. But it is still a problem, according to a couple of recent studies.

Several housing experts make predictions for the industry in a new white paper from the Five Star Institute, "U.S. Residential Mortgage Default Performance Update & Market Analysis."

It has been a summer of little movement for average fixed mortgage rates, which have been hovering right above all-time lows for several weeks.

The yo-yo that was the U.S. housing market in Q2 will likely remain an uneven piece of the economy for the rest of the year, according to Fannie Mae.