Market Studies

Applications for new home purchases slipped again in June, though the annualized rate of new home sales is forecast to have increased. The Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Builder Applications Survey (BAS), a gauge of application volume from mortgage subsidiaries of homebuilders, suggests new home purchase applications slipped 5 percent from May to June, the group reported Thursday. The change does not include any adjustments for typical seasonal movements.

Home price increases have started to plateau, but with wages remaining stagnant, cash-strapped shoppers are still feeling put out. According to Trulia, asking prices on listed homes rose 1.2 percent month-to-month in June, the highest monthly increase in more than a year. The increase was the same both with and without foreclosures.

RealtyTrac released a study Thursday for the first time ever profiling what single family homes sell at the deepest discounts and what single family homes sell at the highest premiums.

As analysts, industry participants, and policymakers struggle to boost homeownership among Americans, foreign activity in the U.S. housing market remains strong. According to a profile of international homebuying activity released by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), total international home sales were estimated at $92.2 billion from April 2013 through March 2013, up from the previous period's level of $68.2 billion.

As the housing recovery downshifts from last year's pace, the latest survey of real estate agents by national brokerage Redfin finds homebuyers and sellers are having trouble getting on the same page with each other and with the new shape of the market.

Tight credit restrictions are still slowing the national housing recovery, according to a report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

As home prices continue to rise—albeit slower than last year—many commentators insist that fears of a new bubble in the making are overblown. However, a new survey released Tuesday suggests lenders aren't buying it.

Americans reported spending less money in June compared to May, marking the first monthly decline in self-reported consumer spending this year. In a survey of nearly 15,000 U.S. adults, Gallup found the daily amount spent by Americans was an average $91, down from a six-year high of $98 the month prior and about level with last year. The June record for average daily spending is $104, achieved in 2008.

Consumers believe that their outlook is getting better. But they are not necessarily ready to participate in the housing market just yet. The June Housing Survey released by Fannie Mae shows that consumer sentiment toward the housing market is continuing to improve as the overall economic outlook improves but it still sits well below the level necessary for the market to normalize.

Mortgage rates barely budged heading into the Independence Day weekend, keeping them below last year's levels. According to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) product was 4.12 percent (0.5 point) for the week ending July 3, down 2 basis points from the final June survey.