Market Studies

The Data and Analytics division of Black Knight Financial Services released its "First Look" at mortgage loan data as of the end of April 2014. The report found that the foreclosure rate is at its lowest point since 2008, and the number of seriously delinquent loans not in foreclosure is down over 200,000 since last year.

In a new report from PropertyRadar on California single-family home sales, the company found that sales were up 20 percent in April from March. However, sales fell on a yearly basis for the month, declining 13.3 percent. Despite the gains in April, year-to-date sales volume is the lowest it has been since 2008.

For the fourth straight month, the inventory of homes for sale has declined 0.4 percent annually in April, according to Zillow. Despite home values falling modestly month-over-month, inventory remains tight with 21 of the nation's largest 35 metros experiencing waning inventory.

Zillow released its Negative Equity Report for the first quarter, revealing an estimated 9.7 million homeowners continue to owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth. That number, down from about 9.8 million in Q4 2013, represents about 18.8 percent of mortgage-paying Americans, according to Zillow.

According to the Commerce Department and HUD, privately owned housing starts last month were at an estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.07 million, representing a 13.2 percent jump from March’s barely revised pace of 947,000. Unfortunately for the supply-constrained single-family market, most of that spike came in apartment buildings, which were started at a rate of 413,000—a leap up from March.

A new report by the Wells Fargo Economics Group found that Texas added 64,100 new jobs in April, the largest gain in the nation. The boost in job numbers helped push unemployment down to 5.2 percent from 5.5 percent in March. Nationwide, unemployment was 6.3 percent for the month of April.

A new study by the FDIC found that thanks to a strong agriculture sector, small banks based in rural areas are coping better than expected in the face of a steady exodus of residents. In fact, they’re doing better than metro-based community banks. But how long rural banks will be able to stay strong is a much dodgier question to answer.

In a survey of 106 economists, real estate experts, and investment and market strategists, Zillow found a slight majority—28 percent—pinned the most blame for declining affordability on stagnant income growth across the country, even as the rest of the economy has moved in a generally positive direction.

Home prices rose 9 percent year-over-year for the first quarter of this year, according to FNC, Inc.'s Residential Price Index, which measures sales activity for non-distressed homes in the 100 largest metros in the country. On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.6 percent in March.

Despite many beginning-of-the-year predictions about spring growth in the housing market falling flat, and despite a still chugging economy that changes its mind quarter-to-quarter, economists at the National Association of Realtors and other industry groups expect an uptick in the economy and housing market through next year.