Housing inventory

With pandemic conditions in place for a second spring, lenders and brokers discuss the indicators that will reveal whether the market is shifting away from the traditional selling season to one that runs hot throughout the year.

The race enters a complicated phase that could impact financial markets.

With a dearth of inventory, September generated the largest price growth in the housing market since May 2014, according to CoreLogic.

Low mortgage rates and strained supply drove the housing market price growth to a 26-month high in August, according to CoreLogic.

Mortgage rates fell back toward their all-time low this week, increasing purchasing power for homebuyers. But the lack of homes for sale drives up prices and reduces affordability, according to Freddie Mac.

Home starts fell more than forecast in August, reflecting less construction of apartments and a decline in the tropical storm-hit South, representing a pause in momentum for a housing market that's been a key source of fuel for the economy.

Potential sales last month rose compared with April as homes became more affordable due to low mortgage rates.

Some cities saw drops in annual housing supply nearing 40% in early May, according to Zillow.

The coronavirus disruption caused March's pending home sales to fall and the losses will reverberate through the rest of 2020, according to the National Association of Realtors.

For the first time since the start of the housing crisis, mortgage origination volume could top $2 trillion for three consecutive years, according to Fannie Mae.