Housing markets

A ClimateCheck score measures the risk of disaster at the zip-code level over the period of a 30-year mortgage.

While the numbers were higher than they were a year earlier, the decline comes at a time of year that usually produces some of the best returns for sellers.

Concerns about foreclosure and a crowded market led to an increase in listings at lower price points in the second quarter.

Soaring home prices and the abundance of all-cash offers that the deep-pocketed can afford makes home buying even harder for the average borrower, according to a Redfin report.

The meager increase suggests the largest boost in inventory possible would likely still leave the backlog of homes on the market at historic lows.

As rising home valuations force first-time home buyers out of the market, expect to see non-owner-occupied loans to increase.

The GSE forecasts $4 trillion in production this year because refinance activity is stronger than expected.

Competition amongst those shopping for homes fell for the second straight month as surging prices pushed consumers to the sidelines and inventory saw modest gains, according to Redfin.

The lack of homes for sale is supporting the record values, unlike what happened in the mid-2000s, analysts say.

Changed borrower psychology and the severe housing inventory shortage dropped lending activity across the board, according to Black Knight.