The National Association of Realtors' Pending Home Sales Index measures the number of contracts signed to buy homes during a given month. Since it measures signings, and not closings, it can be an important indicator of future home sales. In December, the index fell 2.2 percent from the month before. …

Buying a home is mostly a personal decision. Generally, the right time for you to buy has more to do with something happening in your life than it does a shift in market conditions. Maybe it's a good time to buy because you've recently gotten married or have taken a …

When asked, most Americans indicate that they'd rather stay in their current house once they retire. After all, the comforts of home and a community that you know well and have lived in for many years are hard to replace. But not everyone wants to stay where they are once …

When prospective home buyers think about whether or not they can afford to buy a home, the first thing they look at is prices. But, after that, mortgage rates run a close second. That's because they are a significant factor in determining overall affordability and, more specifically, the house …

Home buyers hoping for some good news heading into the spring buying season may find it in the Federal Housing Finance Agency's most recent House Price Index. That's because, after increasing for the past few years, it looks like home prices are finally starting to slow. In fact, according to …

Searching for a home to buy means making a major financial decision, while at the same time choosing a place to spend the next several years of your life. In other words, it's not the type of thing you want to rush. However, in a competitive market, home buyers sometimes …

Builders build the homes we buy and live in but they also serve another important purpose. They are a good barometer for where the real estate market is heading. After all, it's their business to determine whether or not people are buying homes. So when builders are confident, there's likely …

Affordability conditions over the past few years have been largely held in check by low mortgage rates. Potential home buyers could absorb higher home prices, since job market improvement had them feeling confident in their income and rates were still hovering near historic lows. But though the most recent …

Demand for mortgage applications saw a dramatic jump last week, according to new numbers from the Mortgage Bankers Association. Overall, application demand was up 23.5 percent from one week earlier. A large share of the rebound was homeowners looking to refinance their loans now that rates have fallen to their …

Naturally, home prices are a top topic for anyone buying or selling a home in the coming year. And, with mortgage rates expected to continue trending upward, they are becoming an even more important component of the affordability equation. So what's the forecast for 2019? Well, there's good news and …