Housing Market, Good News | featured news

Better weather and government incentives help March sales rebound from record low.

U.S. housing starts rose more than expected in March to their highest level since November 2008 and permits to build new homes scaled a 17- month high.

Apartment rents rose during the first quarter, ending five straight quarters of declines and signaling the worst may be over for the hard-hit sector.

Reaction to last week's employment report translates into stock market gains as service sector, real estate also report upbeat news.

California's median home price rose 11% in February from a year earlier, while home sales in the state dipped for the second consecutive month.

While the 20-city home price index rose 0.3 percent from November to December, the index was off 3.1 percent from December a year ago.

The number of homes entering the first stage of foreclosure fell in the fourth quarter compared with the previous quarter, MDA DataQuick says -- a sign that banks are working with delinquent borrowers.

Fewer Californians entered foreclosure during the last three months of the year as bailed-out banks appeared to step up their work with delinquent borrowers, according to data released this morning, although the number of homes taken back by banks rose slightly.

Americans got wealthier for a second straight quarter in the fall, as the economic recovery again boosted home values and investments.

Signed contracts to buy previously occupied U.S. homes rose for the eighth straight month in September as buyers scrambled to take advantage of a tax credit for first-time buyers.

Sales of previously owned U.S. homes in July notched their fastest pace in nearly two years, an industry survey showed on Friday, the strongest sign yet that housing was pulling out of a three-year slump.