Stiff competition has led mortgage lenders to approach 2018 with negative outlook on profit margins and refinance activity for the fifth straight quarter according to a Fannie Mae survey.

Six cities on the U.S. coasts have 70 percent or higher households that can’t afford to buy a home, says a new study.

With home prices projected to increase 4.2 percent by November 2018, its a seller’s market. However, first time homebuyers can expect limited for-sale inventory for lower-priced homes.

Safety, reduced risk, and creating new infrastructure especially for new single-family homes rate high on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s to-do list for 2018.

A survey found that homebuyers are anxious to know the effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which some say may put upward pressure on home prices and mortgage rates on account of higher after-tax income.

Dropping credit scores point to loosening credit standards to attract a dwindling refinance market.

Areas on the West Coast, including San Francisco, Seattle, and San Jose, were among the hottest markets in 2017, with high sale prices and low housing inventory.

A recent report indicates higher risk attributes for both purchase and refinance loans, although the risk levels remain similar to those in early 2000s.

Existing home sales posted back-to-back gains in 2017, and contract signings to close on existing home sales increased for the first time in four months, according to a report by Fannie Mae.

Builders are confident about the housing market’s expansion in 2018 on the back of rising demand for housing and tight supply of existing home inventory.