Data

Over the next 12 months, Americans expect median home prices to rise 3.87 percent, according to the latest data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. That figure is down slightly from the New York Fed's June survey, marking the second consecutive month of declining price change expectations. The decline is in line with Fannie Mae's most recent National Housing Survey, which showed a decline in expected price growth to 2.3 percent.

Now that so many of the once-popular home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) are coming due, many borrowers could be in for what TransUnion calls "payment shock." A new study by the credit reporting agency shows that nearly half of all HELOC balances at the end of 2013—totaling about $474 billion—were originated between 2005 and 2007. Many of these HELOCs had 10-year draw periods, which means that the bill will soon come for those borrowers.

Speaking at a conference in Sweden Monday morning, Stanley Fischer, vice chairman of the Fed and former governor of the Bank of Israel, admitted that the global recovery from the recession has been disappointing at best, noting that economic growth among the world's most advanced economies has underperformed compared to previous post-recessionary periods.

Despite a decline in home starts in June, homebuilder confidence in the single-family, 55+ market is on the rise. In fact, the second quarter marked the 11th consecutive year-over-year increase in confidence in this sector, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

Of the nearly 350 metro markets survey in the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/First American Leading Markets Index (LMI), the group reports 56 have returned to or exceeded their previous normal levels of economic and housing activity based on housing permits, home prices, and employment. While unchanged from NAHB's June survey, the latest index reflects a yearly increase of seven markets.

A slower than anticipated first half has killed off any enthusiasm economists had for housing at the start of 2014, a survey published by the Wall Street Journal finds. In the Journal's latest monthly survey, a panel of economic experts called for new housing starts to average a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.01 million this year, a 9 percent decline from their prediction at the beginning of the year.

The highest home price gains for July 2014 were in the Midwest and South, and those gains are more likely a result of job growth as opposed to other market influences, according to the Trulia Price Monitor. Average month-over-month gains for the top 100 U.S. markets were 0.8 percent for July after a 1.2 percent increase for June, the company reported.

As the U.S housing market climbs back to healthy, a third of it is less affordable now than it's been all century, according to RealtyTrac. The firm's latest housing affordability report, released Thursday, found that 34 percent of the 1,200 U.S. counties it surveyed are at their least affordable, on average, since 2000.

In its latest National Housing Survey, Fannie Mae found housing sentiment among U.S. consumers was down in July compared to recent months, with fewer expecting continued growth. According to the findings, only 42 percent of Americans surveyed said they expect home prices to keep rising over the next year, continuing a downward trend that started in April.

Nearly three months after first settling into the 4.10 percent to 4.20 percent range, long-term fixed mortgage rates continue to show little movement. According to Freddie Mac's weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate this week came to an average 4.14 percent (0.7 point), up slightly from 4.12 percent in the last survey.