WASHINGTON — U.S. construction spending fell in July from June by the largest amount in a year, weighed down by a big drop in home improvement projects. But spending on construction of single-family homes and apartments increased again, a hopeful ...

Tagged with: builders commerce department construction spending Economy home prices home-improvement housing market new homes Recession sales spending

WASHINGTON — U.S. home prices jumped 3.8 percent in the 12 months ending in July, according to a private real estate data provider. The year-over-year increase was the biggest in six years, further evidence that the housing market is steadily ...

Tagged with: corelogic Economy home prices homes new homes Recession standard & poor's/case-shiller index

NEW YORK — Americans are feeling worse about the economy than they have in a long time — a fact that could have wide-reaching implications everywhere from Wal-Mart to the White House. Despite improving U.S. job and housing markets, consumer ...

Tagged with: americans consumer confidence consumer confidence index consumer spending earnings Economy election employers home prices job market jobs standard & poor's/case-shiller home-price index Unemployment

WASHINGTON — U.S. home prices are finally starting to increase consistently. A gauge of national home prices rose in June compared with the same month last year, according to the Standard & Poor’s/Case Shiller index released Tuesday. The year-over-year increase ...

Tagged with: Economy home prices homes housing market National Association of Realtors Real Estate recovery sales standard & poor's/case-shiller home-price index

WASHINGTON — The government is changing the terms of its bailout agreement with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in a way that will shrink the holdings of the two mortgage giants more quickly and will require payment to the government ...

Tagged with: bailout Barack Obama fannie mae freddie mac Government holdings home prices housing market mortgage net income portfolio profit treasury department

LOS ANGELES — U.S. homeowners are getting better about keeping up with their mortgage payments, driving the percentage of borrowers who have fallen behind to a three-year low, according to a new report. Still, the rate of decline remains slow, ...

Tagged with: borrowers delinquency Economy foreclosure Foreclosures home prices households housing market lenders mortgage Real Estate transunion

WASHINGTON — Home prices rose in May from April in every city tracked by a leading index, a sign that increasing sales and tight inventories are supporting a modest housing recovery. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller home price index released Tuesday ...

Tagged with: apartments atlanta builders chicago Economy home prices homes prices sales san francisco standard & poor's/case-shiller home-price index supply

WASHINGTON — Home prices rose in nearly all major U.S. cities in April from March, further evidence of a housing market that is slowly improving even while the job market slumps. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller home price index released Tuesday ...

Tagged with: corelogic fannie mae federal housing finance agency freddie mac home prices home values Real Estate sales standard & poor's/case-shiller home-price index standard and poor's

LOS ANGELES — Homes in some stage of the foreclosure process saw their share of overall U.S. home sales grow in the first quarter even as sales of bank-owned homes fell. The increase was driven by a spike in short ...

Tagged with: Banks buyers foreclosure Foreclosures home prices homeowners homes lenders mortgages RealtyTrac sales sellers short sales

WASHINGTON — A gauge of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes fell in April from nearly a two-year high in the previous month. The decline was the biggest in a year. Still, sales are well ahead of last year’s ...

Tagged with: americans contracts Economy home prices homes housing market interest rates job market jobs mortgage rates National Association of Realtors sales sales agreements Unemployment