ECONOMIC NEWS

The Wall Street Journal
Buying a home this spring will be hardest in years
Robin Manthie and her husband have been looking for their first home in Minneapolis since May. They thought this spring would bring a flood of inventory, making their search easier. But by most measures it is getting tougher. (Subscription may be required.)

MarketWatch
Why lower house prices lead to higher student loan default rates
Add this to the list of potential consequences of the housing bust: Rising student loan defaults.

CNBC
Homeowners are pulling cash out again; this time it’s the millennials
Fast-rising home prices gave homeowners more equity than many expected, and they are now tapping that equity at the fastest rate in eight years.

MarketWatch
Americans are taking out the largest mortgages on record
For the past few years, the housing market has been unbalanced. Strong demand and lean supply keep pushing prices higher and higher.

The Wall Street Journal
Want that apartment? You may have to bid for it
If you think the rent is too damn high, there are a couple of startups that want you to prove it, by forcing you to bid for a place to live. You may find out you're right. Or you may discover you aren't offering enough. (Subscription may be required.)

Realtor Magazine
New homes have gotten pricier
Over the last 10 years, the price distribution of new homes has changed significantly, as new homes have grown more expensive. Builders blame a weakness among first-time buyers and rising regulatory burdens as the reason for the shift in focus in the pricier tiers of the new-home sector following the Great Recession.

MarketWatch
Mortgage rates fall for the third straight week, approach 2017’s low
Rates for home loans notched their third weekly decline, nearing a fresh low for 2017, mortgage finance provider Freddie Mac said Thursday.

HousingWire
TransUnion: Here’s why Millennials are delaying homeownership
The spring home-buying market is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent memory, and is even worse for first-time homebuyers, i.e. Millennials.

HUD

The Washington Post
Carson assures advocates that White House will include housing funding in infrastructure bill
HUD Secretary Ben Carson said Monday that the Trump administration will seek to include housing funding in a yet-to-be unveiled infrastructure spending bill.

The New York Times
In Ohio county that backed Trump, word of housing cuts stirs fear
For years, Tammy and Joseph Pavlic tried to ignore the cracked ceiling in their living room, the growing hole next to their shower and the deteriorating roof they feared might one day give out. Mr. Pavlic worked for decades installing and repairing air-conditioning and heating units, but three years ago, with multiple sclerosis advancing, he had to leave his job.

DODD-FRANK

HousingWire
Trump: We're going to do a very major haircut on Dodd-Frank
In the words of President Donald Trump, the era of “horrible regulations” is coming to an end. On Tuesday, during a gathering of some of the CEOs of the country’s largest companies hosted by the White House, Trump told the crowd that his administration is working hard to “destroy” many of the regulations holding back the private sector and plans to continue doing so.

The Wall Street Journal
Dodd-Frank overhaul vote unlikely before summer, law maker says

The House won't vote until this summer at the earliest on changes to the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial-overhaul law, a senior Republican said Monday, demonstrating how the path for regulatory relief remains in flux as lawmakers grapple with health-care policy, a tax overhaul and other issues. (Subscription may be required.)

TAX REFORM

The Washington Post
Popular deductions for homeownership are targeted in tax plans
With the health-care bill back-burnered on Capitol Hill, the focus has shifted to tax reform. Among the key financial matters in play: Homeowners’ prized deductions for mortgage interest and property taxes.

HOUSING FINANCE

The Wall Street Journal
Green-energy PACE home loans catch Congress's ire
Momentum is building in the U.S. Senate to rein in a popular government-supported loan program used to finance energy-saving home improvements. (Subscription may be required.)

SOFTWOOD LUMBER

Construction Dive
Fate of US–Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement still in limbo
Amid the uncertainty about the renewal of U.S.-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement comes word from British Columbia’s softwood trade envoy that there is a chance a new deal could be reached quickly – by summer or fall – but if that doesn’t happen, the talks could stretch into next year, News 1130 reported.

MULTIFAMILY

The Wall Street Journal
Farm-to-condo movement stakes its claim to Brooklyn rooftop
It was only a matter of time before the farm-to-table movement merged with the Brooklyn condominium boom. (Subscription may be required.)