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If you had any doubt that home buyers are active this summer and looking to buy, some new numbers should help put that notion to rest. New research shows that the number of showings – which refers to a professionally arranged tour of a home for sale – are up 10.3 percent nationally over the same time last year. Regionally speaking, the Northeast saw the largest jump, with a 15.2 percent increase as of June. However, the Midwest and South also saw double-digit improvements. In fact, only the West saw a slight year-over-year decline. The numbers are a good indication of how much interest there is this summer from potential home buyers. That’s good news for homeowners who are looking to sell their house, as it adds to the growing evidence that, in many markets, there are more buyers than homes for sale. Of course, that also means home buyers that are looking to buy this season should be prepared to move quickly, as good homes aren’t going to stay on the market very long. More here.

If you’re someone who is currently debating whether or not it’s a good time to sell your house, there are some new numbers from ATTOM Data Solutions that are worth taking a look at. The results of ATTOM’s Q2 2017 U.S. Home Sales Report shows that homeowners who sold their house during the second quarter of this year saw an average price gain of $51,000 over what they bought it for. That’s a 26 percent average return and the highest return since the third quarter of 2007. Daren Blomquist, ATTOM’s senior vice president, says homeowners are facing a tough choice in today’s market. “Potential home sellers in today’s market are caught in a Catch-22,†Blomquist said. “While it’s the most profitable time to sell in a decade, it’s also extremely difficult to find another home to purchase, which is helping to keep homeowners in their homes longer before selling.†That’s true. The report shows that homeowners who sold during the second quarter had owned their homes an average of 8.05 years, which is the longest homeownership tenure since the first quarter of 2000. More here.

There are a handful of common answers that come up time and time again when Americans are surveyed about their reasons for buying a home. For example, a desire for more space is always at or near the top of any list documenting prospective buyers’ main motivations. After all, if you’ve run out of space where you are – whether it’s because you’ve started a family or because you’ve got a lot of stuff – you’re probably going to be eager to move somewhere bigger. But though survey after survey finds we all share some common wants and needs when it comes to our homes, a new survey of young Americans who have never owned a home found a surprising reason behind their desire to become homeowners. So, what was it? Well, 42 percent of respondents said their dog, or desire to have one, was a key factor in wanting to one day buy a home of their own. And, though that may seem unusual to those of us who don’t have pets, those that do, more often than not, consider them a part of their family. So, for a renter who may have trouble finding a landlord that will allow pets at all or one that won’t charge them extra for having one, buying a home can provide a less stressful environment for both the homeowner and their beloved pet. More here.

There are many parts to a healthy housing market. Whether you’re talking about home prices, mortgage rates, new home construction, or another housing metric, each one of them have an effect on home buyers and sellers – even if some of those effects aren’t as obvious as others. Take new home sales. If you’re not looking to buy a new house, how does it affect you? Well, for one, when new homes are in demand, more new homes get built. And, when more new homes get built, the boosted inventory of homes for sale can help reduce price increases. For example, the current housing market’s main challenge is too few homes for sale. Because inventory has been low in many markets, buyers have seen prices go up and choices decline. So, news that new home sales increased in June for the second straight month is encouraging because increasing sales could help spur more new homes to be built, which would help balance the market and keep prices from becoming unaffordable for the average buyer. So, even if you aren’t in the market for a new home, you could indirectly benefit from more new homes being bought and sold in your neighborhood. More here.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates fell last week across all loan categories, including 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with both conforming and jumbo balances, loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration, and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages. The drop in rates was caused by a number of economic factors and led to rates falling to the lowest level in a month. However, despite the decline, demand for mortgage applications was relatively flat from one week earlier. Michael Fratantoni, MBA’s chief economist, told CNBC part of the reason the drop in rates didn’t boost demand is because the number of borrowers who have yet to refinance their loans continues to shrink. “As the number of borrowers who could still benefit from a refinance continues to decline, it will take larger and larger rate drops to make a significant impact on refinancing volume,†Fratantoni said. As for purchase demand, it was 8 percent higher than at the same time last year. The MBA’s weekly survey has been conducted since 1990 and covers 75 percent of all retail residential mortgage applications. More here.

New numbers from the National Association of Realtors show sales of previously owned homes were slightly above year-before levels in June, though they fell from the month before. The month-over-month drop was primarily blamed on there being too few homes for sale, as buyer demand has been relatively high. Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, says available inventory remains low and it’s pushing prices higher. “Closings were down in most of the country last month because interested buyers are being tripped up by supply that remains stuck at a meager level and price growth that’s straining their budget,†Yun said. “The demand for buying a home is as strong as it has been since before the Great Recession.†The combination of high demand and low inventory has created an environment where homes in an affordable price range are being sold quickly. In fact, 54 percent of homes in June were sold in less than a month. However, as the summer winds down, so should the number of buyers active in the market. As that happens, there will be more opportunities for buyers looking to purchase a home without as much competition from other buyers. More here.