A report from the Press Herald in Maine. "Portland’s condominium market reached a fever pitch in 2018, with new and existing units selling faster than ever before – and at higher prices. Portland developers are practically falling over themselves to pump out as many new units as they can, as quickly as possible. But analysts said the market also showed some signs of slowing down at a time when hundreds of new units are either in the planning stage or under construction."

"Chip Newell, a principal at NewHeight Group, believes that Portland’s condo construction boom is approaching the tail end. High construction and land costs already have put several city-approved condo projects on hold, he said, and those costs aren’t expected to come down again until the next recession hits."

"Newell warned that condo developers need to be selective about the projects they undertake if they want them to be economically viable, adding that some builders already have misjudged the value of their projects. 'You can find select projects that have had a hard time selling and have had to reduce prices,' he said, 'and I think it’s because they didn’t exactly line up product, location and price.'"

The Tampa Bay Times in Florida. "By most measures, the Tampa Bay area has a robust economy. Job growth is strong, home prices are climbing, construction cranes are everywhere. But there is a troubling sign — after years of decline, bankruptcy filings are again on the rise. It was the first year-over-year increase in filings since 2010. And filings have continued to rise every month since September."

"That worries Chief Bankruptcy Judge Michael G. Williamson, especially because he's not sure of the reason. 'There is definitely something going on when for eight years cases go down and all of sudden they start going up month after month,' Williamson said. 'You have to have some cause for concern that something is happening but I don't know what it is.'"

"With Tampa Bay's economy strong, overspending might have replaced job loss as the reason people find themselves in financial trouble. 'It could definitely be (due to) credit cards,'' Williamson said of the increase in filings. 'People are back to work, they're starting to get credit. Maybe we've just gone through a period of easy credit.'"

"But that might be only part of the reason, he acknowledges. 'he bankruptcy judges saw the Great Recession coming a mile away, you had cocktail waitresses with mortgages on $400,000 houses,' Williamson said. 'The tech crash, we could see that one. But I don't know what's causing this when you see all those buildings going up and all the apartments and full employment and for some reason bankruptcy cases are starting to go back up. Am I worried? Yes, I am.'"

The Mortgage Reports. "A new report by Redfin had some interesting findings. In January 2019: Only 13 percent of offers written by Redfin agents (for their buyer clients) involved a bidding war. That’s down from 53 percent a year earlier. The home bidding wars rate dropped significantly in every market where Redfin agents serve."

"The markets with the largest percentage point declines in the rate of home bidding wars were: San Francisco (-64%); Los Angeles (-57%); and Seattle (-54%). The markets with the smallest percentage point declines were: Austin (-11%); Raleigh (-13%); and Chicago (-29%). The most competitive markets were Portland, Denver and San Diego; yet in each less, than one out of five Redfin offers faced home bidding wars, down from more than half a year prior."

"Meanwhile, the housing supply has been going up. In January 2019: Home sales dropped for the sixth consecutive month. This resulted in the largest inventory increase in a decade, per the latest RE/MAX National Housing Report. Inventory jumped 6.4 percent from a year earlier across the 54 markets RE/MAX studied. Annual inventory grew for the fourth straight month. This reversed a 10-year trend of decreasing supply."

"Inventory is also rising because buyers are slowing down to look closer, believes Keith Robinson, chief strategy officer at NextHome. 'There’s a sense that we are near a top of the market, and no one wants to buy at the top. When the buying side demand slows down, it puts upward pressure on inventory,' says Robinson."

"'Buyers know that the market has slowed,' notes Daryl Fairweather, Redfin’s chief economist. What’s more, 'over one in five homes for sale nationwide dropped its price in the last month. That’s even further evidence that 2019 is a good year for buyers,' adds Fairweather."

From Market Watch. "Investment bank Credit Suisse polls real estate agents around the country every month. Its February edition, released a few days ago, paints a more uniform picture of housing conditions around the country."

"Dallas: 'Buyers are in no hurry as they await a shift in the market. Sellers still looking for top dollar and multiple offers. Mismatch in expectations.' 'Concerns over the economy’s trajectory.' 'Increased number of sellers.'"

"Houston: 'Market seems to be in limbo.' 'Still uncertainty in the market place.'"

"Los Angeles: 'Buyers waiting to see if rates move lower and how the new tax rules impact the bottom line.' 'Still demand for housing but sellers have yet to fully comprehend they are no longer in the driver’s seat.'"

"Phoenix: 'Buyers feel home properties are priced too high. Investors are low balling properties that have been sitting on the market longer than 60 days.' 'Transactional volume down from two banner years; still a good market but 2017/18 spoiled agents and sellers.' 'Buyers waiting for tax returns.'"