A report from the Orange County Register in California. "House prices fell last month in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties and in half of all counties included in the California Association of Realtors’ latest housing report. It’s the first year-over-year price drop for Los Angeles and San Diego counties in seven years and the third in Orange County in the past four months."

"House sales, meanwhile, were down in all major regions in the state – falling 12 percent year over year in the Los Angeles metro area, CAR reported. 'It’s tough out there,' said Jordan Levine, a CAR senior economist, 'but there’s no reason (for sellers or their agents) to panic.'"

"'As a seller, you have a lot more competition for your unit than a year ago or even two years ago,' Levine said. With more homes to choose from, buyers are taking their time."

The Herald Tribune in Florida. "Foreclosure filings declined in Southwest Florida in first-quarter 2019 from the previous three-month period, tracking with the national trend. But unlike the U.S., local foreclosure activity accelerated when compared over the year."

"From January through March, foreclosure filings in the Sarasota-Manatee region fell 18 percent from late 2018 but were up by 39 percent from a year earlier, according to ATTOM Data Solutions. Charlotte County reported 205 filings, or one in every 501 housing units. That was down by 11 percent from fourth-quarter 2018 but 24 percent higher than the year before."

"In Florida, filings were down 19 percent from the fourth quarter but up 24 percent for the year. Florida ranked fourth in the nation with one in every 487 homes subject to default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions. Foreclosure starts spiked 65 percent over the year in Florida, a likely result of homeowners in the northern part of the state who suffered economic losses from Hurricane Michael last year."

From Crain's Chicago Business in Illinois. "It's been a tough year so far for the local residential real estate market. Prices are down from a year ago in nearly half of the 121 suburbs Crain's analyzed, and the number of home sales is down in almost two-thirds."

"'This should be a busy time for us,' said Aly Tesar, a Compass agent who focuses on Winnetka. 'But it hasn't been what it should be' this year, she said. 'A lot of buyers are getting cold feet.'"

"The data show a chill in Winnetka's housing market so far this year: Home sales are down more than 16 percent and the median sale price by almost 10 percent. Homes are taking an average of 191 days to sell, 6 percent longer than in the first quarter of 2018. For every suburb winning in this tough climate, two are losing. In 18 suburbs Crain's looked at, including Winnetka, all three metrics worsened in the first quarter compared with last year."

"The slowdown has been a wake-up call of sorts, said Cory Kohut, a Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group agent in Oak Park. Homeowners who just a year or so ago 'saw their neighbors getting multiple offers and selling over the asking price are (finding out) that it's not that way anymore. That petered out.'"

"In Oak Park, both the number of sales and the median sale price saw double-digit drops in the first quarter, with sales there down 11 percent from the first three months of 2018 and median sale prices almost 18 percent. The average time a house spent on the market is 133 days, up from 88 in the first quarter of 2018."

The Denton Record-Chronicle in Texas. "Affordability levels were very poor in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and home sales began to falter as rates ticked higher. The sudden dip in the stock market in December was a wake-up call that the economy was ill-equipped to deal with higher interest rates."

"One of the more interesting developments in the DFW market is that the median price per square foot of new homes was still climbing until it dropped from $135 in February to $133 in March. The average price per square foot of new DFW homes peaked in June at $144, and the average total price of a new DFW home peaked in June 2017 $398,559."

"The community of Beaver Creek is a new home development by LGI Homes catering to many first-time buyers. LGI even offers 100% financing options if you are strapped for a down payment. That no-money-down scenario can become a big problem, however, when a real estate market begins to turn."

"With home prices at record levels in many markets like Denton, creative mortgage financing is creeping back into the market to stimulate sales volumes. LGI Homes has become even more 'creative' with its sales approach, partnering with American Homes 4 Rent, selling new homes to AH4R as the company adds to its massive rental empire."

"Beaver Creek closed what appears to be its first resale transaction last month, and it didn’t go well. Multiple listing service data show that the owner apparently sold the property for several thousand less than what the new home cost in 2018, and this would be before any selling expenses. Ouch!"