A report from the South Florida Business Journal. "New foreclosure lawsuits increased by double digits in South Florida during the first quarter, according to Attom Data Solutions. The company found 2,860 foreclosure lawsuits started in the tri-county area, up from 2,444 in the fourth quarter and 1,716 from the first quarter of 2018. That’s an increase of 17% and 67%, respectively."

"Foreclosure actions – counting lawsuit filings, notices of auction and repossession – numbered 5,537 in South Florida in the first quarter. That's down 19 percent from the fourth quarter, but up 24 percent from the first quarter of 2018. There was one foreclosure action for every 453 homes, the 18th-highest foreclosure rate in the country. The highest foreclosure rates were in Atlantic City, New Jersey (one in 177 homes); Lakeland (one in 338 homes); and Trenton, New Jersey (one in 345 homes)."

From NUVO in Indiana. "Lawmakers in the Indiana House avoided all proposed changes to a bill to expand payday and subprime loan products as it was reviewed Thursday. Rep. Ryan Hatfield, D-Evansville, blamed the subprime and payday loan options that SB 613 seeks to expand for the 2008 financial crisis, which devastated the national housing market and disrupted individual lives."

"'Hoosiers in all of our districts lost their homes, had to file for bankruptcy and were caught in a downward spiral that this bill perpetuates,' Hatfield said. 'And this amendment speeds that up.'"

The Journal Sentinel in Wisconsin. "Just as the peak season for home buying and selling kicks off this month, a quarterly report shows sales were down 7.6 percent to start the new year in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties. Sales fell in all four counties in the January-through-March quarter, with Washington County recording the biggest percentage drop-off as closings declined to 291 from 380 in the same period last year — a 23.4 percent slide."

"Mike Ruzicka, president of the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors, noted that while the market has slowed, it is coming off of several years of high levels of residential real estate sales. With a olid jobs climate and low mortgage rates, the metro area has enjoyed a strong sales market since 2015. But now, he said, the lack of listings under $300,000 is 'throttling' higher sales."

"'I think that buyers and people just in general — and maybe it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy — are kind of thinking everyone’s talking about a recession coming up in the next year, 18 months, two years,' he said. 'They are assessing where are we, where am I in my life, is there any danger of losing my job or being foreclosed on or whatever people consider when they think things that might be turning coming up.'"

"Prices now are higher than their pre-recession levels in all four metro Milwaukee counties. Higher home prices are another factor persuading some would-be buyers to keep renting, further contributing to the slowdown, real estate professionals say."

"Said Ruzicka: 'The real estate market is certainly not as efficient as the stock market. Prices don’t turn on a dime or a moment’s notice. And it takes 18 months to two years to move the ship in any direction. But what’s interesting is we’ve had this tight demand situation for a quite a while and there isn’t anybody or any organization or entity that can alleviate it. It’s almost like a certain dysfunction in the market right now that is going to take time to work out.'"

From The Real Deal on New York. "Some price cuts will be necessary to stay competitive. In the broader Manhattan condo market, the listing discount widened to 8.8 percent in the first quarter from 4.4 percent a year earlier, according to Douglas Elliman. And as sales fell 3.2 percent year over year, the entry threshold to the luxury market also dipped 3.2 percent to $3.825 million."

"As the median closing price has varied quarter by quarter, the median asking price in the area has ranged from $5.3 million to $5.9 million between the beginning of 2016 through the beginning of last year, before dipping below the $5 million mark. To some, that’s a sign of more price shifts to come."

"The market is in a different place now, said Sean Murphy Turner, a broker at Stribling & Associates. And projects like the Getty and HFZ Capital Group’s the XI, with 236 units, are going after similar buyers. 'Maybe the timing’s a little bit off,' she said. 'There are so many options. Is it just too much ultra-luxury product for buyers to think about?'"

"There are more prices changes to come, Fran Katzen, a broker at Douglas Elliman predicted, but brokers have to strike the right balance. 'It’s impacting developers’ bottom line,' she said. 'We’re now dealing with a new market, but you don’t want it to seem like a fire sale.'"

The San Francisco Chronicle in California. "The official listing for a 1912 home at 280 Panoramic Way calls the architectural style 'custom.' This thoroughly custom abode has been in the same family for three decades-plus. It could be yours now for $3.9 million. Update: this pretty home has had a price drop. As of 4/11/2019, the price is now $3.6 million."