A report from Colorado Community Media. "The Denver area’s real estate boom that saw rents and housing prices skyrocket in recent years is slowing down, experts say. Price reductions are becoming more common, Schafer said Jill Schafer, the head of the Denver Metro Association of Realtors’ Market Trends Committee, with high-end homes seeing the biggest shift."

"'There are sellers who overvalue their homes,' Schafer said. 'People can’t price like they could two years ago. For a long time, people didn’t have to do anything to their house and it would sell. Now, you really need to get the place in shape first. It can take months of work to get the highest price.'"

"An experienced real estate agent can recognize red flags, Schafer said, like fix-and-flip properties that have been done poorly, or multi-unit projects that are in trouble. Some projects have too much inventory building up, in some cases because builders are overpricing homes."

From USA Today. "Just a few years ago, more than a third of home buyers didn’t blink at throwing down cold hard cash to make their purchases. But the share of all-cash home buyers has trended down since 2014, and the decline has accelerated in recent months. When competitive bidding was the rage, 'People were cashing in their savings, such as 401(k) plans…in order to beat out' rival bidders who needed mortgages, says Jessica Reinhardt, a broker at RE/MAX Alliance in Denver."

"Many are less eager to buy homes than they were a few years ago on fears that prices may have peaked. 'Investors naturally have become more cautious,' says Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of Realtors."

From Market Watch. "The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is set to eliminate a regulatory loophole that made getting a mortgage more feasible for thousands of Americans. The consumer watchdog agency announced this month that it will allow a temporary provision commonly known as the 'qualified mortgage patch' to expire in January 2021 as originally planned or shortly thereafter."

"This regulatory loophole or 'patch' allowed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase loans where the borrower’s debt-to-income ratio exceeded the standard of 43% set by the Ability to Repay/Qualified Mortgage Rule. In cases where the debt-to-income ratio went above the 43% limit, a loan could still obtain 'QM status' if other factors were considered to ensure a borrower’s ability to repay."

"A March 2019 study from the Urban Institute found that roughly 3.3 million mortgages, equivalent to 9% of the loans sold to Fannie and Freddie between 2014 and 2018, were made possible by the regulatory loophole. Moreover, the policy change’s impact would be most acutely felt by black, Hispanic and low-income Americans. For instance, the Urban Institute report found that black Americans were 29% more likely than borrowers overall to have a Fannie or Freddie loan with a debt-to-income ratio above 43% than below that level."

From The Yonkers Times. "In Westchester County, Q2-2019 marks the third consecutive quarter of luxury home sales ($2 million and higher) declines. From Oct. 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019, the number of homes sold dropped by 28 percent, compared to the previous time period. Luxury sales in the ultra-high end of the market (sales $5 million and higher) suffered the steepest losses in the first half, down by about half or more in Westchester, Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan."

"Supply is inching up in some markets and the number of years it will take to absorb these listings is increasing. Westchester County has seven years of $5 million-plus inventory; Greenwich has more than three years in the ultra-high end."

"'Luxury home sales have declined not only north of NYC, but in many luxury markets, including NYC, the Hamptons and Miami' said Houlihan Lawrence Senior Vice President Anthony Cutugno. 'We bang the drum with the same message in this seller-challenged market – listings that represent value and appeal to buyers’ aesthetic will capture their attention and have the greatest chance of selling.'"

The Ventura County Star in California. "New reports indicate California faces a weakening housing market, and Ventura County is no exception. Jose Luiz Morales, a local real estate agent with RE/MAX Gold Coast Realtors, believes the main reason for the home sale numbers is that potential buyers are being priced out. 'Some people just can’t afford to buy a home anymore,' Morales said. I think that’s true across the state.'"

From Curbed San Francisco in California. "Core Logic summarized housing sales (for both single-family homes and condos) across the Bay Area in June this week and noticed that two counties—Sonoma and Santa Clara—have seen median sale prices decline year over year nearly every month since the start of 2019."

"The number of homes sold in SF and the larger region tumbled compared to last year, down 21.1 percent (to 482 sales) in the city and 12.6 percent (to 7,357) across all nine counties, which is also in line with what’s happened most of 2019. Core Logic economist Andrew LePage points out one trend that’s been overlooked until now: 'Santa Clara and Sonoma [counties] logged annual declines in their overall median sale prices in June. In both cases, this was the fifth consecutive month with a year-over-year decline.'"

The Los Angeles Times in California. "Grammy-nominated singer Michael Feinstein is bringing his historic home out for an encore in Los Feliz. The Tudor Revival-style mansion is back on the market for $14.95 million — down 42.5% from the original asking price of $26 million."

The Miami Herald in Florida. "Late Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez’s Kendale Lakes home has gone into foreclosure. According to court documents, the principal amount owed on the 4,030 square-foot, four-bedroom, three-bathroom home at 3991 SW 128th Ave. is $401,372.11. Add interest plus attorneys fees, inspections and other expenses, and the total amount owed is $519,893.68."

"He purchased the house for approximately $680,000 back in October 2014, three years after being drafted by the Florida Marlins. A final judgment on the home was handed down on July 24; if the accrued costs are not met, a public sale for the property is set for 9 a.m. Sept. 23."