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Real estate pros are having a busy winter. Pending home sales climbed 5.7% over a year ago. Read more from NAR’s latest housing report.

Nearly three-quarters of consumers recently surveyed say that natural disasters are at least “somewhat” factoring into their decision about where and whether to buy or sell.

As inventories of existing homes remain extremely low, more buyers may be pushed into the new-home market.

Total debt for Americans over the age of 70 has jumped 543% over the last two decades. Mortgages are a big part of that debt.

Pockets of distressed properties continue to haunt certain areas, but the recent rise in vacant foreclosures is no cause for concern, economists say.

But be aware: The better your scores are to start with, the more difficult it can be to improve them right away, financial experts say.