Low housing supply is hindering home sales as we progress through summer. Mortgage application volume is down 11%, but still up 40% from a year ago. CNBC has a breakdown of the current state of things, here.

For many, computing mortgage numbers is confusing and unpleasant. Realtor.com has a short article simplifying the process, with helpful links, here.

Realtor.com has an article today on the best U.S. cities to invest in budget real estate. Included in the top-ten cities are: Jacksonville, FL, (At #1), Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI, and Phoenix, AZ. You can read the report, and see the remainder of the list, here.

The New York Times has a piece on buyers beating out competition on sought-after properties by buying in cash, then securing financing at a later date. Depleting your savings to secure a real estate deal is not a sound investment strategy in most cases, but the article is worth a look. More, here.

The NAR reported that existing home sales were up 1.1% in June to an annual rate of 5.57 million units, the highest level since early 2007. More, here.