A report from the Wall Street Journal. "Home builders say they are fairly upbeat about housing conditions. The stock market suggests otherwise. A gauge of home-builder sentiment in recent months has hovered near its highest level in 11 years. But the housing recovery has sputtered in recent months following a strong start to 2016. And luxury builder Toll Brothers Inc. has felt the pain, with shares down about 9% this year. This comes after Toll cut its gross profit margin guidance in August, when it cited delays in delivering units for its New York luxury condo market. That is problematic for a company like Toll, which depends on the higher-end market more than competitors."

"The company maintained over the summer that it hadn’t seen a change in buying appetite from foreign buyers. 'In New York City, specifically Brooklyn and Manhattan, the market has been relatively flat,' Toll chief Douglas Yearley said on an earnings call in August. 'Given all the gloomy sentiment, this was acceptable.'"

The Alaska Dispatch News. "In the past year, departing oil company executives and employees have bumped up housing inventory in Anchorage, creating a state of stiffer competition among sellers. 'Shell was the biggest player and had the biggest impact with the number of people that they moved out because they shut down their office here completely,' said Bethany Stamper, a realtor at Coldwell Banker. 'We went from very low inventory last year until that announcement was made. Then we saw prices going down and days on the market going up. That was because the amount of inventory available was up.'"

The West Fargo Pioneer in North Dakota. "The White House isn't the only piece of real estate seeing changes after this year. A divisive election is affecting the Fargo-Moorhead housing market. Some may call it a 'buyer's market.' After eight years in the Woodhaven neighborhood the family is soaking up some final memories in the house Mike Wolsky helped customize from scratch. They've already found a new home. In that process, they could be spending this Christmas paying two mortgages. 'Really haven't had a lot of interest so far,' said Wolsky."

"Now more than 45 days on the market, they've slashed the price by $20,000 and still not a single bite. The Wolsky's aren't alone after three especially robust years, realtors say the market is cooling down. 'I'm not sure what's going on with the Fargo market, but it went from being very hot to being very cold all of a sudden,' said Wolsky."

The Philadelphia Inquirer on New Jersey. "The neighborhood's zombie has, at long last, made it through foreclosure and is on the market. A quick tour of the house, which was vacant for nearly 30 months, revealed few surprises. When water and electricity have been turned off for more than two years at a property, you always assume the worst. The good news is that the raccoon family living in the attic has moved. The bad news is that no one has yet dared to open the refrigerator in the kitchen, perhaps waiting until the Ghostbusters have a free moment."

"The state's number of zombie foreclosures is among the nation's highest. The reason is simple: It now takes an average of 1,262 days for a foreclosure to make it through New Jersey's congested legal system, the longest time in any state, according to Attom Data Solutions (formerly RealtyTrac). In September, for example, one in every 691 properties in New Jersey was in foreclosure, even as the national number was one in every 1,600 homes. In Atlantic City, the ratio was one in every 375 houses, Attom Data Solutions reported, a result of the decline of the casino industry and the effect it has had on other employment."

"'There is a tripling effect,' said Patricia Hasson, president and executive director of Clarifi, the financial-counseling and education nonprofit, which has begun counseling troubled Atlantic City borrowers. 'Casino employees lose jobs, they don't go out to eat, restaurants lay off employees,' she said."

The Dow Jones Newswires on Texas. "Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings filed a lawsuit to halt exits from the city's police and fire pension fund following more than $500 million in withdrawals since early August. The retreat by the city's police officers and firefighters is heightening the risk that a major U.S. pension could run out of money. Pension officials say the fund could be insolvent in 10 years."

"Officers say they are pulling their money because of concerns about the financial standing of the Dallas Police and Fire Pension Fund following a series of investment blunders that produced more than half a billion dollars in losses. The fund made an ill-fated foray into real estate that included luxury homes and shopping centers in Hawaii, student housing in Texas and raw land in Idaho and Colorado."