"South dominates hottest and coldest housing markets in the US"

Despite a rise in mortgage rates and an inventory squeeze, many real estate markets in the South are still seeing strong demand from home buyers, with the five hottest housing markets in the US all located in the Sun Belt. The Southeast's comparatively affordable prices are attractive to buyers moving in from more expensive parts of the country, but the still-strong values create challenges for first-time buyers. Conversely, the three "coldest" housing markets and metro areas in the US ranked by Bankrate were Chico, Calif., Shreveport-Bossier City, La., and Medford, Ore.