This week's housing market had some good news for buyers and sellers alike.

New home sales bounced back in June, rising 1.6% to a pace of 628,000 homes a year — beating expectations after two months of decline. That's a good sign of steady buyer demand.

Home prices kept climbing too. ICE's latest report shows prices up 0.26% from June to July, and 1.7% higher than a year ago. So far this year, prices have grown at roughly a 3% annual pace. That might sound small, but it adds up fast: on a $500,000 home, 3% growth means about $15,000 in extra equity in just one year. That's real money building in the background for homeowners.

Zooming out to the bigger economic picture, tensions overseas are stirring up oil markets. Reports that Iran-backed Houthi forces floated a blockade near Saudi Arabia have raised worries about shipping disruptions, pushing oil prices up and adding some market volatility.

On jobs, weekly unemployment claims dropped to 187,000 — the lowest since 1969 — after hovering between 209,000 and 217,000 the past month. That headline looks great, but it may be a bit misleading: new ID and eligibility checks for unemployment benefits could be delaying or blocking some claims, which may be skewing the numbers lower than reality.