Your weekend long reads 🗞️

Happy Saturday, friends of The Short List! It's John, wishing you a larger-than-life weekend.

If you've been looking to buy or sell a home recently, then you know: It's tough out there! U.S. home prices rose in February at the fastest pace in nearly 15 years. Wealthier Americans, seeking greater comfort during their COVID-19 confinement, have been snapping up pricey, larger properties. Lower-priced homes, meanwhile, are extra-scarce from a combination of low inventory and increasing prices. As a result, it's harder for many Americans to buy their first homes, and that missed opportunity can widen the wealth gap, economists say.

This week's long reads, all by Paste BN Housing and Economy reporter Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, examine how Americans are enduring the red-hot housing market.

• The housing market is a tale of two Americas and first-time buyers are struggling
• Shop with an app, watch movies with an app. Why not sell your home with an app, too?
• Searching for a home? These are the top 20 U.S. housing markets

There are more long reads below.

Oh, and a quick PSA: Tomorrow is Mother's Day. Don't forget to show her you appreciate all she does.