Housing News Archive

Wed, 4:39 PM

Mortgage Applications Inconsequentially Lower vs Last Week - Wed, 4:39 PM

Mortgage application activity eased last week, but not in a statistically significant way. One might be inclined to note a very slight uptick in mortgage rates , but it's just as fair to s...

Tue, 7:17 PM

Incentives Rise as Builder Confidence Matches 2022 Low - Tue, 7:17 PM

Builder sentiment remains deeply subdued, as the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo’s Housing Market Index (HMI) dipped one point in August to 32—its 16th straight month...

Tue, 6:51 PM

Multifamily Construction Surge Masks Weaker Building Permit Pipeline - Tue, 6:51 PM

The latest Residential Construction report from the Census Bureau showed a sharp rebound in July, with overall housing starts climbing 5.2% to a 1.428 million annual pace. Multifamily activity le...

Wed, August 13, 1:51 PM

Refi Demand Surged as Rates Hit Longer-Term Lows - Wed, August 13, 1:51 PM

Mortgage application activity surged last week as sharply lower mortgage rates boosted refinance demand and gave purchase applications a modest lift. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly s...

Fri, August 8, 5:16 PM

Falling Rates Spark Modest Rebound in Mortgage Applications - Fri, August 8, 5:16 PM

Mortgage application activity rebounded last week as falling rates boosted both purchase and refinance demand. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey for the week ending August 1, 2025,...

Fri, August 1, 7:28 PM

Mortgage Applications Fall as Rates Held Near Highs - Fri, August 1, 7:28 PM

Mortgage application activity fell last week, reversing prior momentum and highlighting continued softness in both purchase and refinance demand. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey ...

Fri, August 1, 6:07 PM

Pending Home Sales Slip Again, Underscoring Market Stagnation - Fri, August 1, 6:07 PM

The National Association of Realtors’ Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)—which tracks contract signings on existing homes—has remained rangebound for more than two years, constrained by affordabilit...

Fri, August 1, 5:48 PM

Home Prices Still Rising Year-Over-Year, But Momentum Is Fading - Fri, August 1, 5:48 PM

Both the FHFA and Case‑Shiller released the latest update on home price appreciation this week. Actually, in the current case, it's more like home price depreciation (at least in month over month...

Thu, July 24, 7:54 PM

Buyers See More Choices, Lower Prices in New Home Market - Thu, July 24, 7:54 PM

The latest New Home Sales report (released today) shows a slight uptick in June after last month’s sharp drop. The seasonally‑adjusted annual sales pace rose to 627,000. This represents a modes...

Wed, July 23, 3:40 PM

High Prices and Rates Keep Home Sales Near Cycle Lows - Wed, July 23, 3:40 PM

Two months ago, existing home sales hit a five-month low. Last month’s report showed a minor rebound. This month’s update, released July 23, shows a return to weakness. Sales declined 2.7% in J...

Wed, July 23, 1:01 PM

Mortgage Apps Eke Out Small Gain Thanks to Purchase Activity - Wed, July 23, 1:01 PM

Mortgage application activity managed a modest increase last week despite slightly higher rates. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly survey showed a 0.8% rise in the seasonally adjust...

Fri, July 18, 7:05 PM

Rising Rates Hit Mortgage Apps, But Pace Remains Better Than 2024 - Fri, July 18, 7:05 PM

Mortgage application activity dropped sharply last week as rates moved higher, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest survey. The Composite Index fell 10.0% on a seasonally ...

Fri, July 18, 6:51 PM

Builder Outlook Ticks Up Despite More Price Cuts and Less Buyer Traffic - Fri, July 18, 6:51 PM

Builders are placing their better days in the future according to the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo's latest Housing Market Index (HMI). Buoyed by longer-run expecta...

Fri, July 18, 6:41 PM

Builders Breaking More Ground, But Not on Single Family Homes - Fri, July 18, 6:41 PM

The latest Residential Construction report from the Census Bureau showed a mixed bag for June, with a modest gain in overall housing starts driven by a rebound in multifamily construction, while ...

Wed, July 9, 1:17 PM

Big Jump in Mortgage Demand, But Rates Are Already Rising Again - Wed, July 9, 1:17 PM

Mortgage application activity bounced higher last week following a drop in rates to the lowest levels in 3 months. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly survey showed a 9.4% increase in...

Thu, July 3, 2:41 PM

Refis Pick Up Steam as Rate Relief Returns - Thu, July 3, 2:41 PM

Mortgage application activity moved higher last week as rates declined to the lowest levels since April, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest survey. The Composite Index r...

Fri, June 27, 3:36 PM

Pending Home Sales Data Scores Some Points, But Not Enough to Change The Game - Fri, June 27, 3:36 PM

The National Association of Realtors' Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)—which tracks contract signings on existing homes—has remained rangebound for more than two years, constrained by affordabilit...

Fri, June 27, 3:06 PM

New Home Sales Drop to Lower End of Range After Hitting The Highs Last Month - Fri, June 27, 3:06 PM

New Home Sales fell sharply in May according to the latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD. After a brief surge in April, the seasonally adjusted annual pace dropped to 623,000—down 13...

Fri, June 27, 2:48 PM

Mortgage Applications Buoyed by FHA Refis - Fri, June 27, 2:48 PM

Mortgage application activity moved slightly higher last week despite a modest uptick in rates, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest survey. The Composite Index rose 1.1% ...

Fri, June 27, 2:34 PM

Existing Home Sales Tick Up Slightly, but Remain Near 6-Month Lows - Fri, June 27, 2:34 PM

Two months ago, existing home sales reached the highest levels in a year according to the National Association of Realtors. Last month’s report showed a noticeable dip to 5‑month lows. The latest...

Tue, June 24, 7:00 PM

Home Prices Fell More Than Expected in April - Tue, June 24, 7:00 PM

Both the FHFA and Case‑Shiller home price indices were released today. While the data collection time frame is from April, they each suggest a similar shift is underway when adjusting for seasona...

Fri, June 20, 6:08 PM

Housing Starts Slide in May, But Single-Family Holds Steady - Fri, June 20, 6:08 PM

The latest Residential Construction report from the Census Bureau showed a noticeable drop in overall housing starts in May, though single-family activity managed a small gain. Building permits a...

Fri, June 20, 5:32 PM

Mortgage Applications Slip Despite Lower Rates - Fri, June 20, 5:32 PM

Mortgage application activity declined modestly last week despite a drop in rates, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest survey. The Composite Index fell 2.6% on a seasonal...

Fri, June 20, 5:23 PM

Homebuilder Sentiment Just a Bit Gloomier - Fri, June 20, 5:23 PM

Builder sentiment declined for the second straight month according to the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo's latest Housing Market Index (HMI). The headline index dropp...

Fri, June 13, 4:49 PM

Purchase Demand Near 2 Year Highs; Refis Bounce Back - Fri, June 13, 4:49 PM

After a Memorial Day-induced lull, mortgage application activity rebounded sharply last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest survey. Both purchase and refinance dema...

Fri, June 6, 6:22 PM

Application Demand Ebbs For Both Purchases and Refis - Fri, June 6, 6:22 PM

The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest survey showed a pullback in mortgage applications, with rates dipping slightly after a three-week climb. The week’s numbers were also affected by t...

Fri, May 30, 10:03 PM

Pending Home Sales Slip, But the Broader Story Remains the Same - Fri, May 30, 10:03 PM

The National Association of Realtors' Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)—which tracks contract signings on existing homes—has spent more than two years stuck in a rut, held back by affordability con...

Fri, May 30, 9:43 PM

Purchase and Refi Demand Diverge Again - Fri, May 30, 9:43 PM

The Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) weekly application survey continues to track closely with the more granular daily rate data from MND. Both showed mortgage rates climbing to new multi-m...

Fri, May 30, 8:59 PM

Home Prices Falling or Growing Less Quickly? - Fri, May 30, 8:59 PM

Both FHFA and Case Shiller released home price data this week with some mixed messages for the housing market. The first thing to remember about the major home price indices is that they run abou...

Fri, May 23, 7:07 PM

New Home Sales at 3 Year High, Maybe... - Fri, May 23, 7:07 PM

The Census Bureau reported New Home Sales for April today, and at face value, the news is good. Economists expected an annual pace of 692k, but were instead treated to a surprisingly high 7...

Fri, May 23, 6:17 PM

No Major Change For Existing Home Sales - Fri, May 23, 6:17 PM

Two months ago, existing home sales came in at the highest levels in a year according the the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Last month's report showed a fairly sharp decline to 5 month ...

Fri, May 23, 5:39 PM

Mortgage Demand Impacted by Rising Rates - Fri, May 23, 5:39 PM

The Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) weekly application survey has been doing a good job of tracking with the more granular daily rate data from MND. Both are in agreement that rates were on ...

Fri, May 16, 8:11 PM

Housing Starts Buoyed By Multi-Family Sector - Fri, May 16, 8:11 PM

The Census Bureau is out with monthly construction numbers for April showing an uptick in construction activity offset by slightly lower permitting. While there are several other metrics in...

Fri, May 16, 7:52 PM

Builder Confidence Near Post-Pandemic Lows, But Timing is Everything - Fri, May 16, 7:52 PM

The National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo released the monthly Housing Market Index (HMI) this week, showing builder confidence falling to the lowest levels since 2023. ...

Fri, May 16, 6:16 PM

Purchase Demand Moves Back Toward 2 Year High; Refis Hold Steady - Fri, May 16, 6:16 PM

Home purchase demand improved improved last week according to the MBA mortgage application survey. The improvement over the previous week was fairly modest, but the index was already the 4th high...

Fri, May 2, 7:00 PM

Home Price Appreciation Remains, But Interesting Trend Emerges - Fri, May 2, 7:00 PM

Both of the major purveyors of home price indices have been in agreement for the better part of a year that the average home is appreciating between 4 and 5 percent per year. The FH...

Fri, May 2, 6:28 PM

Mortgage Applications Contract Slightly, But Remain Above 2 Year Average - Fri, May 2, 6:28 PM

Mortgage rates were in the process of falling by the end of last week, but they made additional headway during the first half of the present week. That means this week's mortgage applicati...

Fri, April 25, 7:54 PM

Existing Home Sales at 5 Month Lows - Fri, April 25, 7:54 PM

As is the case for the monthly data on New Home Sales from the Census Bureau, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Existing Home Sales report does not make for exciting news these days. It'...

Fri, April 25, 7:19 PM

New Home Sales Running Near Highest Pace Since 2022 - Fri, April 25, 7:19 PM

The Census Bureau released March New Home Sales data this week, and it was near the best levels seen since early 2022. Before you get too excited about that, a caveat is in order. Sim...

Fri, April 25, 7:01 PM

Mortgage Applications Dropped Sharply in Response to The Recent Rate Spike - Fri, April 25, 7:01 PM

After the big spike seen 2 weeks ago, mortgage rates remained elevated enough to greatly dampen the demand for refinancing according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) weekly applicati...

Thu, April 17, 8:02 PM

Don't Read Too Much Into Builder Confidence (Yet) - Thu, April 17, 8:02 PM

The National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo publish the Housing Market Index (HMI) each month, otherwise known simply as "builder confidence." This month's index came ou...

Thu, April 17, 7:32 PM

Home Construction Remains Volatile Despite Steady Flow of Building Permits - Thu, April 17, 7:32 PM

One would think that the pace of new residential construction largely mirrors the pace of filings for building permits. And while that is generally true in the bigger picture, there can be notice...

Thu, April 17, 6:18 PM

Mortgage Applications Pull Back From 5 Month Highs - Thu, April 17, 6:18 PM

The Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) mortgage application survey was at the highest combined level since October in last week's data--a move largely driven by the a sharp drop in interest ra...

Fri, April 4, 6:59 PM

Mortgage Applications Ebbed This Week, But Next Week Could Be a Different Story - Fri, April 4, 6:59 PM

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released the latest mortgage application data this week showing a modest 1.6% decrease from the previous week. A slight uptick in purchase application...

Fri, March 28, 9:16 PM

Pending Home Sales Crack Half-Hearted Smile Amid Longer Term Depression - Fri, March 28, 9:16 PM

The National Association of Realtors' Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) tracks purchase contract signings that have not yet turned into Existing Home Sales. Things haven't been going well for eithe...

Fri, March 28, 8:19 PM

Purchase Applications Improve; Refinancing Ebbs - Fri, March 28, 8:19 PM

This week's update on refinance application demand accurately reflects the fact that rates came into the week near their recent highs, but managed to fall in line with recent lows several days la...

Fri, March 28, 7:52 PM

New Home Sales Should Come With a Warning - Fri, March 28, 7:52 PM

It's not uncommon for certain medications to come with warnings about avoiding certain activities like driving or operating heavy machinery due to the risk of drowsiness. But medications aren't t...

Fri, March 28, 7:29 PM

Home Price Growth Remains Drama-Free - Fri, March 28, 7:29 PM

There are two dominant home price indices released each month in the U.S. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is responsible for the most all-inclusive tally of home prices via its Ho...

Fri, March 21, 8:04 PM

Highest Existing Home Sales in a Year - Fri, March 21, 8:04 PM

As is the case with a majority of housing and mortgage market data these days, the Existing Home Sales data from NAR is heavily dependent on context. To be sure, the headline is true. You'd have ...

Fri, March 21, 7:49 PM

Refi Demand Remains Elevated, But Off Recent Highs - Fri, March 21, 7:49 PM

The Mortgage Bankers Association conducts a weekly survey on the level of mortgage applications, both for purchases and refinances. Both data series continue to be a tale of two decidedly d...

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