Housing News Archive

Fri, 5:27 PM

Inventory Builds as New Home Sales Cool in April - Fri, 5:27 PM

New home sales pulled back in April after stronger readings in the prior two months. According to the latest Census Bureau and HUD data, sales of new single-family homes fell to a seasonally adju...

Fri, 5:20 PM

No Surprise: Last Week's Higher Rates Hit Refinance Demand - Fri, 5:20 PM

Mortgage applications fell sharply last week as higher borrowing costs continued to pressure refinance demand, while purchase activity showed a bit more resilience. The Mortgage Bankers Associati...

Fri, 4:25 PM

Annual Home Price Appreciation Staying Positive, But Just Barely - Fri, 4:25 PM

Home price appreciation slowed further in March and through the first quarter of 2026, according to the latest data from both FHFA and the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Indices. Wh...

Fri, May 22, 4:36 PM

Builders Breaking Ground at Fastest Pace in 2 Years - Fri, May 22, 4:36 PM

Residential construction activity was mixed again in April, as building permits rebounded while housing starts pulled back modestly from March’s stronger pace. The latest Census Bureau data con...

Fri, May 22, 4:31 PM

Borrowers Shift Toward ARMs as Fixed Rates Climb - Fri, May 22, 4:31 PM

Mortgage applications pulled back last week as rising rates weighed on homebuyer demand, while refinance activity remained largely flat. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a 2.3% de...

Fri, May 22, 4:04 PM

Builder Sentiment Improves Slightly as Mortgage Rates Continue to Weigh on Demand - Fri, May 22, 4:04 PM

Builder confidence improved modestly in May, though sentiment remained subdued as elevated mortgage rates , affordability pressures, and broader economic uncertainty continued to weigh on the ho...

Fri, May 15, 6:12 PM

April Housing Inflation Data Fills in The Dots That Went Missing During The Government Shutdown - Fri, May 15, 6:12 PM

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released a highly technical research paper this week examining how the agency handled missing shelter inflation data during the October 2025 government funding laps...

Fri, May 15, 6:04 PM

Servicer Retention Fell in Q1, But Remains at Multi-Year Highs - Fri, May 15, 6:04 PM

Refinance activity continued to recover in the first quarter of 2026, but mortgage servicers retained a smaller share of borrowers despite the stronger lending environment, according to the lates...

Fri, May 15, 5:58 PM

Existing-Home Sales Flat Year Over Year Despite Inventory Gains - Fri, May 15, 5:58 PM

Existing-home sales edged slightly higher in April, stabilizing after March’s decline as improving affordability and increased inventory provided modest support for buyers. Sales increased 0.2% ...

Fri, May 15, 5:52 PM

Purchase Activity Lifts Mortgage Applications Despite Higher Rates - Fri, May 15, 5:52 PM

Mortgage applications increased modestly last week, as stronger purchase activity more than offset a slight decline in refinances. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a 1.7% increase...

Fri, May 8, 4:56 PM

Higher Rates Hit Mortgage Apps, But Only Modestly - Fri, May 8, 4:56 PM

Mortgage applications declined last week, reversing some of the prior period’s gains as rates climbed to their highest level in a month. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a 4.4% de...

Fri, May 8, 4:30 PM

2-Month Glut of Data Brings New Home Sales Back to Center of The Range - Fri, May 8, 4:30 PM

New home sales moved higher in March and February. Both months were reported on a single day this week as the Census Bureau continues catching up from the government shutdown. After dropp...

Thu, April 30, 6:11 PM

March Housing Starts Surge 10.8% as Permits Slide - Thu, April 30, 6:11 PM

Residential construction activity moved in opposite directions in March, as housing starts posted a strong rebound while building permits fell sharply from the previous month’s elevated pace. The...

Thu, April 30, 5:46 PM

Purchase Applications Rise Again Despite Higher Rates and Fewer Refis - Thu, April 30, 5:46 PM

Mortgage applications eased modestly last week, giving back a small portion of the prior week’s sharp gains as rates moved slightly higher. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a 1.6%...

Thu, April 30, 5:15 PM

Home Prices Edge Higher, But Momentum Continues to Fade - Thu, April 30, 5:15 PM

Home price appreciation remained subdued in early 2026, according to the latest data from both FHFA and S&P Cotality Case-Shiller. The two reports show prices still edging higher nationally, ...

Fri, April 24, 5:04 PM

Same Old Story For Pending Home Sales - Fri, April 24, 5:04 PM

Short version: The Pending Home Sales Index remains in the same low, narrow, sideways range that's been intact for 3 years. The good news is that there's been a reliable floor. The bad news is...

Fri, April 24, 4:49 PM

Strong Purchase Demand Drives Solid Week For Mortgage Applications - Fri, April 24, 4:49 PM

Mortgage applications surged last week, posting a strong rebound as declining rates and improving market sentiment drove broad-based gains. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a 7.9%...

Fri, April 17, 6:17 PM

Builder Sentiment Drops to Seven-Month Low in April - Fri, April 17, 6:17 PM

Builder confidence fell sharply in April as rising costs and economic uncertainty weighed on sentiment heading into the spring buying season. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Well...

Fri, April 17, 6:13 PM

Mortgage Application Demand Finally Bounces - Fri, April 17, 6:13 PM

Mortgage applications ticked higher last week, reversing recent declines as easing rates provided a modest boost to activity. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a 1.8% increase on ...

Fri, April 17, 5:49 PM

Existing Home Sales Remain Flat in The Bigger Picture - Fri, April 17, 5:49 PM

Existing-home sales pulled back in March, reversing February’s modest gains as affordability pressures and rising mortgage rates continued to weigh on buyer activity. Sales fell 3.6% to a sea...

Fri, April 10, 5:30 PM

Mortgage Demand Contracted at a Slower Pace Last Week - Fri, April 10, 5:30 PM

Mortgage applications dipped again last week, though the pace of decline slowed considerably. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a 0.8% decrease on a seasonally adjusted basis for ...

Wed, April 1, 6:58 PM

Another Big Drop in Refi Demand, But Still Higher Year Over Year - Wed, April 1, 6:58 PM

Mortgage applications fell for the third consecutive week amid an increasingly volatile rate environment. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a decrease of 10.4% on a seasona...

Fri, March 27, 5:44 PM

No Surprise: Refi Demand Sapped by Rate Spike - Fri, March 27, 5:44 PM

Mortgage application activity declined for the second consecutive week as rising interest rates continued to weigh on demand. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a decrease of 10.5...

Fri, March 20, 6:15 PM

New Home Sales Plunge to 3-Year Lows - Fri, March 20, 6:15 PM

New home sales took a notable step back in January, reversing much of the prior month’s strength and highlighting the volatility that often defines this data series. The Census Bureau reported a ...

Fri, March 20, 6:08 PM

Reality Check For Refi Demand - Fri, March 20, 6:08 PM

NOTE: the rates discussed in this article are from MBA's weekly survey and pertain to last week. This week's rates have already moved significantly higher according to our daily data. Mor...

Fri, March 20, 6:05 PM

Builder Confidence Inches Higher Amid Affordability Concerns - Fri, March 20, 6:05 PM

Builder confidence ticked slightly higher in March according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), though sentiment remains subdued as afford...

Fri, March 13, 5:16 PM

Purchase Applications Buoy Mortgage Demand Amid Rising Rates - Fri, March 13, 5:16 PM

Mortgage application activity continued to move higher last week, though the pace slowed considerably as financial markets turned volatile and mortgage rates moved back up from their recent low...

Fri, March 13, 5:13 PM

Modest Recovery Keeps Existing Home Sales in The Same Old Range - Fri, March 13, 5:13 PM

Existing-home sales rebounded modestly in February, recovering some ground after January’s sharp pullback, while improving affordability and slowly expanding inventory helped support buyer activi...

Fri, March 6, 8:00 PM

Highest Refi Demand in 4 Years After Last Week's Rate Rally - Fri, March 6, 8:00 PM

Mortgage application activity surged last week in response to headlines of mortgage rates stably holding multi-year lows. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported an increase of 11.0% ...

Fri, February 27, 6:27 PM

Mortgage Demand Calm Before The Storm? - Fri, February 27, 6:27 PM

Mortgage application activity edged ever-so-slightly higher last week, with the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reporting an increase of 0.4% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week endi...

Fri, February 27, 6:10 PM

Home Prices Still Rising, But Pace Remains Subdued - Fri, February 27, 6:10 PM

Home price appreciation pulled back slightly at the end of last year, according to December data from both FHFA and S&P/Cotality Case-Shiller. The reports reinforce the message that prices co...

Fri, February 20, 7:47 PM

New Home Sales Remain Near Recent Highs - Fri, February 20, 7:47 PM

If there's one housing market metric that paints a brighter picture than the rest, it's New Home Sales data from the Census Bureau. At 745,000, it eased slightly from an upwardly-revised annual r...

Fri, February 20, 7:42 PM

Pending Sales Dip as Affordability Gains Fail to Spark Demand - Fri, February 20, 7:42 PM

The National Association of Realtors’ Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) slipped modestly in January, easily prolonging its stay in a narrow range near all-time lows. Pending home sales decreased...

Wed, February 18, 9:13 PM

Residential Construction Finds Footing in December - Wed, February 18, 9:13 PM

What goes down must come up? Definitely not always the case, but true this time for residential construction numbers. The Census Bureau’s latest report showed a rebound in December, with both hou...

Wed, February 18, 9:00 PM

Higher Refi Demand Buoys Mortgage Apps as Rates Hit Lows - Wed, February 18, 9:00 PM

Mortgage application activity picked up last week with the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reporting an increase of 2.8% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending February 13. Ref...

Wed, February 18, 8:47 PM

Builder Confidence Remains Subdued - Wed, February 18, 8:47 PM

Builder confidence fell for the second straight month in February according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Affordability pressures and...

Fri, February 13, 6:54 PM

Not So Fast: January Existing-Home Sales Give Back December’s Gains - Fri, February 13, 6:54 PM

Existing-home sales pulled back sharply in January, quickly dashing any hopes that December’s year-end rebound brought, as harsh winter weather and still-tight supply conditions weighed on activi...

Wed, February 11, 7:03 PM

Calmer Week For Mortgage Apps - Wed, February 11, 7:03 PM

Mortgage application activity was essentially flat last week, almost impressively so. After much recent volatility, the index is finding a brief moment of stability, and borrowers seem content co...

Fri, February 6, 4:32 PM

Winter Weather Puts Purchase Applications on Ice - Fri, February 6, 4:32 PM

Mortgage application activity moved lower again last week, extending the pullback from January’s earlier burst of demand as weather disruptions and softening purchase activity weighed on overall ...

Fri, January 30, 7:09 PM

November Was Best Month of Home Price Appreciation in More Than a Year - Fri, January 30, 7:09 PM

Both the FHFA and the S&P/Cotality Case-Shiller home price indices released November data this week, and the combined message is that home price appreciation continues doing better than it ha...

Fri, January 30, 6:59 PM

Logical Pull-Back in Mortgage Apps as Rates Rebound - Fri, January 30, 6:59 PM

Mortgage application activity retreated a bit last week following two weeks of unusually strong volume, although holiday timing played a meaningful role in the weekly comparison. The Mortgage B...

Fri, January 23, 7:27 PM

Unsurprising Surge in Refi Demand Pushes Mortgage Apps Past 3 Year High - Fri, January 23, 7:27 PM

Mortgage applications continued to ride the waves from last week's dip in rates, extending the surge that followed early-January rate volatility. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported t...

Fri, January 16, 7:23 PM

Builder Sentiment Survey Not Yet Reflecting Recent Rate Changes - Fri, January 16, 7:23 PM

Builder confidence slipped to start the year, with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) falling two points to 37 in January. The erasure of Dece...

Wed, January 14, 5:52 PM

Existing-Home Sales Jump 5.1% in December, Strongest Pace in Nearly Three Years - Wed, January 14, 5:52 PM

Existing-home sales posted a notable year-end rebound in December, jumping 5.1% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.35 million , according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). ...

Wed, January 14, 5:37 PM

Bond Buying Announcement Leads Surge in Mortgage Apps - Wed, January 14, 5:37 PM

As we reported last week , the announcement that Fannie and Freddie would buy $200bln in mortgage-backed securities led to a precipitous drop in rates last week. For most of Friday, the top tier...

Fri, December 19, 6:55 PM

Highest Existing Home Sales in 8 Months But Don't Get Excited - Fri, December 19, 6:55 PM

Existing-home sales extended their recent stabilization in November, rising 0.5% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.13 million , according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). T...

Fri, December 19, 6:39 PM

Three Straight Months of Improvement in Builder Confidence, But There's a Catch - Fri, December 19, 6:39 PM

The December National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) edged up one point to 39. This is the 3rd straight month of improvement in the index--a developmen...

Fri, December 19, 6:33 PM

Mortgage Apps Still Strong vs Last Year, But Down Slightly Last Week - Fri, December 19, 6:33 PM

Seasonally adjusted mortgage application activity declined 3.8% last week, according to MBA’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending December 12. Unadjusted applications fell 5% ...

Wed, December 10, 8:52 PM

Mortgage Apps Bounce Back, Led By Refi Reversal - Wed, December 10, 8:52 PM

Seasonally adjusted mortgage application activity rose 4.8% last week, according to MBA’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending December 5. Unadjusted applications jumped 49% fr...

Fri, December 5, 6:43 PM

Mortgage Apps Ebb Despite Strongest Purchase Demand in Years - Fri, December 5, 6:43 PM

Seasonally adjusted mortgage application activity edged 1.4% lower last week according to MBA’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending November 28. Unadjusted applications were d...

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