Housing News Archive

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...

Tue, November 25, 8:13 PM

Conforming Loan Limit Rises to $832,750 Amid Lowest Home Price Growth Since 2012 - Tue, November 25, 8:13 PM

Both the FHFA and the S&P/Cotality Case-Shiller home-price indices released new data this week. The message remains consistent: home prices are still higher than a year ago, but the pace of a...

Fri, November 21, 6:45 PM

Small Steps Higher, Same Stubbornly Low Territory for Existing Home Sales - Fri, November 21, 6:45 PM

Existing-home sales posted another modest gain in October, rising 1.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.10 million , according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Sales are n...

Fri, November 21, 6:37 PM

Rising Rates Pull Applications Lower, but Year-Over-Year Gains Hold Firm - Fri, November 21, 6:37 PM

Mortgage applications moved lower last week as rates continued drifting higher for a third straight week. MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending November 14 showed a 5.2% drop in to...

Fri, November 21, 6:01 PM

Builders Slash Prices at Record Pace Despite Slight Sentiment Improvement - Fri, November 21, 6:01 PM

Builder confidence levels are still kicking the same sad little can down the road, just with slightly more enthusiasm. The November National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housin...

Fri, November 14, 6:59 PM

Purchase Demand Near Best Levels Since January 2023 - Fri, November 14, 6:59 PM

Mortgage applications posted a modest increase last week, even as rates ticked slightly higher. According to MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending November 7, total volume rose 0.6...

Fri, October 31, 6:09 PM

Home Price Appreciation Keeps Cooling; New Loan Limits Coming Into Focus - Fri, October 31, 6:09 PM

Both the FHFA and the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller indices released new home-price data this week covering the month of August. The message is unchanged: prices remain higher than a year ago, b...

Fri, October 31, 5:53 PM

Mortgage Applications Responded to Lower Rates, But Things Are Already Changing - Fri, October 31, 5:53 PM

Mortgage applications jumped sharply last week, driven by lower rates and a rebound in refinance activity. According to MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending October 24, total volu...

Fri, October 24, 6:34 PM

Existing Home Sales Rose Last Month, But The Bigger Picture Hasn't Changed - Fri, October 24, 6:34 PM

Existing-home sales climbed modestly in September, rising 1.5% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.06 million , according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Sales were also 4.1...

Fri, October 24, 6:29 PM

Weaker Purchase Demand Offset by Stronger Refis - Fri, October 24, 6:29 PM

Mortgage application activity edged lower last week, driven by purchases, but the decline was marginal compared to recent swings. According to MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending...

Wed, October 15, 1:46 PM

Mortgage Apps Dip, But Demand Still Running Strong After September Surge - Wed, October 15, 1:46 PM

Mortgage application activity declined again last week, though the drop was more moderate than the prior week’s pullback. According to MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending October...

Fri, October 10, 6:22 PM

Refi Demand Ebbs Gradually As Rates Remain Rangebound - Fri, October 10, 6:22 PM

Mortgage application activity declined again last week as refi demand continues pulling back after the surge in mid September. According to MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending Oc...

Fri, October 3, 7:22 PM

4% Gain in Pending Home Sales Isn't Exactly What it Seems - Fri, October 3, 7:22 PM

The National Association of Realtors’ Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)—which tracks contract signings on existing homes—ticked higher in August, but remains locked in the same flat, depressed rang...

Fri, October 3, 7:03 PM

Home Price Growth May be The Lowest in Years, But Home Prices Remain Near All-Time Highs - Fri, October 3, 7:03 PM

Both the FHFA and the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller indices published updated home-price data this week. The message hasn’t changed: prices are still higher than a year ago, but the pace of grow...

Fri, October 3, 6:47 PM

Mortgage Apps Drop Sharply, But It Was Still The 3rd Best Week in 3 Years - Fri, October 3, 6:47 PM

Mortgage application activity dropped sharply last week as higher rates cut into both refinance and purchase demand. According to MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending September 26...

Fri, September 26, 7:01 PM

Nothing New For Existing Home Sales - Fri, September 26, 7:01 PM

Existing-home sales held roughly steady in August after tepid uptick in July. That NAR reported a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.0 million , down 0.2% from July but 1.8% higher than a year...

Fri, September 26, 6:33 PM

Did Rates Have Anything to do With Big Surge in Home Sales? - Fri, September 26, 6:33 PM

New home sales surged in August, breaking a two-year stretch of range-bound activity. The Census Bureau and HUD reported a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 800,000 , up 20.5% from July’s revis...

Fri, September 26, 6:12 PM

Mortgage Apps Barely Advance Thanks to Previous Week's Momentum - Fri, September 26, 6:12 PM

Mortgage application activity technically hit another long-term high last week, but that's only because it was riding the coattails of the previous week's stellar momentum. According to MBA’s Wee...

Fri, September 19, 5:49 PM

Builders Counting on Lower Rates to Break the Traffic Jam - Fri, September 19, 5:49 PM

Builder confidence levels continued kicking a sad little can down the same long and lonesome road. The September National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI...

Fri, September 19, 5:30 PM

Big Drop in Building Permits, But Construction Pace is Still Fairly Steady - Fri, September 19, 5:30 PM

The Census Bureau’s latest Residential Construction report showed a mixed picture for August, highlighted by a sharp drop in building permits. Total housing starts (the groundbreaking phase of co...

Fri, September 19, 4:50 PM

Biggest Jump in Mortgage Applications Since 2021 - Fri, September 19, 4:50 PM

What a difference a week makes for mortgage application demand. As we noted last week, mortgage rates were already trending lower than those captured in the weekly survey numbers from MBA and F...

Wed, September 10, 3:34 PM

Obvious Signs of Life in Mortgage Apps Thanks to Rate Rally - Wed, September 10, 3:34 PM

Mortgage applications jumped 9.2% last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s survey for the week ending September 5, 2025. The results included an adjustment for the Labor Day hol...

Wed, September 3, 7:35 PM

Refi Demand Improves While Purchase Applications Edge Lower - Wed, September 3, 7:35 PM

Mortgage applications decreased modestly last week, with overall volume slipping 1.2%. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey showed a decline in the seasonally adjusted Composite Index...

Wed, August 27, 8:37 PM

Home Prices Still Growing, But at The Slowest Pace Since 2012 - Wed, August 27, 8:37 PM

Both the FHFA and the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller indices published updated home-price data this week. The takeaway remains the same: prices are rising year-over-year, but at an increasingly s...

Wed, August 27, 8:19 PM

New Home Market Remains Stuck in Neutral - Wed, August 27, 8:19 PM

The latest New Home Sales report showed little change in July, with sales holding very close to June’s pace. The seasonally-adjusted annual sales rate came in at 652,000. This marks a -0.6% dip...

Wed, August 27, 7:56 PM

Mixed Mortgage Demand, But Lower Rates Should Help Next Week's Refi Numbers - Wed, August 27, 7:56 PM

Mortgage application activity was little changed last week, with only a fractional decline in overall volume. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey showed a 0.5% decrease in the season...

Thu, August 21, 2:53 PM

Existing Home Market Still Crawling Along The Bottom Despite Modest Bounce - Thu, August 21, 2:53 PM

After sliding back in June, existing-home sales picked up in July. The latest update, released August 21, shows a modest rebound. Sales rose 2.0% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.01 mi...

Wed, August 20, 4:39 PM

Mortgage Applications Inconsequentially Lower vs Last Week - Wed, August 20, 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, August 19, 7:17 PM

Incentives Rise as Builder Confidence Matches 2022 Low - Tue, August 19, 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, August 19, 6:51 PM

Multifamily Construction Surge Masks Weaker Building Permit Pipeline - Tue, August 19, 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...

We Make Home Happen.™

We Make Home Happen.™