Housing News Archive

Today, 12:35 PM

Refinancing Volume Highest in Nearly Two Years - Today, 12:35 PM

Mortgage application activity staged a moderately strong recovery from the previous holiday-shortened week, although the recovery was attributable solely to the refinance side of the business. ...

Tue, 7:09 PM

Rates Continue to Depress Builders as Well as Sales - Tue, 7:09 PM

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) blamed high interest for lagging new home sales and the resulting dampened industry confidence in building them. NAHB chief economist Robert Deitz...

Wed, July 10, 12:06 PM

Higher Rates Suppress Mortgage Application Volume - Wed, July 10, 12:06 PM

Mortgage applications declined slightly on a seasonally adjusted basis last week but plummeted on an unadjusted basis during the July 4th week. The week’s results include an additional adjustment...

Wed, July 3, 12:20 PM

Refinance Volume Proves Brighter than Last Year - Wed, July 3, 12:20 PM

Higher interest rates knocked mortgage application volume back last week. But, while purchase volume appears to lose ground year-over-year, refinancing activity is steadily improving compared t...

Wed, June 26, 3:28 PM

Inventories Expand as New Home Sales Fall - Wed, June 26, 3:28 PM

May turned out to be a dismal month for home sales. Sales of existing homes dipped a modest 0.7 percent from April, but new home sales fared far worse. The U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Ho...

Wed, June 26, 12:08 PM

Mortgage Application Volume Not Impressed by Lower Rates - Wed, June 26, 12:08 PM

Slightly lower mortgage rates failed to impress potential borrowers last week. The Mortgage Bankers Association said its Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, t...

Tue, June 25, 4:01 PM

Has the Home Price Slide Ended? - Tue, June 25, 4:01 PM

Two major home price indexes had very different conclusions about the growth of annual home prices in April, but each showed a significant month-over-month uptick. The S&P CoreLogic C...

Thu, June 20, 3:45 PM

Housing Permits and Starts Drift Lower - Thu, June 20, 3:45 PM

The rate of both construction permitting and residential construction starts fell in May, with permitting losing ground for the third straight month. The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of ...

Thu, June 20, 12:31 PM

Purchase Activity Rises, MBA Forecasts More of Same - Thu, June 20, 12:31 PM

There was a slight increase in mortgage application volume during the week ended June 14. For a change, it was accounted for by the home purchasing component. The Mortgage Bankers Associ...

Wed, June 12, 12:14 PM

Mortgage Application Volume Bouncing Back as Rates Fall - Wed, June 12, 12:14 PM

Mortgage application activity recovered nicely last week from a downturn during the previous holiday-shortened week, helped by a temporary drop in interest rates . The Mortgage Bankers Associat...

Wed, June 5, 11:00 AM

First-Time Homebuyers are Shoring up Market - Wed, June 5, 11:00 AM

Interest rates , along with the distraction of a three-day weekend, further slowed the mortgage market last week. Tho Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reports that its Market Composite Index, a...

Thu, May 30, 4:30 PM

Pending Home Sales Post a 7.7 Percent Drop - Thu, May 30, 4:30 PM

Pending home sales fell another 7.7 percent in April according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) for the month was 72.3 compared to 78.3 in Ma...

Wed, May 29, 12:07 PM

Rates Push Application Volume Back to March Levels - Wed, May 29, 12:07 PM

Higher interest rates helped to wipe out three weeks of gains in mortgage application activity. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said its Market Composite Index, a measure of that activit...

Wed, May 22, 7:17 PM

Existing Home Inventories Inching Higher - Wed, May 22, 7:17 PM

The inventory of existing homes for sale increased from March to April, but the increased availability didn’t bolster sales. The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) said pre-owned single-fami...

Wed, May 22, 12:54 PM

Mini-boom in Refi Apps Continues - Wed, May 22, 12:54 PM

Interest rates hit a seven-week low last week, boosting the level of refinancing applications for the third straight week, but those for home purchases continued to recede. The Mortgage Bankers ...

Thu, May 16, 6:55 PM

Builders Are Finishing More and More Homes, But Permits Have Been Flat - Thu, May 16, 6:55 PM

The latest data on new residential construction from the U.S. Census Bureau paints a somewhat mixed picture of the housing market. While housing completions surged in April, Housing starts only i...

Wed, May 15, 5:54 PM

Persistently High Rates Quash Builder Confidence - Wed, May 15, 5:54 PM

Builders’ confidence in the new home market retreated this month , the first decline since last November. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reports that the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housin...

Wed, May 15, 12:21 PM

Refi Index Takes Advantage of Rate Drop - Wed, May 15, 12:21 PM

Lower interest rates gave a lift to refinancing activity for the second week but failed to do the same for those financing home purchases. The Mortgage Bankers Association said its Market Compo...

Wed, May 8, 12:16 PM

Economic Data Cools Rates, Boosts Application Volume - Wed, May 8, 12:16 PM

Lower interest rates allowed mortgage activity to rise modestly during the week ended May 3. It was the first increase in three weeks. The Mortgage Bankers Association said its Market Composite...

Wed, May 1, 1:00 PM

ARM Loan Share Rises as Borrowers Seek Affordability - Wed, May 1, 1:00 PM

Rising interest rates continue to constrain mortgage borrowing. The Mortgage Bankers Association says its Market Composite Index, a measure of loan application volume, decreased 2.3 percent on ...

Tue, April 30, 4:24 PM

Home Prices Apparently Don't Care About High Rates - Tue, April 30, 4:24 PM

Home price increases continued to accelerate in February even as interest rates also moved higher. Both the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices and the Housing Market Index (HMI) produced by...

Wed, April 24, 12:36 PM

Mortgage App Volume Declines Across the Board - Wed, April 24, 12:36 PM

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said its Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, fell back for the first time in three weeks during the week ended Aril 19 as...

Tue, April 23, 4:47 PM

Spring New Home Sales Prove Resilient to Higher Rates - Tue, April 23, 4:47 PM

Existing home sales posted strong gains in February while sales of new homes slipped slightly. In March each category switched directions. The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and...

Wed, April 17, 12:35 PM

Mortgage App Volume Ticks Higher Despite Higher Rates - Wed, April 17, 12:35 PM

Mortgage interest rates rose for the second straight week, and so did the volume of mortgage applications. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said its Market Composite Index, a measure of t...

Tue, April 16, 3:41 PM

Residential Construction Fall and Builder Confidence Flattens in Uncertain Rate Environment - Tue, April 16, 3:41 PM

While builder confidence in the market for new residential construction improved in March, it remained flat in April and residential construction numbers showed a decline in momentum as well. R...

Wed, April 10, 12:39 PM

Borrowers Pick Up Pace of Refinancing - Wed, April 10, 12:39 PM

The interest rate for conforming 30-year fixed-rate mortgages (FRM) again topped 7 percent last week, but mortgage application activity still squeezed out a tiny gain. The Mortgage Bankers ...

Wed, April 3, 12:16 PM

Persistent High Rates Have Application Volume Stuck in Neutral - Wed, April 3, 12:16 PM

Mortgage application activity drifted lower again last week , the third straight week of mostly fractional declines. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s Market Composite Index, a measure of applic...

Wed, March 27, 12:42 PM

Little Change in Mortgage Application Volume, Despite Lower Rates - Wed, March 27, 12:42 PM

The Mortgage Bankers Association said its Market Composite Index moved lower last week, apparently indifferent to a slight improvement in mortgage interest rates . The Index, which measures loan...

Tue, March 26, 5:53 PM

New Home Sales Decline Slightly, Prices Too - Tue, March 26, 5:53 PM

Sales of newly constructed homes were virtually unchanged in February. The 662,000 seasonally adjusted annual units recorded in during the month was down by 2,000 units or 0.3 percent from the ra...

Fri, March 22, 5:44 PM

Existing Home Sales Shoot Higher; Inventory also Improves - Fri, March 22, 5:44 PM

Rather than easing back from the January level as expected, existing home sales shot significantly higher in February, The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) said pre-owned single-family hou...

Wed, March 20, 12:14 PM

Mortgage App Volume Retreats Slightly as Rates Rise - Wed, March 20, 12:14 PM

After rising a cumulative 17 percentage points over the prior two weeks, mortgage application volume slowed slightly last week. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said its Market Composite In...

Tue, March 19, 4:51 PM

Builder Confidence and Construction Activity Both Go Up - Tue, March 19, 4:51 PM

Builder confidence rose for the fourth straight month and residential construction stats may now be trying to catch up. Both construction permits and housing starts rose in February compared to b...

Wed, March 13, 12:54 PM

Rate Drop Prompts Jump in Refi Application Volume - Wed, March 13, 12:54 PM

A surge in refinance applications drove mortgage application volume higher for the second straight time last week. The Mortgage Bankers Association said its Market Composite Index, a measure of t...

Wed, March 6, 1:59 PM

Housing Data Showing Positive Signs, Mortgage Apps Up 9.7% - Wed, March 6, 1:59 PM

Whether prompted by a tiny improvement in mortgage rates or the first stirrings of a spring market, mortgage activity reversed course last week. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reports t...

Fri, March 1, 8:51 PM

Pending Home Sales Still Bouncing Along The Bottom - Fri, March 1, 8:51 PM

Sometimes you'll see coverage of economic data that conforms to certain template with a predictable details and word counts. Rarely, the word count will reflect the pace of change in t...

Wed, February 28, 1:37 PM

Rates Continue to Stall Application Volume - Wed, February 28, 1:37 PM

The week ending February 23 produced the third consecutive period of declining mortgage activity. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said its Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loa...

Tue, February 27, 4:55 PM

Paradox: Home Prices Face Both Head Winds and Rising Tides - Tue, February 27, 4:55 PM

Despite the upward path of interest rates , both the CoreLogic Case-Shiller indices and the Housing Price Index (HPI) published by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) showed continued appr...

Mon, February 26, 8:24 PM

New Home Sales Still in Line With 2017-2019 Range - Mon, February 26, 8:24 PM

With the market for existing homes struggling amid a lack of inventory, New Home Sales continue doing the heavy lifting for the housing market. Rather, New Home Sales are doing more to show...

Thu, February 22, 6:23 PM

Green Shoots For Existing Homes Ahead of Spring Market - Thu, February 22, 6:23 PM

Prospects for the spring market look a bit brighter as January numbers show an increase in both the pace of existing home sales and the size of the unsold inventory. The National Association of R...

Wed, February 21, 1:43 PM

Mortgage Applications Decline, Rates Back Over 7% - Wed, February 21, 1:43 PM

Higher interest rates continued to depress mortgage applications last week. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said its Market Composite Index, a measure of application volume, decreased 10...

Fri, February 16, 4:10 PM

Construction Numbers Don’t Mirror Growing Builder Optimism - Fri, February 16, 4:10 PM

Even though the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported the third consecutive increase in its measure of home builder confidence, actual residential construction activity fell. The ...

Wed, February 14, 2:02 PM

Mortgage Applications Stall on Higher Rates - Wed, February 14, 2:02 PM

Higher mortgage rates hindered application activity during the week ended February 9. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said its Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan applica...

Wed, February 7, 1:44 PM

Mortgage Apps Rise 8%, Purchase Volume Remains Soft - Wed, February 7, 1:44 PM

Mortgage application volume rose modestly during the week as mortgage rates marked time. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said its Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loa...

Fri, January 26, 5:54 PM

Contract Activity Suggests Uptick in Spring Home Sales - Fri, January 26, 5:54 PM

Pending home sales surged last month, far exceeding analysts’ expectations. The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) said its Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) rose 8.3 percent compared to Novem...

Thu, January 25, 7:43 PM

New Home Sales, Inventory, Pricing. All Good News for Builders and Buyers - Thu, January 25, 7:43 PM

New home sales finished 2023 on a positive note , posting seasonally adjusted numbers higher than in both November and the prior December. The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and...

Wed, January 24, 1:31 PM

Weekly Mortgage Application Volume Increased, Along With Rates - Wed, January 24, 1:31 PM

Mortgage application activity has increased in each of the three weeks of the New Year, even though two of those weeks were impacted by federal holidays. There was a strong purchase loan componen...

Thu, January 18, 5:39 PM

Permits, Builder Sentiment Boost Housing Hopes for Spring - Thu, January 18, 5:39 PM

December’s housing starts failed to sustain their November growth but permit activity as well as positive news out of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) suggested construction coul...

Wed, January 17, 1:32 PM

Mortgage App Volume Posts Another Gain on Rate Drop - Wed, January 17, 1:32 PM

Mortgage application activity continued its strong post-holiday performance during the week ended January 12. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said its Market Composite Index, a measure o...

Wed, January 10, 1:36 PM

Mortgage Apps, Week 1: Promising Start or Catch-Up Time? - Wed, January 10, 1:36 PM

Mortgage activity rose significantly during the week ended January 5, but it faced a pretty low bar. Loan application numbers were adjusted to account for the New Year’s holiday on the first day ...

Mon, January 8, 6:33 PM

Interest Rate Hopes Send Fannie Mae Index Higher - Mon, January 8, 6:33 PM

Even as consumer sentiment about housing remained generally pessimistic, a change in perceptions about the future of mortgage interest rates did a lot to brighten the mood of consumers respondi...

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