Editor’s note: Econ Review is a roundup of the month’s housing and economic market data reports. The housing market is built on data. Home prices, home sales, construction rates coupled with economic data like inflation, jobs, interest rates—it all creates the ecosystem that is the housing market. Understanding the state of the market means understanding…
The commencement of the war with Iran caused further damage to consumer sentiment in March, according to the latest Survey of Consumers from the University of Michigan. The Index of Consumer Sentiment clocked in at 53.3 in March, down 5.8% from 56.6 in February and down 6.5% from 57 at the same time last year.…
While many across the industry were predicting interest rate cuts and a transition to a more balanced economy in 2026, the year so far has been shaping up a bit differently. Inflation remains elevated, mortgage rates are facing difficulty due to rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, and the Federal Reserve has yet to…
With mortgage rates rising due to higher oil prices from geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, mortgage applications saw another fall this week, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. MBA’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey found that the Market Composite Index (a measure of mortgage loan application volume) fell 10.5% on a seasonally adjusted…
Consumer sentiment toward the economy, a vital metric for gauging whether consumers are feeling comfortable enough to make major purchases, showed positive signs at the outset of 2026. However, per the latest findings from the University of Michigan’s Survey of Consumers, sentiment has started to dip. The index of Consumer Sentiment fell from 56.6 in…
Despite some reports showing lower trends in inflation, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure continues to remain elevated ahead of possible complications from geopolitical tension, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index grew 0.3% in January, with annual inflation at 2.8%. This is a…
Inflation appeared to once again be on the right track for the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). However, economists are feeling uncertain about whether the trend will continue as the economy faces potential fallout from geopolitical issues—most notably, the war in Iran. The BLS’s…
Consumers’ perception of the economy plays as vital a role in shaping market activity as hard economic data, as consumers will want to know whether the economy is on solid footing before they make a major financial decision (such as buying a home). The latest report on Consumer Confidence from the nonprofit Conference Board—based on…
Economic data appears to be affirming that an interest rate is not coming for a few months as the Federal Reserve’s favorite inflation measure heated up despite a winter freeze, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index increased 0.4% in December, putting annual inflation…
New-home sales picked up sharply in November and December, according to the latest release from the U.S. Census Bureau, in a somewhat surprising—and welcome—indicator that housing demand remains persistent against macro uncertainty. New-home sales were up 12.3% year-over-year in November and jumped 3.8% in December during what is normally a slower time for transactions. Single-family…
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