While mortgage rates hit a high for the year so far, reflecting escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, analysts point to average rates still remaining below year-ago levels and offering some improvement to buyers purchasing power. The average mortgage rate ticked up 11 basis points to 6.22% this week, up from 6.11% last week,…
America’s housing affordability crisis isn’t solely caused by too few homes. It’s also because of too few usable ones. A new report from real estate marketplace New Western suggests that local fix-and-flip investors—not homebuilders—are key to helping solve the problem. The report, conducted in partnership with the National Association for Housing Revitalization (NAHR), found that…
Housing affordability—the issue we all know, and definitely do not love. In the past couple years, the national median home price hit new highs, settling in around $400,000. Depending on the region and market, this could sound like a lot of money, or like a little. What really demonstrates the affordability of $400,000 is how…
New data from the Mortgage Bankers Association shows applications for both home purchases and refinances fell significantly this week following increased mortgage rates and other market volatility in the wake of the conflict in the Middle East, economists said. According to the latest Market Composite Index from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)—its measure of mortgage…
Pending home sales saw a slight uptick in February, continuing an optimistic trend ahead of a long-awaited spring boom, according to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). However, this spring boom may now be delayed due to geopolitical tensions, economists warn. NAR’s Pending Home Sales report found that sales grew 1.8%…
The presence of institutional investors in the single-family housing market has been a lightning rod for controversy. In January 2026, President Trump issued an executive order calling for Congress to take action to limit these investors, and the comprehensive 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (passed by the Senate) includes provisions limiting those investors. However,…
The average mortgage rate remaining at or around the low 6% range continues to spur buyer activity, but economists warn it may not be enough to create a much-needed market shift in the face of ongoing economic uncertainty and wartime market volatility. The average mortgage rate ticked up 11 basis points to 6.11% this week,…
With the war in Iran causing market volatility this past week including an average mortgage rate increase from below and back up over 6%, home purchase application activity increased for the fourth straight week. According to the latest Market Composite Index from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)—its measure of mortgage loan activity volume and includes…
Ahead of the much-awaited spring season, existing-home sales have seen a modest improvement that has been characterized as a “potential” sign of increasing demand, according to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). NAR’s Existing-Home Sales Report saw a 1.7% increase in sales to a rate of 4.09 million in February, a…
Recent months have seen reason for buyer optimism in the housing market, especially due to falling mortgage rates. The National Association of Realtors® (NAR), in its quarterly affordability report in February 2026, found moderating price growth, while the association has since found existing-home sales ticked up in February as well. Will these positive signs hold? …
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