Even though 2026 is looking brighter, affordability—not just in homebuying but in homeownership—continues to face challenges as the market works to normalize. For homeowners specifically, the costs of owning a home continue to add pressure as the latest data from ATTOM saw foreclosure activity remain high year-over-year. ATTOM’s Foreclosure Market Report for January found that…
Applications for home loans remained essentially flat this week, declining slightly along with the refinance share of total mortgage activity, while experts note an uptick in government-backed loan applications is an indicator of ongoing affordability challenges. According to the latest Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) report, the Market Composite Index—the measure of mortgage loan activity volume…
Early January declines in mortgage rates unlocked refinance opportunities for nearly five million borrowers and helped push affordability to a four-year high, according to the February Mortgage Monitor released Feb. 9 by ICE Mortgage Technology, a provider of an end-to-end mortgage platform. According to the analysis, “Even small reductions toward 6% rates can significantly boost…
Along with low interest rates and the infusion of money from federal stimulus, one of the factors that drove the pandemic boom market was a surge in so-called “housing mobility,” meaning the overall propensity of people to pick up and move. That metric rose to its highest level in almost 20 years back in 2021,…
Housing market watchers say improving home affordability and inventory levels are short-term positives for home shoppers, but caution that the maintaining the independence of the Federal Reserve and tracking broader economic conditions like consumer confidence and economic uncertainty, will help predict where the housing market is heading in the year ahead. The latest Primary Mortgage…
A new January market report shows home values have fallen on a monthly basis for six consecutive months and monthly mortgage payments on a typical home are now 8.4% less expensive than a year ago, driven down primarily by lower mortgage rates. The data comes from the latest Zillow® Home Value Index released Feb. 4…
Labeled a “transition” year for the housing market, 2026 will continue to shift and grow as it did at the beginning of 2025. To be successful against the grain of change, real estate professionals must be aware of the many continuing trends and challenges. Cotality’s latest report details several of the key trends real estate…
Forces other than mortgage rates can impact homebuying activity, and this past week was a good example of that, as experts surmised that a big winter storm hitting a large portion of the country likely prevented people from applying for a mortgage. According to the latest Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) report, the Market Composite Index—the…
Affordability constraints on the housing market in recent years have left more people turning to renting than ever before. But while high expectations abound for market normalization in 2026, the latest data from ATTOM already seems to show that owning a home is becoming more affordable than renting a three-bedroom property across the country. ATTOM’s…
Despite signs of housing market normalization on the horizon, many consumers still feel constrained by affordability challenges. Consumers report that lower incomes, higher mortgage rates and a lack of supply in the market remain their biggest hurdles to affording a home, according to Bright MLS’s latest consumer survey. The MLS’s latest survey of 3,000 Americans…
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