Home sales are expected to be modestly better in the second half of 2026, provided that inventory and housing supply continue to expand, as National Association of Realtors® Chief Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun said during the Residential Economic Issues and Trends Forum at the 2026 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings. NAR’s current forecast calls for existing-home sales…
Housing construction took a definite hit in May as inflation reached new peaks and affordability remains challenged, as seen in recent data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Census Bureau. The latest New Residential Construction report saw housing starts clock in at a rate of 1,177,000 in May, down a…
Builder sentiment remains subdued as rising material costs, elevated mortgage rates and ongoing affordability challenges continue to strain the housing market. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell two points to 35 in June, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released June 15.…
Despite mortgage rates remaining elevated due to ongoing economic pressures stemming from the Middle Eastern conflict, the market continues to paint a picture of resilience as this spring sees many signs grow historically better. Zillow’s May Market Report saw monthly mortgage payments on a typical home (currently valued at $368,720) clock in at $1,861 (assuming…
Despite a high-rate environment and continued economic challenges, borrowers continue to find pockets of opportunity as mortgage applications saw a jump this week, according to the latest data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. MBA’s latest Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey saw overall mortgage applications jump 10.8% for the week ending June 5, 2026, up from last…
Editor’s note: Econ Review is a roundup of the month’s housing and economic market data reports. Spring 2026 is shaping up better than previous years, leaving real estate professionals brimming with expectations for the potential of an even better summer as certain housing economy indicators continue to improve. However, lingering economic uncertainty remains, leaving some…
After two brutal years in the housing market, hopes were high that 2026 would see a gradual rebound. But those hopes haven’t materialized as potential buyers see misalignment between their incomes and active home listings, according to a new report from the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). As of March 2026, 74.9% of U.S. listings…
Sales of newly built single-family homes fell 6.2% in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 622,000, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau, as the 2026 housing market remains sluggish overall. The pace of new-home sales is down 11.3% from a…
A new housing affordability index from the University of San Diego reveals that the total cost of homeownership surpassed renters’ income in some of the nation’s largest metros at the end of 2025. As the data shows, there’s a lot more that goes into the housing affordability equation that can make—or break—homebuyers’ ability to purchase…
Mortgage rates have fluctuated again this week, seeing an increase as inflation rose due to elevated oil, gas and energy prices due to continued geopolitical tensions, according to the latest data from Freddie Mac. Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey® found that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) had increased from 6.36% last week to 6.51%…
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