The typical summer sales slowdown is being made worse, economists say, by renewed geopolitical tension in the Middle East, putting upward pressure on inflation and causing more financial strain for would-be buyers. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate (FRM) rose 3 basis points to 6.58% from 6.55% last week, and the 15-year FRM averaged 5.96%,…
As climate change continues to impact housing markets, there are some indications that buyers aren’t immediately dissuaded by long-term climate risks when home shopping. The new 2026 Realtor.com® Housing and Climate Risk Report corroborates this while also delving into the specifics of climate cost burdens. The report, which analyzes listings across Realtor.com from the past…
Housing has spent 2026 running in place, and Zonda Chief Economist Ali Wolf doesn’t expect the picture to change much before 2027. Wolf delivered the national portion of Zonda’s third quarter housing market forecast webinar on Tuesday, saying that existing- and new-home sales are tracking essentially flat with 2025, with the firm now calling 2026…
A federal congressional committee sent letters to Compass CEO Robert Reffkin and MRED CEO Rebecca Jensen in relation to their partnership, scrutinizing the relationship between the nation’s largest brokerage and the Chicago-based MLS that is already at the center of a federal lawsuit. The letters were penned by a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee…
A relisted property can carry several negative connotations, i.e., that it’s the second try of a listing that failed the first time, or that the seller is trying to game the days on market by canceling then relisting. But is this stereotype one that survives contact with reality? A 2025 study published in the Journal…
Economists touted regional improvements to housing inventory for the increase in home-purchase application activity this week but cautioned the uptick will likely be short-lived with oil prices rising as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The latest Market Composite Index from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)—its measure of mortgage loan activity…
Developed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, a new homeownership measure—the homeowners-to-population ratio (HPOP)—aims to provide an alternative to better reflect the share of adults who are homeowners, as the path to the American Dream for young people remains uncertain. In a July 15 release, economists Erik Hembre, Maxine Xu and Ben Horowitz introduced…
Want as many potential buyers as possible for a home with a pool? Shannon Murree, with REMAX Hallmark Chay Realty Brokerage in Barrie, Ontario, has some next-level advice. Schedule as many showings as possible on a scorching-hot day. And all the better if clients show up with kids, who can be very persuasive. “I generally…
Homeowners living in predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods are paying hundreds—even thousands—more per year for the same homeowners insurance coverage as homeowners in white neighborhoods, according to a new research report from the Consumer Federation of America (CFA). The nonprofit research and advocacy group found that the average cost of homeowners insurance rose by 24%…
Compass targets Zillow with consumer ethics complaints in dozens of states Compass filed state-level ethics complaints on July 14 through 30 Realtor® associations, at least 50 MLSs and multiple real estate regulators across 26 states, targeting Zillow and focusing on allegedly misleading property designations on listings. A source with direct knowledge of the effort told…
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