Mortgage rates ticked up again this week, seemingly caught in an ongoing cycle of upward pressure as renewed tensions in the Middle East drive oil prices higher, stoke inflation concerns and push Treasury yields up, bringing mortgage rates along with them. This past week, rates reached a 14-month high at 6.76% for the average 30-year…
As U.S. homebuyers continue to navigate a bittersweet housing market–one where inventory is becoming more balanced in many markets but prices and mortgage rates remain elevated–home purchase application activity pulled back this past week as rates hit their highest point since June 2025. The latest Market Composite Index from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)—its measure…
Editor’s note: Econ Review is a roundup of the housing and economic market data reports released during the month. Summer 2026 did not pick up speed as the industry had originally hoped when the year began, largely due to elevated inflation from the Iran war. However, some positive signs for the housing market might still…
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Above, Fed Governor Christopher Waller As the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) next meeting quickly approaches, real estate professionals are closely monitoring Federal Reserve governors for any hints as to whether rates will remain the same or face increases. At Reuters NEXT Newsmaker Interview Thursday, Fed Governor Christopher Waller described his economic outlook and stated…
In the-real-estate-market-that-could, home-purchase applications ticked up this past week as increased inventory in many markets seems to be buoying transaction volume, despite weekly ups and downs in activity and rates sustained at elevated levels. The latest Market Composite Index from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)—its measure of mortgage loan activity volume and includes purchases and…
In a Sept. 1 speech at the Second Chance Lending Forum in Washington, D.C., focusing on the economic outlook and financial inclusion, Federal Reserve Governor Michael S. Barr noted that the labor market is stable with relatively low unemployment, with the economy growing solidly, “powered in part by the boom in AI-related business investment and…
Above, Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh Real estate professionals anxiously awaiting lower mortgage rates may not see a decrease anytime soon, as it remains uncertain what action the Federal Reserve will take at its September meeting. In his debut speech at the 2026 Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium Friday in Wyoming, Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh…
Buyers who are waiting for rates to come down before making their home purchase will likely have to wait until next year for that to happen, according to economists commenting on this week’s mortgage data. Mortgage rates changed little from last week, with the latest Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey® showing the 30-year fixed-rate…
In the face of ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and economic headwinds, consumers’ feelings about the economy remain dim. The nonprofit research firm, The Conference Board, released its latest month report Aug. 25, with its Consumer Confidence Index falling by 0.8 points to 89.4. July’s revised estimate was 90.2, leaving behind nearly a whole point between the…
As the question of affordability looms over homebuyers’ heads, recent reports by economists generally agree that the housing market is weighed down by economic and global constraints—though a new report offers some near-term reasons for optimism. The latest monthly Leading Economic Index (LEI) by nonprofit The Conference Board highlighted slight growth in many forward-looking metrics,…
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