To start things off, I have an announcement to make, today will be my last weekly article for Altos Research. I founded Altos nearly 20 years ago to bring a new level of analytics and data to the housing market. Two and a half years ago, Altos was acquired by HousingWire, and it’s been tremendously […]
Inventory back to 2019 levels and what that means for 2025 Read More »
One of the lesser known storylines in housing economics is that the improvement in mortgage spreads since 2023 has contributed to a noticeable trend in purchase application data for 2025, which is now showing 15 consecutive weeks of positive year-over-year growth. Mortgage spreads recently turned negative due to market volatility, which resulted in an increase
Better mortgage spreads boost housing demand in 2025 Read More »
US housing starts increased in April as a pickup in multifamily home construction more than offset a decline in single-family dwellings caused by elevated inventory. New residential construction increased 1.6% to an annualized rate of 1.36 million homes, according to government data released Friday. That was in line with the median estimate in a Bloomberg
Housing starts increase on pickup in multifamily construction Read More »
Opendoor looked like it had the potential to disrupt the entire residential real estate industry when it launched in 2014, but today it and competitor Offerpad are almost afterthoughts. The so-called iBuyers have yet to find a way to consistently turn a profit, and their presence in the industry has slowly shrunk. With macroeconomic headwinds
What do you call an iBuyer that isn’t iBuying houses? Read More »
New-home purchase activity is showing renewed strength this spring, with loan applications hitting their highest mark on record, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Mortgage applications for newly constructed single-family homes in April accelerated 5.3% from a year ago, the industry trade group said. On a month-over-month basis, loan volume increased a nonseasonally adjusted 2%
Mortgage applications for new homes soar to record high Read More »
The median age of homes purchased nationwide reached a record high of 36 years in 2024, a significant jump from 27 years in 2012, according to an analysis released Monday by Redfin. The trend reflects a long-term slowdown in new home construction and growing affordability challenges. Buyers are increasingly turning to older properties, often out
Homebuyers turn to aging properties as construction lags Read More »
If someone had told me that home sales would remain firm this year despite mortgage rates ranging from 7.25% to 6.64%, I would not have taken that bet. However, amid all the chaotic economic headlines of 2025 so far, the demand for mortgages is holding steady, even with the higher rates. Let’s dig into the
Mortgage demand still staying firm with elevated rates Read More »