For the past several years, the U.S. housing market has faced an unusual constraint: not a lack of buyers, but a lack of sellers willing — or able — to move. Millions of homeowners remain “rate-locked,” holding mortgages originated in 2020–2022 at interest rates between 2% and 4% (Federal Housing Finance Agency; Freddie Mac Primary […]
The $2–4% mortgage trap is freezing housing: Defeasance may be the way out Read More »
Data reflects single-family home market conditions as of the Jan. 3, 2026 weekly snapshot, based on HousingWire proprietary data. Housing markets are often evaluated by size: total sales, total dollar volume, total listings. Those metrics describe where activity is concentrated. They do not reliably indicate where competition is intensifying, where pricing power is shifting, or
Housing absorption rate vs market size: Efficiency signals pressure Read More »
For the last few years, many homeowners have felt like they were holding a winning hand, a two to three percent mortgage rate that seemed too good to ever give up. And honestly, who could blame them? Those rates were historic. The average 30 year fixed mortgage rate fell below 3 percent in 2020 and
Why 2026 might finally be the year homeowners let go of their 2–3 percent rates Read More »
Even though down payments remain an obstacle to prospective homebuyers across the country, affordability conditions have improved significantly in the past three years. That’s the key takeaway from a Realtor.com report released Monday. The company found that across the 50 largest U.S. metro areas, the typical household in 2025 needs seven years to save for
How long does it take to save for a down payment in 2025? Read More »
After housing market cycles defined by extreme shortages, rapid price appreciation and frenetic buyer competition, this year delivered something closer to balance. Inventory climbed meaningfully, price growth flattened and homes took longer to sell — signs of a market settling into a more sustainable rhythm. Using data through Dec. 20, here’s how the housing market
The U.S. housing market in 2025: A year of normalization Read More »
Home shoppers in 2025 gravitated toward more affordable, midsized U.S. cities, with Midwestern markets accounting for most of the country’s most popular places to buy, according to new data released by Zillow. Rockford, Illinois, ranked as the most popular housing market in the country, moving up from second place last year. And the Midwest accounted
Midwest dominates Zillow’s most popular housing markets of 2025 Read More »
Median list prices in the Prescott metro dropped from $699,250 to $584,900 year-over-year while active listings surged 30.5% to 1,663 homes, marking a sharp reversal in this Arizona mountain market. The price correction represents a significant decline as sellers race to adjust expectations in a shifting landscape. Properties now sit on the market for a
Prescott home prices decline as inventory and days on market rise Read More »
The Cincinnati-Middletown metro area absorbed 427 homes in the week ending Nov. 29, 2025, outpacing new inventory additions of 347 listings as 41.8% of active properties reduced asking prices. The Ohio metro maintained just 2.3 months of supply, tighter than the national average of 2.8 months, while operating in seller-favorable conditions. Cincinnati’s median list price
Limited inventory and price cuts shape Cincinnati’s housing market Read More »
Nearly half of Kansas City metro home sellers cut their asking prices in the week ending Nov. 29, 2025, as the market navigates a delicate balance between rising inventory and slowing buyer activity. The 45.2% price reduction rate coincides with active listings climbing to 4,723 homes while weekly absorption dropped to 511 properties. The surge
Kansas City sellers reduce listing prices as inventory grows faster than buyer demand Read More »
Nashville’s housing market recorded 7,277 active listings during the week ending Nov. 29, with 39.1% of sellers reducing prices as the metro’s inventory climbed to a 3.4-month supply. The median list price held at $594,900 while price per square foot reached $260.8. The Music City market absorbed 663 homes during the week against 354 new
Nashville housing market balances as inventory and price cuts rise Read More »