Pending sales of existing US homes stalled in September, suggesting anxiety about the job market kept potential buyers sidelined despite a welcome easing in mortgage rates. An index of contract signings held at 74.8 after climbing a revised 4.2% a month earlier to the highest level since March, according to National Association of Realtors data […]
Pending home sales stall as labor market concerns build Read More »
Mortgage rates have been the monster under the bed for a while. Every time they tick up, people flinch and say, “Maybe I’ll wait.” But here’s the twist. Waiting for that perfect 5-point-something rate could end up haunting your wallet later. The Magic Number According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR): “. . .
Why You Don’t Need To Be Afraid of Today’s Mortgage Rates Read More »
The number of contract signings stayed flat month over month, as the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Pending Home Sales Index stalled at a reading of 74.8 in September. An index reading of 100 is equal to the level of contract activity in 2001. “Contract signings matched the second-strongest pace of the year. However, signings
Pending home sales flat in September as affordability challenges persist Read More »
Mortgage applications increased 7.1% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending October 24, 2025. On an unadjusted basis, the index increased 7% compared with the previous week. The refinance index increased 9% from the previous week and was 111% higher than
Lower rates prompt refis and dismissal of ARMs Read More »
The lowest mortgage rates in over a year accelerated refinance activity for the second consecutive week, the Mortgage Bankers Association said. The MBA’s Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, jumped 7.1% on a seasonally-adjusted basis for the week ending Oct. 24 after four weeks of declining activity. The index increased 7%
Falling rates fuel second week of refi surge Read More »
A growing number of economists believe that the Federal Reserve is close to announcing the end of its quantitative tightening (QT) program — a move that could have wide-reaching implications for the mortgage industry. Over the past few weeks, central bank officials have signaled they are prepared to wind down the policy aimed at shrinking
Fed prepares to pivot balance sheet, with potential ripple effects for mortgages Read More »
Happy lowest-mortgage-rate-of-the-year day on this Halloween week! Mortgage rates are currently at a yearly low right before the Fed meets so the question is: will Fed Chair Jerome Powell ruin the good news right before Halloween festivities? Whatever Powell says tomorrow, mortgage rates are behaving differently than they did last year at this time. Last
Will the Fed ruin the lowest mortgage rates of 2025? Read More »
Fannie Mae’s latest economic and housing outlook reflects more positive expectations. The government-sponsored entity notably lowered its mortgage rate expectations for the end of the year to 6.3% from 6.4% in its previous outlook, while its 2026 fourth quarter forecast remained the same at 5.9%. A quarter-over-quarter drop to 6.3% from 6.6% would mark the
Mortgage rates, home prices improve in Fannie Mae forecast Read More »
The mortgage market could be on the cusp of a bigger turnaround. The industry, already enjoying declining interest rates, is approaching a rate threshold that could unlock more refinance volume, said Andy Walden, head of mortgage and housing market research at Intercontinental Exchange. “An eighth of a point move, that little mini-move, gave us about
ICE’s Andy Walden: FHA performance a “yellow flag” right now Read More »
We had a nice pop in our weekly pending home sales last week, and with mortgage rates near 2025 lows we could ask: Is housing breaking out? Not exactly. One of the themes I really stressed this year is that weekly data can be volatile around holiday weekends. So we always look at the two
Weekly home sales look stronger than normal, but there’s a catch Read More »