A lot of market conditions have improved notably for home loans and there may be more where that came from, depending on rates and location, ICE Mortgage Technology’s latest monthly analysis shows. Home affordability is at a two-year-plus high and rate drops have exposed millions to refinance incentives, with the share of median income needed […]
New data shows where refinance incentives are growing Read More »
Growth in total active inventory has been my favorite story for housing in 2025, but that inventory growth has slowed recently, and today’s Housing Market Tracker will focus on why. Inventory growth was running at 33% year over year a few months ago, but it dropped to 17.66% last week. Let’s find out what happened.
Why has housing inventory growth slowed? Read More »
For generations, the American Dream was synonymous with homeownership — a white picket fence, a backyard and the pride of owning a place to call your own. But today, that dream is undergoing a quiet transformation. With the national median home price now exceeding $426,000, according to NAR, the goal for many Americans has shifted
From rates to reality: why innovative homeownership alternatives matter now Read More »
A mixed picture emerged in mortgage rates one day after the start of the U.S. government shutdown, while a release of new jobs data raises concerns about the nation’s economic picture. Ten-year Treasury yields, whose movements typically influence the direction of mortgage rates, sat at 4.08% as of Thursday afternoon, tumbling 11 basis points from
Bond yields sank — so why aren’t mortgage rates following? Read More »
Some government-sponsored enterprise reform models could add three or four figures to monthly payments, but others could exert some limited downward pressure, a Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research report finds. Estimated mortgage-rate hikes of 0.2% to 0.8% — an additional $500 to $2,000 for the typical homebuyer — could result in certain scenarios, authors
How potential changes to the GSEs could affect mortgage rates Read More »
A recent survey from Bank of America asked would-be homebuyers what would help them feel better about making a move, and it’s no surprise the answers have a clear theme. They want affordability to improve, specifically prices and rates (see below): Here’s the good news. While the broader economy may still feel uncertain, there are
What Buyers Say They Need Most (And How the Market’s Responding) Read More »
US mortgage rates rose for the first time in five weeks, thwarting a budding recovery in housing demand and abruptly halting a recent flurry of home refinancing. The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage climbed 12 basis points to 6.46% in the week ended Sept. 26, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday. Adjustable-rate
Mortgage rates rise, stalling nascent recovery in home demand Read More »
Recent moves in mortgage rates have industry experts predicting that this fall could feel like a “new spring” for originations — even as the threat of a federal government shutdown looms. On Tuesday, HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center, which tracks locked loans, showed that 30-year conforming loan locks averaged 6.34% — just one basis point (bps)
Mortgage rate shift turns fall into a ‘new spring’ for lenders Read More »
Recent moves in mortgage rates have industry experts predicting that this fall could feel like a “new spring” for originations — even as the threat of a federal government shutdown looms. On Tuesday, HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center, which tracks locked loans, showed that 30-year conforming loan locks averaged 6.34% — just one basis point (bps)
Mortgage rate shift turns fall into a ‘new spring’ for lenders Read More »
The potential government shutdown that’s looming this week due to an impasse between political parties in budget negotiations has some new risks for housing. In addition to more typical concerns, an Office of Management and Budget memo issued last week means the usual furloughs could be layoffs that compound the impact of previous public sector
New dangers for housing in looming shutdown: How mortgage lenders can prepare Read More »