The month of December typically has the lowest weekly seasonal demand for housing, but it’s a big key to how the spring of 2026 will perform — if you know what housing data lines to focus on. Traditionally, I wouldn’t care so much about December housing data; however, post-COVID, the forward-looking seasonal demand data has […]
December housing data provides early signals for 2026 market Read More »
Despite elevated mortgage rates, mortgage applications increased 0.2% from the prior week, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Nov. 21. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 2% compared with the previous week. “Mortgage rates crept higher last week, with the 30-year fixed rate
Purchase applications drive small mortgage application increase Read More »
The housing market experienced a slightly positive shift mid-June and is ending 2025 on even more positive news. Existing home sales have shown four consecutive months of year-over-year growth and our total pending home sales data has just reached a multiyear high for this calendar week. By tracking weekly housing demand we can see that
Total pending home sales reach multiyear high with mortgage rates near 6% Read More »
Last week was a solid week for housing demand. Our weekly pending sales data increased by 15.36% year over year, and the Mortgage Bankers Association‘s purchase application data showed 31% year-over-year growth. In fact, if I average the last two weeks, purchase application data is up 28.5% year over year and our weekly pending home
Despite economic uncertainty, weekly housing demand up double digits over 2024 Read More »
Last week, housing inventory levels decreased noticeably, while our weekly pending sales showed a notable increase compared to the same period last year. Was the decrease in inventory primarily due to the seasonal decline in housing stock, or did the increase in demand contribute to lowering the inventory numbers? Let’s dive into this weekend’s tracker
Housing inventory falls as demand picks up Read More »
The unsung hero of the housing market in 2025 has been the improvement in mortgage spreads, because without the spreads improving as much as they have, mortgage rates would not have gotten near 6% this year. I forecast that mortgage spreads should improve by 0.27%-0.41% this year, from a 2.54% average in 2024, giving mortgage
Mortgage spreads hit lowest level in years, keeping rates near 6% 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 »
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 »
Mortgage applications decreased 0.3% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Oct. 17. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 0.2% compared with the previous week. The refinance index increased 4% from the previous week and was 81% higher than the same
ARM, refinance activity buck the trend of declining mortgage demand Read More »
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) announced Sunday that it expects total single-family mortgage origination volume to increase to $2.2 trillion in 2026, up from $2.0 trillion expected in 2025. Speaking at its 2025 Annual Convention and Expo, Mike Fratantoni, chief economist and senior vice president for research and business development; Joel Kan, vice president, deputy chief
MBA forecasts $2.2T mortgage origination in 2026 Read More »