Spring is the season when the housing market heats up. Buyer demand rises and so does the number of homes for sale. Homeowners who list in spring expect bigger premiums and the data shows they typically get them, as spring sellers are known to do better than those listing at slower times of the year. But that doesn’t mean potential home sellers can wait until next year to start planning. In fact, according to a new analysis from the National Association of Realtors’ consumer website, if you want to sell next … [Read more...]

As home buyers, it’s easy to focus only on what you need to get to the closing table. But while you obviously need to have your finances in order if you want to successfully close a transaction, you also need to have them in order if you want to successfully transition from home buyer to homeowner. Why? Well, according to one recent analysis, the costs of homeownership are significant and extend well beyond your monthly mortgage payment. The analysis found non-mortgage expenses like home and flood insurance, … [Read more...]

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates fell across all loan categories last week from one week earlier. Rates were down for 30-year fixed-rate loans with both conforming and jumbo balances, loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration, 15-year fixed-rate loans, and 5/1 ARMs. Joel Kan, MBA’s vice president and deputy chief economist, says rates are now at the lowest level since spring. “Mortgage rates declined last week, with the 30-year fixed rate … [Read more...]

Mortgage payments were more affordable in July, according to new data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The group’s monthly Purchase Applications Payment Index, which measures payments relative to income, found the national median mortgage payment applied for by prospective home buyers fell to $2,127 in July from $2,172 in June. Edward Seiler, MBA’s associate vice president, housing economics, and executive director, Research Institute for Housing America, says mortgage rates are still elevated but purchase … [Read more...]

Mortgage activity saw a spring spike this year, according to newly released numbers from ATTOM Data Solutions. ATTOM’s Q2 2025 U.S. Residential Property Mortgage Origination Report shows 1.76 million mortgages were issued during the second quarter – a 19.4 percent increase from the previous quarter. Rob Barber, ATTOM’s CEO, says the gains may be more attributable to a seasonal bounce than a breakout. “Mortgage activity perked up a bit in the second quarter, but it’s not a clear signal that the market has turned a … [Read more...]

When a buyer’s offer is accepted and a contract to buy is signed, that home’s sale is considered pending until it closes weeks later. Because most pending sales end in final sales, contract signings are considered a good indicator of future sales numbers. That’s one of the reasons the National Association of Realtors tracks them each month. In July, the NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index found signings relatively flat, with pending sales down 0.4 percent from the month before and 0.7 percent lower than last year at the … [Read more...]

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Applications survey, average mortgage rates inched higher last week from one week earlier. Rates were up for most loan categories, including 30-year fixed-rate loans with both conforming and jumbo balances and 15-year-fixed-rate loans. The increase caused a decline in refinance application demand but failed to dissuade home buyers, who pushed purchase demand 2 percent higher than the week before. Joel Kan, MBA’s vice president and deputy chief economist, says … [Read more...]

The S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Indices is considered among the leading measures of U.S. home prices. Its National Home Price Index covers all nine census divisions and has been collecting data for 27 years. According to the most recent results, home prices were up just 1.9 percent year-over-year through the end of June – down from a 2.3 percent increase the previous month. Nicholas Godec, head of Fixed Income Tradeables & Commodities at S&P Dow Jones Indices, says it’s the slowest annual increase in … [Read more...]

Sales of newly built single-family homes were mostly unmoved in July from the month before, according to newly released numbers. The data – from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development – shows sales of new homes were 0.6 percent lower in July than they were the previous month and are now 8.2 percent lower than year-before levels. The summer stall comes at a time when home builders are lowering prices and trying to lure prospective home buyers. Evidence of that can be found in the … [Read more...]

New numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development show the number of new homes that began construction in July was 5.2 percent higher than the month before and 12.9 percent higher than last year at the same time. Among the gains, single-family home construction rose 2.8 percent month-over-month. The improvement is welcome news – as the housing market continues to add inventory, helping balance the market and provide home buyers with more choices. But while increased new … [Read more...]