According to Joel Kan, MBA’s VP and Deputy Chief Economist, “Mortgage applications for new homes showed a 22% annual gain in December—the 11th consecutive year-over-year increase in applications.”
Most Recent Articles
Generational Pessimism: Young Adults Giving Up on Homeownership
With housing affordability at historic lows, a new study showed that younger generations such as Gen Z are increasingly turning to cryptocurrency and ‘economic nihilism.’ The post...
New-Home Price & Construction Trends Driving Existing-Home Sales
According to the latest data from Realtor.com, new-home pricing, builder incentives, and regional inventory shifts are reshaping affordability and narrowing the gap between new and existing...
Commercial Real Estate Confidence Remains Steady as Market Finds Its Footing
The Real Estate Roundtable’s Q4 2025 Sentiment Index shows optimism returning to commercial real estate as markets stabilize, though policy uncertainty and tariffs still weigh on outlooks. The...
Zillow Removes Climate Data From Listings Site
Zillow has halted the display of wildfire, flood, and extreme-heat scores across more than 1 million listings, redirecting users to First Street’s website instead. Here’s why. The post Zillow...
Wall Street Banks Assess Fallout From SitusAMC Hack
The FBI is investigating the hack at real estate data firm SitusAMC, which says the unauthorized access affected account records and legal agreements, triggering reviews across major Wall Street...
Rural America Still Facing Affordability Crisis
According to a recent Redfin study, homebuyers in rural U.S. counties now need to make a higher annual salary than they did before to the pandemic to afford a median-priced home. The post Rural...
Small Investors Dominate as Investor Purchases Hold Steady
Investor buying stayed stable through mid-2025, even as total home sales slowed. Smaller investors are taking a bigger role while large players pull back, with activity concentrated in the South...
Housing Market Outlook 2026: Resets, Risks, and Road to Recovery
From affordability pressures to investor dynamics and the industry’s blind spots, Rick Sharga offers a data-driven look at what will shape housing in 2026. The post Housing Market Outlook 2026:...
Fed Rate Cut in December May Be More Likely as Officials Signal Support
Both New York Fed President John Williams and San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly signaled they support a rate cut when The Federal Open Market Committee next votes on rate policy on Dec....
RealPage Agrees to Settle Antitrust Lawsuit With DOJ Over Rent Algorithm
Prosecutors contended the company's algorithm illegally helped landlords drive up prices through the use of confidential data. Under the settlement, RealPage won't have to pay any damages or admit...
U.S. Home Price Growth Slows to ‘Weakest Performance Since Mid-2023’
September’s Case-Shiller data shows decelerating national gains, widespread monthly declines, and sharp weakness across Sun Belt metros as higher mortgage rates cool demand. The post U.S. Home...
Pending Home Sales on the Rise as Lower Rates Unlock Pent-Up Demand
The National Association of Realtors has reported that contract signings increased from September but remain below last year’s levels, reflecting affordability challenges and uneven regional...
MortgagePoint Webinar – The Human Multiplier: Where AI Stops and Expert Ops Begin
Join MortgagePoint, Global Strategic, and Rocktop for an exclusive webinar that will delve into how lenders can move beyond pure AI automation and build “human-in-the-loop” operating models that...
ICE First Look: Mortgage Prepayments Hit 3.5-Year High
Andy Walden, Head of Mortgage and Housing Market Research at ICE said softening mortgage rates have helped push prepayments to the highest point in years. The post ICE First Look: Mortgage...
Government News Roundup: Bessent Talks Recession Risks; FHFA Announces Caps, Loan Limits
Scott Bessent says he is confident Americans will feel economic relief next year generated by President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda and trade deals. U.S. Federal Housing makes major...
Buyer vs. Investor: Cities Where Each Get the Upper Hand
According to a recent Realtor.com study, first-time homeowners have a significant advantage over investors in large metro regions where the upside for speculative buyers is limited by strict...
Gen Z and Millennials Gain Ground in Homeownership as Market Shifts
“Millennials and Gen Z remind us that, while the journey to homeownership may lengthen, the destination remains the same,” said Sam Williamson, Senior Economist at First American. The post Gen Z...
Jobs Report, Slowing Labor Market Complicate Fed’s December Rate Decision
"Hold or cut, there will likely be multiple dissents," one economist said. The Fed vote could be a close call. The post Jobs Report, Slowing Labor Market Complicate Fed’s December Rate Decision...
Great Financial Crisis: How Two Major Sources of Risk Have Been Contained
Writing for the NYU Furman Center, former Freddie Mac CEO Donald Layton examines the lasting effects of the Great Financial Crisis in a two-part series. In Part 1: How did the government, central...
Housing Market Outlook 2026: Moderate Growth Amid Market Crosscurrents
MBA Chief Economist Michael Fratantoni discusses origination volume, rate-path risks, fading lock-in effects, and the shifting labor market’s impact on credit quality. The post Housing Market...