By the Numbers

The share of investor home purchases has changed little from previous years, but the number of transactions has fallen, according to a new Realtor.com report.

Pending sales dropped 7.3% month-over-month in September, falling to the lowest level recorded in at least 25 years, according to NAR data.

A recent NAHB survey found that immigration enforcement and competition from data center construction are siphoning off qualified housing-trade workers.

An artificial intelligence stock selloff spooked many investors late this week, pushing some to embrace 10-year Treasury bonds as 30-year mortgage rates dipped.

Rising fuel costs drove up consumer prices, which are outpacing wage growth. That puts prospective homebuyers in a tough spot as mortgage rates remain at 7.5%.

The past two months ended as the year’s slowest for existing home sales despite a 1.5% month-over-month bump in September, according to NAR data.

The number of signed contracts fell 4% from August to September as demand dried up, Redfin found. Meanwhile, inventory reached the highest level since 2020.

A Redfin analysis finds the housing market could return to a 30% mortgage-rate-to-income ratio by early 2029 — but only if conditions start improving quickly.

Signed contracts fell more than 8% year-over-year in September, but motivated sellers are out there and may opt to cut prices instead of waiting until spring.

A weaker labor market may cool inflation and push rates down, which could rally homebuyers. But fewer job changes and wage boosts could also hurt the market.

While the fall usually provides aspiring buyers with opportunities to enter the housing market, high mortgage rates are getting in the way for many this season.

Investors will have a lot to think about next week as key economic data releases start filtering in and Q3 of 2026 comes to an end.

More buyers are backing out, rates are still rising and loan applications are slowing. The one bright spot in the latest batch of economic data: new home sales.

Among all homebuying generations today, Gen Z is most willing to make sacrifices to create a path to homeownership, according to new Cotality data.

Elevated material costs, high energy prices and labor shortages are continuing to pressure the construction market, with builder confidence now at a 2026 low.

Reducing prices or delisting may be the most viable options for homesellers in some markets as higher borrowing costs continue to deter buyers.

The Fed raised short-term rates by a quarter point today for the first time since July 2023. Mortgage rates, meanwhile, are expected to remain elevated.

It’s a big week for the Fed, which could raise short-time rates for the first time in over 3 years, but mortgage rates may respond more to investor reactions.

Inflation, a top focus for the central bank, rose in August, with core inflation higher than expected. Analysts now put the odds of a rate hike at nearly 90%.

Daily rates hit 7.07% on Thursday, and analysts increasingly expect to see a rate hike next week. Meanwhile, existing home sales and mortgage applications fell.