By the Numbers

Rising pending sales and loan activity suggests some buyers have “shrugged off the current economic and mortgage rate uncertainties and returned to the market.”

Consumer confidence and purchasing power are weakening, with inflation jumping 3.8% in April amid rising energy prices.

April existing sales were flat year-over-year despite improving affordability, with an annual pace of just 4.02 million — below analysts’ expectations.

April employment numbers were better than expected, but for buyers and sellers, “positive momentum matters more than any single month of data,” economists say.

While economic uncertainty persists amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, “the math has shifted in favor of buyers,” according to Zillow’s chief economist.

Sales of new single-family homes climbed 3.3% year-over-year in March as builders continued offering incentives, giving buyers “some serious purchasing power.”

In the wake of the popular chatbot’s launch, home sale prices in San Francisco’s poshest ZIP codes saw an outsized surge compared to the market overall.

A recent survey found that many prospective buyers are in possession of incorrect or outdated information. It’s up to agents to set the record straight.

New data shows increases in pending sales, new listings and touring activity — but geopolitical and job market concerns continue to challenge the spring market.

More than 40% say rates would have to fall below 4% before they’d consider selling, but 10-20% do intend to move in the next five years, two surveys suggest.

Over the past five years, the average payment has jumped 44% — and breached $2,000 per month for the first time late last year, according to Realtor.com data.

Mortgage rates fell again, but economic uncertainty remains a stubborn headwind. A bump in purchase applications may signal a shift — if buyers don’t back out.

A third of sellers listing this spring have sub-5% mortgages, while most buyers aren’t waiting for rates to drop — spurring market activity, a new survey found.

Though mortgage rates climbed in March, pending sales increased 1.5% compared to February — but what happens next will depend on how the war in Iran progresses.

Lot inventory has fallen nearly 24% since 2019, just before the Covid-era construction boom began, Realtor.com found — “and the market is still paying for it.”

Sellers outnumber buyers nationally, but with mortgage rates and inflation up from February, the “spring housing market is still a bit of a toss-up.”

While business professionals and people in management still have the highest rates of homeownership, service occupations have seen big gains in recent years.

Though mortgage rates are ticking down and home price appreciation has dropped year-over-year, widespread economic uncertainty continues sapping demand.

NAHB’s April survey found that higher construction material costs — stemming from surging fuel prices — and the slow housing market are weighing on builders.

Only 21% of recent homebuyers were first-timers, according to a new NAR report, with younger millennials accounting for the biggest year-over-year drop.