Inflation data deals ‘a double-blow’ to housing affordability
Consumer confidence and purchasing power are weakening, with inflation jumping 3.8% in April amid rising energy prices.
May 12, 2026
Dave Gallagher
Director, News Reporting
Dave's journalism career spans 24 years covering business, the economy and real estate in Northwest Washington. He's also a numbers nerd, examining data to spot emerging trends in industries. Having started his career as a sports writer, he's a lifelong baseball and soccer fan and recently discovered pickleball. He grew up in Yosemite National Park and earned his journalism degree at Humboldt State University in northern California.
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- Home sales disappoint as consumer confidence hits a 70-year lowApril existing sales were flat year-over-year despite improving affordability, with an annual pace of just 4.02 million — below analysts’ expectations.May 11, 2026
- Jobs report encouraging, but consumers remain pessimisticApril employment numbers were better than expected, but for buyers and sellers, “positive momentum matters more than any single month of data,” economists say.May 8, 2026
- Rocket confident of ‘ability to outperform’ in down marketBorrower demand remains high, Rocket reported, and investments in AI will help it “take even more ground when the market improves,” CEO Varun Krishna said.May 7, 2026
- Pending sales data brings ‘good news’ to lagging housing marketWhile 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.May 7, 2026
- eXp enters the franchise business with NextHome acquisitionThe brokerage giant embraces the M&A trend, inking a deal eXp says will create “a more robust company” and give agents more choices as consolidation ramps up.May 7, 2026
- New MoxiWorks platform ‘moves beyond reactive AI’The company’s latest release of RISE includes client follow-up tools, marketing integrations and other features to “drive an entire business workflow.”May 7, 2026
- Compass stock price jumps on promise of ‘durable profitability’The company gets a vote of confidence from investors after reporting $2.7 billion in Q1 revenue — its first earnings report since the Anywhere deal closed.May 5, 2026
- Rise in new home sales shows demand exists — but it’s ‘fragile'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.”May 5, 2026
- Most homebuyers go over budget — a concern for lendersA survey of recent buyers and LOs found that affordability is a top stressor, and nearly half of young buyers have been at risk of missing a mortgage payment.May 4, 2026
- Many homebuyers held back by financing misconceptionsA 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.May 4, 2026
- KW’s CEO ready to turn tech, development strategies into actionNow that he’s spent a year assessing the company and strategizing its next moves, Chris Czarnecki says it’s time to start rolling out new tools and programs.April 30, 2026
- ‘April delivered’ as spring homebuying season picks up momentumNew data shows increases in pending sales, new listings and touring activity — but geopolitical and job market concerns continue to challenge the spring market.April 30, 2026
- Fed keeps rates frozen as Powell prepares for leadership handoffIn what may be his final press conference as Fed chair, Jerome Powell urged support for a central bank “free of political influence.”April 29, 2026
- CoStar beats revenue forecast amid ‘drumbeat of negative coverage’In its 60th consecutive quarter of double-digit revenue growth, CoStar reported a 23% jump in revenue in Q1, bolstering projections for the rest of the year.April 28, 2026
- Teams ‘work harder’ — which is why LPT is betting on themLPT Realty has been growing at hyperspeed. One contributor to its success? “We are letting teams drive their vision of the future,” CEO Robert Palmer said.April 28, 2026
- Real to buy REMAX in $880M deal, creating global brokerage giantTamir Poleg will be CEO of the combined company, which will serve more than 180,000 agents worldwide.April 27, 2026
- Heavy investment in Homes.com is paying off, CEO saysDespite a “very brutal” public battle with shareholders over spending on Homes.com, Andy Florance says agent subscription growth proves the playbook is working.April 25, 2026
- Zillow CEO bullish about AI’s potential, opportunities for agentsThe company is using AI to improve its own efficiency — and to build better tools for real estate professionals, CEO Jeremy Wacksman said.April 23, 2026
- Gary Keller’s blunt message for MLS leadersThe Keller Williams co-founder called on MLSs to “clean up their business” — or risk losing it — amid the increasing push toward private listings.Updated April 24, 2026
