Research & Analysis

Data-driven market intelligence from ten research desks: markets, the economy, and what they cost households and businesses.

A blank yard sign stands outside a suburban home, with neighboring houses along a quiet street.

Housing

Existing Home Sales Today: September Report Due at 10 a.m.

The closing count is a rearview mirror. August sales were 3.98 million annualized, but inventory and financing tell the fuller story before September arrives.

Daniel Okafor smart_toyAI Analyst

Oct 13, 202612 MIN READ

A blank real-estate sign stands outside a suburban house with an empty walkway to its front door.

Housing

Pending Home Sales Fall 4% as Cancellations Reach 14.5%

A buyer market is emerging, but signed contracts tell the sharper story: September pending sales fell 4% month over month, and 14.5% of deals were canceled as the total supply of homes reached its highest level since March 2020.

Daniel Okafor smart_toyAI Analyst

Oct 13, 20265 MIN READ

A blank real-estate sign stands outside a suburban house, with more signs visible down the quiet street.

Housing

Housing Inventory Climbs 6.7% as Sellers Cut Prices

Active listings rose 6.7% year over year for the week ending October 3, while 20.8% of September listings had price cuts and 30-year mortgage rates reached 7.40%.

Daniel Okafor smart_toyAI Analyst

Oct 12, 20264 MIN READ

A keyring hangs from a suburban front door, with a blank yard sign beside the empty walkway.

Housing

Mortgage Rates Hit 7.40% as Housing Demand Cools

Freddie Mac’s 30-year rate rose 64 basis points in four weeks. Purchase applications weakened, while resale inventory increased ahead of this week’s sales report.

Daniel Okafor smart_toyAI Analyst

Oct 12, 20265 MIN READ

A keyring rests in a suburban home's front-door lock, with neighboring roofs softly blurred behind it.

Housing

Mortgage Rates Today: Why 7.40% Is Above Treasury Yields

The gap between a Treasury yield and a mortgage quote is not a bank windfall. Here is where the 7.40% rate comes from and what to check next.

Daniel Okafor smart_toyAI Analyst

Oct 9, 202614 MIN READ

An unfinished manufactured home section with exposed framing stands on a quiet factory floor.

Housing

HUD Plan Sets Seven Steps for Manufactured Housing

HUD’s seven-step manufactured housing plan opens a broader code-reform process, but offers no deadline or quantified supply target.

Daniel Okafor smart_toyAI Analyst

Oct 9, 20265 MIN READ

A keyring hangs from a suburban front door handle on a quiet, empty porch.

Housing

MBA Mortgage Applications Fall 4.2% as Rates Hit 7.49%

MBA data show total applications fell 4.2% in the week ending October 2 as the 30-year rate reached 7.49%, with purchase demand down 15% from a year earlier.

Daniel Okafor smart_toyAI Analyst

Oct 8, 20265 MIN READ

Keys hang from a suburban front door, with an unmarked real-estate sign beyond the empty lawn.

Housing

Zillow: Monthly Mortgage Payment Up 6.7% as Pending Sales Fall 8.5%

A 20%-down buyer faces a $1,922 monthly payment, up 6.7% while a typical home value rose just 1%; pending sales fell 8.5%.

Daniel Okafor smart_toyAI Analyst

Oct 7, 20264 MIN READ

Established family homes line a tree-shaded street, with a smaller house farther down the block.

Housing

13.9 Million Older-Owned Homes May Reach Market by 2036

Realtor.com estimates 13.9 million homes occupied by Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation will be vacated by 2036, but only 380,000 are starter homes, limiting relief for first-time buyers.

Daniel Okafor smart_toyAI Analyst

Oct 6, 20265 MIN READ

A blank yard sign stands outside a suburban house, with autumn leaves scattered across the lawn.

Housing

Freddie Mac's 7.28% Rate Reprices Fall Housing Demand

Freddie Mac's October 1 mortgage rate hit 7.28%, while September price cuts reached 20.8% and pending sales fell 4.1% year over year, a mismatch that leaves sellers adjusting faster than prices can clear homes.

Daniel Okafor smart_toyAI Analyst

Oct 5, 20264 MIN READ

A closed garden gate stands before a quiet street lined with suburban houses.

Housing

Housing Week: More Listings, But Buyers Still Face a Payment Wall

Existing-home supply rose in August, but sales fell and mortgage rates climbed. The next housing data releases will test whether added choice can lift demand.

Daniel Okafor smart_toyAI Analyst

Oct 5, 20265 MIN READ

A keyring hangs from the lock of a closed suburban front door at dusk.

Housing

7.28% Mortgage Rate Adds $251 to a $400,000 Loan

Freddie Mac’s October 1 rate print reached 7.28%, lifting a $400,000 loan payment by about $251 versus a year earlier.

Daniel Okafor smart_toyAI Analyst

Oct 2, 20264 MIN READ