Video: May 29, 2026, Economic and Housing Market Update
Realtor.com’s weekly update shows the Freddie Mac 30‑year fixed mortgage rate nudged up to 6.53%, while the S&P Case‑Shiller index indicates national home‑price growth stalled at 0.7% year‑over‑year. New‑home sales slipped 6.2% month‑over‑month and 11.3% year‑over‑year in April, pushing months‑supply to 9.4 and shifting the market toward buyers. Active listings rose 2.2% year‑over‑year and asking prices fell 2.4% for the 19th consecutive week, reflecting more realistic pricing. Meanwhile, AI‑driven equity events are adding roughly $198,000 to down‑payments on Bay Area luxury homes, and Hudson Valley luxury markets are outpacing national price growth.
New-Home Sales Slow in April After a Strong March
New‑home sales in April 2026 fell 6.2% month‑over‑month and 11.3% year‑over‑year, marking the weakest month since January. Despite the volume decline, the median price rose 8% to $422,500, the highest since May 2025, driven by strong West‑region activity. Builder inventory...
Weekly Housing Trends: U.S. Market Update (Week Ending May 23, 2026)
The latest Weekly Housing Trends report shows the U.S. market edging forward with modest activity. New listings rose 3.3% year‑over‑year, keeping weekly volume above 100,000 homes, while active inventory grew 2.2% to remain roughly 6% higher than a year ago....
Commentary: Case-Shiller Home Price Index: National Home Price Growth Holds Steady Through March
The S&P CoreLogic Case‑Shiller index showed national home‑price growth flattening at 0.7% year‑over‑year in March, down from 0.8% in February. While the 10‑city composite posted a 1.4% gain, more than half of the 20 tracked metros recorded price declines for...
Video: May 22, 2026, Economic and Housing Market Update
Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale reported that new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh was sworn in as mortgage rates jumped 15 basis points to 6.51% amid heightened inflation and Middle‑East tensions. The spring housing market showed modest improvement, with pending home...
Pending Home Sales Pick Up 1.4% in April as Inventory Grows
Pending home sales climbed 1.4% in April, reflecting a modest rebound as buyers took advantage of a broader inventory and softer price growth. Mortgage rates eased to around 6.3%, roughly half a percentage point lower than a year ago, preserving...
Mortgage Rates Stabilized at 6.36%, Despite Inflation
Mortgage rates held steady this week, with the Freddie Mac 30‑year benchmark slipping to 6.36% after a one‑basis‑point decline. The dip occurred even as the 10‑year Treasury yield rose on fresh inflation concerns, thanks to higher prices for mortgage‑backed securities and...
Total Cost of Ownership: Where Lower Operating Costs Offset the New-Construction Price Premium
New‑construction single‑family homes carry a national price premium of roughly $60,000 compared with existing homes, but owners can expect about $25,335 in total savings over the first ten years from lower utility bills and reduced major‑system replacements. Savings are not...
April 2026 Rental Report: Rising Multifamily Starts Signal a New Wave of Rental Supply on the Horizon
April 2026 marks the 33rd straight month of year‑over‑year rent declines for 0‑2 bedroom units in the 50 largest U.S. metros, with the national median asking rent slipping to $1,673, down 1.7% YoY and $92 below its August 2022 peak. Despite...
Inflation Contagion: April CPI Hits 3.8% as Energy Shock Bleeds Into Core
April 2026 CPI rose 3.8% year‑over‑year, matching forecasts, while core inflation edged up to 2.8% YoY. The report showed a 5.4% monthly jump in gasoline and a 2.8% rise in airline fares, signaling the energy shock is spilling into broader...
Video: May 8, 2026, Economic and Housing Market Update
Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale reported that April’s jobs report added 115,000 positions, keeping unemployment at 4.3% and average hourly earnings up 3.6%. Mortgage rates rose to 6.37% this week, driven by inflation worries and renewed Middle East tensions, though...
April 2026 Jobs Report: Labor Market Shows Signs of Stabilization
The April 2026 jobs report shows the U.S. labor market stabilizing. Employers added 115,000 nonfarm jobs, well above the 55‑70k forecast, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%. Real wages rose 3.6% year‑over‑year, outpacing inflation. The data gives the...
Weekly Housing Trends: U.S. Market Update (Week Ending May 2, 2026)
The weekly Realtor.com report shows a cautiously active U.S. housing market as of the week ending May 2, 2026. New listings slipped 2.5% year‑over‑year but remain above 120,000, while active inventory rose 2.3% YoY, now 6.5% higher than a year...
New-Construction Insights: Urban New Builds Are Scarce and Expensive
New‑construction median listing price held steady at $449,373 in Q1 2026, while existing‑home prices slipped 0.9% to $390,550, pushing the national new‑construction premium to 15.1%. Builders reduced new‑home prices more frequently than resales, yet days on market remained unchanged, underscoring a...
April 2026 Hottest Housing Markets
Springfield, Massachusetts reclaimed the top spot in Realtor.com’s April 2026 hottest‑housing‑market ranking, marking its second consecutive month at number one. The top‑20 list is dominated by the Northeast (16 metros) and the Midwest (5 metros), with median days on market...