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 at just 28 days—roughly three weeks faster than the national average. Kansas City, Missouri posted the biggest year‑over‑year jump, climbing 56 spots, while Springfield, Illinois surged 26.6% in median price despite being the lowest‑priced market in the top tier. Overall, buyer demand remains concentrated in affordable, Boston‑adjacent metros as mortgage rates ease slightly.
New-Home Sales Pace Picks Up, Price Plummets in March
New‑home sales rebounded in March 2026, reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 682,000 units, a 3.3% year‑over‑year increase. The median price of a newly built home fell 6.2% to $387,400, the lowest level recorded since 2021 and more than...
Under the Same Roof: Multigenerational Living in the U.S.
Multigenerational households now represent 4.5% of U.S. owner‑occupied homes, typically larger four‑bedroom properties with a median income of $131,000. Listings marketed for extended families command a 65% price premium—$709,000 versus $429,900 for standard homes—and a 22% higher price per square...
Luxury Cut: The Spring 2026 Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com Housing Market Ranking
The Wall Street Journal and Realtor.com’s Spring 2026 luxury‑housing ranking shows a dramatic reshuffle, with Santa Fe, NM soaring to No. 1 and Pittsfield, MA debuting at No. 2. Six new metros cracked the top‑10, while former leaders Detroit and St. Louis fell out...
The Spring 2026 Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com Housing Market Ranking
The Wall Street Journal and Realtor.com released their Spring 2026 Housing Market Ranking, highlighting 200 U.S. metros based on affordability, supply, economic health and climate risk. South Bend‑Mishawaka, IN‑MI reclaimed the top spot, while Flint, MI surged to #10 after a 27.6%...
Mortgage Rates Rise to 6.3%
Mortgage rates edged higher this week, with Freddie Mac’s 30‑year fixed rate rising 7 basis points to 6.3% as the Federal Reserve kept policy rates unchanged. The move coincided with the 10‑year Treasury yield climbing past 4.4% after stalled U.S.–Iran peace...
April 2026 Monthly Housing Report: Spring Market Weathers Economic Uncertainty
April 2026 saw the U.S. housing market absorb a wave of economic headwinds, including a spike in gas‑price‑driven inflation and a five‑week climb in mortgage rates that peaked at 6.46%. Despite that, new listings jumped 8.7% month‑over‑month to the strongest...
Weekly Housing Trends: U.S. Market Update (Week Ending April 25, 2026)
The latest Realtor.com weekly housing trends report shows a modest pullback in seller activity, with new listings down 1.4% year‑over‑year after an Easter‑driven surge. Active inventory rose 2.7% YoY, now 6.8% above the same period last year, while homes are...
Fed Leaves Rate Unchanged During Powell’s Final Meeting as Chair
The Federal Reserve left its target federal funds rate unchanged at 3.5%‑3.75% during Chairman Jerome Powell’s final FOMC meeting, despite dissent from Governor Stephen Miran and three regional presidents. Recent data show a resilient labor market, a modest rise in...
Housing Starts Surge in March Despite Economic Headwinds for Builders
New residential construction starts surged 10.8% in March 2026, matching both month‑over‑month and year‑over‑year growth, while permitting and completions lagged. The Northeast led the rebound, with starts up 18.9% YoY and single‑family starts surpassing one million units for the first...
Los Angeles Rental Report 2026Q1: Relief From the Peak, but Still Out of Reach for Many
In the first quarter of 2026 the median asking rent in Los Angeles County fell to $2,520, a 3.7% year‑over‑year drop and the lowest level since early 2022. Small‑unit rents slipped 5.7% while three‑plus‑bedroom rents eased 2.8%, reflecting a surge of new...
Homeownership Rate Steadies at 65.3% in Q1
The U.S. homeownership rate held steady at 65.3% in the first quarter of 2026, unchanged from the previous quarter and a year earlier. Homeowner vacancy slipped to 1.1% while rental vacancy remained at 7.3%, indicating a pause in the modest...
Commentary: Case-Shiller Home Price Index: National Growth Decelerates to 0.7% in February
The S&P Cotality Case‑Shiller National Home Price Index rose just 0.7% year‑over‑year in February, a slowdown from 0.8% in January. The modest gain comes despite a brief dip of the 30‑year fixed mortgage below 6% and follows nine consecutive months...
New York City Rental Report 2026Q1: The Real Cost of Moving in New York City
New York City’s median asking rent jumped to $3,616 in Q1 2026, a 6.2% year‑over‑year increase and 28% above pre‑pandemic levels. Smaller units saw the strongest gains, with 0‑2‑bedroom rents rising 7.6% while three‑plus‑bedroom rents grew only 2%. All boroughs posted...
Video: April 24, 2026, Economic and Housing Market Update
Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale reported that mortgage rates eased to 6.30% after peaking near 6.5%, marking the third week of decline and a half‑percentage‑point improvement over a year ago. New listings rose to their highest level in almost a...
March Pending Home Sales Climb 1.5% as Inventory Grows
Pending home sales increased 1.5% in March, even as mortgage rates rose to about 6.3% by month‑end. New listings surged 21.2% to 439,000, providing the strongest inventory boost in years, while the median list price fell 2.2% year‑over‑year. The South...
Introducing Realtor.com Land Price Estimates: Market for Land Still Under the Weather From Pandemic
Realtor.com’s new land‑price dashboard shows a stark imbalance: land listings have contracted 23.6% since 2019 while median prices per acre surged 76.6% to $62,365 in Q1 2026. The pandemic‑era buying frenzy lifted raw‑land values the most, with an 86.5% price jump,...
Mortgage Rates Drop to 6.3%
The Freddie Mac 30‑year mortgage rate slipped 7 basis points to 6.30% after a cease‑fire was announced in the Iran conflict, a move mirrored by a decline in the 10‑year Treasury yield. While the dip offers a brief reprieve, its durability...
Weekly Housing Trends: U.S. Market Update (Week Ending April 11, 2026)
The Weekly Housing Trends report for the week ending April 11, 2026 shows a strong rebound in seller activity, with new listings surpassing 120,000 – the highest level in nearly a year. Active inventory rose 4.3% year‑over‑year, marking the first increase after...
March 2026 Rental Report: Renting Beats Buying in All 50 Major U.S. Metros — and the Savings Gap May Be...
The March 2026 Rental Report shows a 32‑month streak of year‑over‑year rent declines across the 50 largest U.S. metros, with the national median asking rent falling to $1,669, 1.5% lower than a year ago but still 17.5% above pre‑pandemic levels. Renting...
Video: April 10, 2026, Economic and Housing Market Update
Realtor.com’s chief economist Danielle Hale reported that mortgage rates slipped nine basis points following the Iran cease‑fire, offering modest relief to homebuyers. Weekly data showed a dip in new seller listings as spring holidays and higher rates dampened activity, while...
Gas Prices Spike Inflation to 3.3% – A Real Test for Consumers and Housing This Spring
The U.S. March consumer price index rose to a 3.3% year‑over‑year headline rate, driven largely by a 21.2% month‑over‑month jump in gasoline—the steepest increase since the series began in 1967. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, eased to 2.6%...
Introducing the Realtor.com® Market Clock
Realtor.com has launched the Market Clock, a new index that translates dozens of housing‑market signals into a single 12‑hour clockface for the 50 largest U.S. metros. The tool gauges buyer‑seller negotiating power, not just price levels, and shows both the...
Weekly Housing Trends: U.S. Market Update (Week Ending April 4, 2026)
The Realtor.com Weekly Housing Trends report for the week ending April 4, 2026 shows a sharp 10% year‑over‑year drop in new listings, the steepest decline since the January storm‑driven pullback. Active inventory rose 3.9% YoY, keeping the total supply above last year’s...
March 2026 Luxury Housing Report: Pure Luxury—Where Luxury Is the Norm
Realtor.com’s March 2026 Luxury Housing Report shows the national entry‑luxury threshold slipped 2.9% to about $1.25 million, while median days on market for luxury homes edged up to 61 days. Ultraluxury pricing remains high, with Rifle, CO posting a 99th‑percentile ceiling...
Unemployment Falls to 4.3% in March as Spring Housing Market Looks for Firmer Footing
The March jobs report showed the unemployment rate slipping to 4.3% as non‑farm payrolls rose by 178,000, outpacing expectations. February’s employment figures were revised down to a loss of 133,000, highlighting volatility in recent labor data. Wage growth eased to...
Video: Mar. 27, 2026, Economic and Housing Market Update
Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale reported that mortgage rates jumped 16 basis points, the largest weekly increase in almost a year, tightening buying power for prospective homeowners. At the same time, seller price expectations slipped about 2% year‑over‑year, while inventory...
The Affordability Trap: Who Is Renting in America and Why They Can’t Stop
A new analysis of 2024 ACS data identifies three renter segments that together account for over 80% of U.S. renting households: young renters (31.9%), family renters (44.3%) and long‑term renters (36.1%). Young renters gravitate toward affordable inland metros such as...
Mortgage Rates Increase to 6.22%, Highest Level of 2026
Freddie Mac’s 30‑year fixed mortgage rate rose to 6.22% this week, the highest level recorded in 2026. The 11‑basis‑point jump reflects heightened geopolitical tension, rising energy costs and renewed trade uncertainty, which have pushed inflation expectations higher despite a modest 2.4%...
February Pending Home Sales Edge Up 1.8% Amid Shifting Market
Pending home sales in February rose 1.8% month‑over‑month but slipped 0.8% year‑over‑year, reflecting a modest rebound after a brief dip in mortgage rates. Active inventory jumped 7.9% YoY, giving buyers more leverage in many regions. The South and West posted...
February 2026 Rental Report: National Median Asking Rents Hit Four-Year Low
February 2026 rental report shows national median asking rent fell to $1,667, a 1.7% year‑over‑year decline and the lowest level in four years. This marks the 30th consecutive month of declines for 0‑2‑bedroom units across the 50 largest U.S. metros....
Video: Mar. 13, 2026, Economic and Housing Market Update
The Senate passed the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, targeting increased supply and tighter rules on institutional investors. Inflation eased to 2.4% in February, prompting the Federal Reserve to likely hold rates at its March meeting, while mortgage rates rose...
The Shrinking Institutional Investor Footprint: National Trends and Local Concentration
The report finds that large institutional investors—defined as owners of 350+ single‑family homes between 2015‑2025—represent only about 1% of all single‑family home purchases nationwide and their share has been falling since a 2021 peak. Their activity is highly concentrated in...
Homeownership Accelerates Generational Wealth
Homeownership timing has become a critical driver of wealth in the United States, with the median age of first‑time buyers climbing from 30 in 1990 to 40 in 2025 due to soaring prices and longer savings horizons. Data from the...
February 2026 Hottest Housing Markets
Manchester‑Nashua, New Hampshire reclaimed the top spot in February 2026, attracting 3.4 times the national average viewers per listing and selling homes in a median 36 days. The Midwest and Northeast dominate the Top 20, with Wisconsin contributing seven metros and overall median days...
America’s Most Expensive ZIP Codes – 2026
The 2026 luxury housing report shows the median entry price for the nation’s top 10 % of homes steady at about $1.2 million, while the elite “ultraluxury” ZIP codes now start at $5.5 million. Newport Coast, CA (92657) displaced Fisher Island, FL to...
Commentary: Case-Shiller Home Price Index Price Growth Slowing Through December
The S&P CoreLogic Case‑Shiller National Home Price Index rose 1.3% year‑over‑year in December, a slight dip from 1.4% in November, indicating a slowdown in price growth. Existing‑home sales fell to a 1995 low while national inventory more than doubled since...
January 2026 Rental Report: Renter Conditions Improve Across U.S. Markets, With Notable Increases in Vacancies
Realtor.com’s January 2026 Rental Report shows the 29th consecutive month of year‑over‑year rent declines for 0‑2‑bedroom units, with the median asking rent falling 1.5% to $1,672. Vacancy rates in the nation’s 50 largest metros rose to 7.6%, the highest since...