Weekly Housing Headlines

Contract closings decreased 5.9% last month to an annualized rate of 4.02 million, while new home sales increased by 7.4%; mortgage applications decreased 12.7 percent from one week earlier; nationwide, the median home-sale price rose 2.1% year over year; home prices were up 5.2% from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025; active inventory climbed 30% from a year ago; and 54% of homeowners used a home equity loan or line of credit to fund their latest remodel.

Existing-Home Sales Fall By Most Since 2022 On Rates, Prices
Financial Advisor - 4/24/2025
Contract closings decreased 5.9% last month to an annualized rate of 4.02 million, the weakest March since 2009, according to National Association of Realtors figures released Thursday.

New Home Sales Jumped 7.4 Percent in March as Mortgage Rates Dipped
MortgageOrb - 4/23/2025
New home sales were at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 724,000 in March, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
Mortgage Bankers Association - 4/23/2025
Mortgage applications decreased 12.7 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 18, 2025.

Redfin Reports Home Prices Are Falling in 11 of the 50 Most Populous U.S. Metros, the Most in 19 Months
Redfin - 4/24/2025
Nationwide, the median home-sale price rose 2.1% year over year, the slowest growth rate since July 2023.

Home Prices Climb, And So Do Mortgage Rates
National Mortgage Professional - 4/18/2025
Home prices were up 5.2% from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025, about even with the previous quarter’s year-over-year growth rate of 5.3%. That’s all according to the Fannie Mae Home Price Index.

Weekly Housing Trends View — Data for Week Ending April 19, 2025
Realtor.com - 4/24/2025
A few key findings this week: new listings fell due to the Easter holiday, by 1.6% from a year ago, active inventory climbed 30.0% from a year ago and homes spent four days longer on the market than last year.

54% of Homeowners Used Equity for a Glow-Up — Would You?
The Mortgage Reports - 4/18/2025
According to the 2025 Remodeling Impact Report from the National Association of Realtors, 54% of homeowners used a home equity loan or line of credit to fund their latest remodel.

44% of Home Sellers Are Giving Concessions to Buyers — Just Shy of the Highest Level on Record
Redfin - 4/21/2025
Redfin reports more sellers are offering concessions as rising housing costs and economic uncertainty make buyers nervous, and housing supply hits a five-year high.

Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Decreases Slightly to 0.36% in March
Mortgage Bankers Association - 4/21/2025
Overall mortgage performance improved in March, with more borrowers making their mortgage payments and fewer borrowers in forbearance and loan workouts compared to the prior month.

Mortgage Application Payments Decreased 1.4 Percent to $2,173 in March
Mortgage Bankers Association - 4/24/2025
Homebuyer affordability conditions improved slightly in March as lower mortgage rates spurred renewed activity in the housing market.