Weekly Housing Headlines

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 6.46% this week, the highest level in seven months; mortgage applications decreased 10.4% from one week earlier; national home price growth decelerated to 0.9% in January; March saw 16.2% of for-sale homes offering price reductions, down 1.2% points from a year ago; affordability improved to its strongest level in nearly four years at the start of 2026; and a new report shows that the average borrower holds about $300,000 in equity.

U.S. mortgage rates climb for fifth-straight week, pushed up by Iran war worries
CNN Business - 4/2/2026
The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 6.46% this week, jumping from 6.38% the previous week and reaching the highest level in seven months, according to Freddie Mac.

Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
Mortgage Bankers Association - 4/1/2026
Mortgage applications decreased 10.4 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending March 27, 2026.

Commentary: Case-Shiller Home Price Index: National Growth Decelerates to 0.9% in January
Realtor.com - 3/31/2026
The S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Index showed national home price growth continuing to decelerate through January, with the U.S. National Index rising 0.9% YOY, down from 1.1% in December and 1.3% in November.

Price Cuts Take a Back Seat as Spring Sellers Pivot to a Realistic Listing Strategy
Realtor.com - 4/1/2026
Nationally, March saw 16.2% of for-sale homes offering price reductions, down 1.2 percentage points from a year ago, according to the latest Realtor.com monthly housing market trends report.

Affordability Rebounds In Early 2026, But Rates Still Cap The Upside For Originators
National Mortgage Professional - 3/31/2026
Affordability improved to its strongest level in nearly four years at the start of 2026, offering a modest tailwind for purchase activity. However, this improvement may not fully offset ongoing rate volatility.

House rich, cash poor: A structural mismatch in home equity
Cotality - 3/30/2026
According to Cotality’s Homeowner Equity Report, the average borrower holds about $300,000 in equity, reflecting the massive scale of homeownership as the nation’s second-largest asset class after publicly traded stocks.

Redfin Reports Over Half of Home Listings Have Been Lingering on the Market For More Than 2 Months
Redfin - 3/30/2026
More than half (52.2%) of February’s home listings were on the market for at least 60 days without going under contract (i.e. they were stale) nationwide, up from 50.1% a year earlier and the highest share since 2019.

U.S. home prices in January barely rise as higher rates bite into real gains
Mortgage Professional America - 3/31/2026
The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s latest House Price Index showed national prices up 0.1% month on month in January and 1.6% compared with a year earlier, with December’s move revised up to 0.3%.

A housing market ‘failing to provide mobility’ drives rental shift
Scotsman Guide - 3/30/2026
Amid yearslong home purchase affordability challenges that have sidelined first-time homebuyers and narrowed access to homeownership, millions of households find themselves locked out of homebuying and locked into leases.

U.S. Mortgage Rates March Higher To Seven-Month High Of 6.57%
Financial Advisor - 4/1/2026
The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage increased 14 basis points to 6.57% in the week ended March 27, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday.