Weekly Housing Headlines

Year-over-year pending home sales increased 1.8% in February; mortgage rates hit their highest point this year, rising 11 basis points to 6.30%; mortgage applications decreased 10.9% from one week earlier; new home sales activity increased slightly in February compared to year-ago levels; 73% of surveyed agents expect a stronger spring than in 2025; a report shows 1 in 5 homeowners could save money by refinancing; and sellers currently outnumber buyers by more than 40%.

NAR Pending Home Sales Report Shows 1.8% Increase in February
National Association of Realtors - 3/17/2026
Month over month pending home sales rose in the Midwest, South and West, and declined in the Northeast. Year over year pending home sales rose in the South and West, and declined in the Northeast and Midwest.

U.S. Mortgage Rates Hit Highest This Year, Slowing Refinancing
Financial Advisor - 3/18/2026
The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage rose 11 basis points to 6.30% in the week ended March 13 following a similar advance at the week before, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data.

Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
Mortgage Bankers Association - 3/18/2026
Mortgage applications decreased 10.9 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending March 13, 2026.

February New Home Purchase Mortgage Applications Increased 0.9 Percent
Mortgage Bankers Association - 3/19/2026
New home sales activity increased slightly in February compared to year-ago levels. More housing inventory has broadly supported some of the growth in homebuying patterns in recent months.

A stronger spring housing market? Real estate agents think so
Mortgage Professional America - 3/13/2026
The Real Brokerage found that 73% of surveyed agents expect a stronger spring than in 2025, including 36% who anticipate a “significantly stronger” market, citing pent‑up demand from sidelined buyers.

More Homeowners Could Refi But Haven’t — Yet
National Mortgage Professional - 3/13/2026
One in five (19.8%) U.S. homeowners with a mortgage could save money by refinancing to a lower rate, the highest share in four years, according to a new report from Redfin.

Redfin Reports The Typical Home Sells in 66 Days — the Slowest Winter Pace in a Decade
Redfin - 3/19/2026
It’s a buyer’s market, with sellers outnumbering buyers by more than 40%. That means the buyers who are in the market have negotiating power and can afford to take their time.

Spring housing market shows early thaw
Mortgage Professional America - 3/17/2026
February’s housing numbers from REMAX suggested that the U.S. market has started to thaw heading into the key spring season, with homes selling faster and closings edging higher even as new listings stayed scarce.

LendingTree: First-Time Homebuyers Get Smaller Loans, Put Less Down, Pay Higher Rates
MortgagePoint - 3/17/2026
A new analysis from LendingTree shows that mortgage purchase inquiries on its platform in 2025 revealed that at least 55% of inquiries in every major U.S. metro were from first-time homebuyers.

Listings drought tightens competition even as U.S. housing prices hold steady
Mortgage Professional America - 3/16/2026
New data from real estate intelligence platform Property Prospect, covering 20 metro areas including New York, Phoenix, Richmond and Tucson, showed a median sale price of $636,165. Prices edged up 0.3% in recent months.