Is the lock-in effect loosening its grip on housing? Realtor.com thinks so
U.S. homeowners who carry mortgages with rates of 6% or more now outnumber those with rates below 3%.
Data & Visuals
Auto Added by WPeMatico
Pending home sales rise in November as lower rates spur buyers
Pending home sales rose 3.3% in November, with NAR’s index hitting a reading of 79.2, and all regions posting monthly and annual gains.
Distressed property auctions outperform traditional REO sales
Estimated net proceeds for auction sales were 43% higher than for traditional REO dispositions through the third quarter.
Housing affordability challenges steepen in Q3
In Q3 2025, a household needed to earn $110,100 to afford to own a single-family home, nearly double the income required five years ago.
Homebuyers hunt for Black Friday bargains as price cuts spread
According to HousingWire Data, price cuts have become a defining feature of the late-fall housing market — with discounts deepening just as the holiday sales season kicks off.
Renters are moving more than homeowners, but US mobility is historically low
In 2024, just 11% of Americans changed their address, down from 14.3% a decade earlier and nearly half the rate of the 1960s.
Who keeps the borrower? A deep dive into servicer retention
Data from ICE Mortgage Technology shared with HousingWire offers a deep dive into servicers’ performance at keeping a borrower in their books after a refinance transaction.
US home flipping profits hit lowest level since 2008
Profits from flipping have steadily eroded over the past decade. In fall 2012, the average return on investment was nearly 63%.
$67K to sell a home? Consumers drastically underestimate the costs
More than half of respondents were surprised by costs and nearly a quarter went into debt. Forty percent reported financial strain.
Household income climbs in some big cities, outweighed by inflation in others
Modest income increases failed to keep pace with the roughly 3% inflation rate, meaning many households effectively lost buying power.