Housing demand is off to a solid start in 2026
Mortgage rates and spreads stabilize, driving growth in home sales and inventory for the 2026 housing market.
Mortgage Rates
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Existing home sales outlook improves as mortgage rates stabilize
Normalized mortgage spreads and steady rates may drive the first real year of home sales growth since 2021.
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%.
Lower mortgage rates support steady new home sales
The long-delayed report shows new home sales reached 737,000 in October 2025, up 18.7% from last year, as mortgage rates fall near 6%
The impact of lower mortgage rates on housing inventory
U.S. housing inventory growth slowed to 9.99% year-over-year last week as mortgage rates near 6% and price cuts reach 34.7%.
December jobs data continues to support lower mortgage rates
December jobs growth slowed to 50,000, keeping mortgage rates near 6% with steady and Trump’s MBS move supporting better spreads.
Sharp decline in mortgage rates revives hopes of a refi surge, LOs say
A modest mortgage rate drop may boost refinancing by 15% to 25%, but lenders caution that activity depends on rates staying low.
Trump directs GSEs to buy $200B in MBS to push mortgage rates lower
President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is directing representatives at the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) to purchase $200 billion in mortgage-backed securities (MBS), a move he said is intended to bring mortgage rates down.
Logan Mohtashami’s 2026 housing forecast
Inventory is back to normal and mortgage rates are forecast between 5.75% and 6.75%, shaping a steadier housing market in 2026.
Why didn’t double-digit growth in purchase apps lead to more home sales in 2025?
Despite double-digit growth in purchase applications for much of 2025, existing home sales increased only modestly from 2024.