Existing-home sales dipped in March after rising the month prior as the housing market remains rate sensitive.
Sales declined by 2.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.44 million from 4.48 million the month prior, according to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors.
Year-over-year, sales are down 22%.
All four major regions saw sales decline year-over-year and three of the four tanked month-over-month. Only the Northeast’s sales were unchanged from February.
The median price for an existing home slid YOY alongside rates, down 0.9% to $375,700. This is just the second YOY decline in years– last month’s dip broke the longest streak on record, 131 consecutive months of price gains.
“Home sales are trying to recover…
By SCOTT KIMBLER Three leaders in the mortgage industry recently got together to discuss the challenges for lenders in 2023. A webinar was hosted by Augie Del Rio, founder and CEO of Gallus Insights. It included Rob Chrisman, capital markets consultant and founder of the Chrisman Commentary, as well as Tammy Richards, CEO of LendArch. All three lending veterans had various thoughts on what mortgage lenders need to do to not only survive in the current volatile mortgage market but also thrive in the down economy. “We are experiencing one of the most significant downturns in decades,” Del Rio said. “We are kind of all at the crossroads of the perfect storm. We are experiencing the fastest rising rate environment…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS With the Federal Reserve raising interest rates seven times this year – and with more rate hikes on the way in 2023 – people are wondering if their policies to cool inflation are unfairly punishing those in the housing market. The Fed’s policy-setting committee raised its benchmark rate a half-point to 4.5% this week. The goal is to reach 2% inflation by controlling monetary policy. The chair of the Federal Reserve opened his press conference on Wednesday saying that he would like to underscore for the American people that they understand the hardship that high inflation is causing. Jerome Powell said the U.S. economy has slowed significantly from last year’s rapid pace. “Recent indicators point to modest…
Mortgage interest rates dipped modestly again last week, the fifth consecutive week of decline, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Freddie’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey found that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.31%, down from 6.33% the week prior. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.12 percent. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage fell from 5.67% to 5.54%. A year ago, it averaged 2.34%. “Mortgage rates continued their downward trajectory this week, as softer inflation data and a modest shift in the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy reverberated through the economy,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “The good news for the housing market is that recent declines in rates have led to a stabilization in purchase demand. The bad…
Inventory saw a record uptick in the four weeks ending December 4th as buyer demand dwindled and homes lingered on the market, according to new data from Redfin. The total number of homes for sale rose 15% YOY in that period, the largest increase recorded in Redfin’s Homebuyer Demand Index. New listings fell by 20%, however, suggesting the stock shortage will be ongoing. Demand has dwindled as many homebuyers were priced out of the market by sky-high prices and rates. Buyers who could afford a home when interest rates were at historical lows found that in 2022, they couldn’t afford anything. But homebuyer demand did rebound from an all-time low, up 5% from a week prior as rates continue to…
New listings fell 12% during the four-week period ending August 7, the largest YOY decline since June 2020, according to recent Redfin data. Higher mortgage rates are keeping some Americans in their homes longer than they normally would be. Some homeowners are experiencing what Redfin calls “rate lock-in,” a fear of putting their home up for sale due to a low rate they nabbed during the pandemic. Others are realizing they won’t get an offer over listing price on-demand like they could last year. “Buyers are backing off due to rising housing costs and sellers are holding back because they realize they won’t get the bidding war they would have gotten six months ago,” said Redfin Deputy Chief Economist Taylor…
Active listings posted a record-high growth rate in July, an indication that balance is returning to the housing market, Realtor.com reported. July’s Monthly Housing Trends Report found that the national inventory of active listings rose by 30.7% YOY, while the total inventory of unsold homes, including pending listings, increased for the first time since September 2019. This means there were 176,000 more homes actively for sale on a typical day in July than at the same time last year. However, the bump in total unsold inventory amounted to only a modest 3.5% due to a dip in pending inventory. And listings are still far behind their pre-pandemic and even early pandemic levels. Active listings were 15.7% below 2020 and 45.4%…
By SCOTT KIMBLER It is being reported that the typical homebuyer could save an estimated $15,582 over five years if they take out an adjustable-rate mortgage and some borrowers are wondering if the risks are worth the rewards. On Friday, Redfin published an article by Lily Katz and Taylor Marr which stated that demand for adjustable-rate mortgages is on the rise because they typically have lower interest rates than 30-year fixed loans. The Redfin analysis used the estimated monthly mortgage payment on a median asking price home during the four weeks ending May 12. The amount used for calculations was $410,700. The analysis found that the monthly payment for buyers who took out a 5/1 ARM was an estimated $2,164…
Second-home demand fell for a second straight month as rising rates and increased fees deter buyers, Redfin reported. Mortgage-rate locks for second homes dropped to their lowest level since May 2020 in March, though still remained 13% above pre-pandemic levels. “The pandemic-driven surge in sales of vacation homes is coming to an end as mortgage rates rise at their fastest pace in history, causing some second-home buyers to back off,” said Redfin Deputy Chief Economist Taylor Marr. “When rates and prices shoot up so much that a vacation home starts to look more like a burden than a good investment and a fun place to bring your family on the weekends, a lot of prospective buyers have second thoughts.” A…
Single-family rents rose by 12.6% YOY in January to another record high, with Miami leading U.S. cities in rent growth. CoreLogic’s Single-Family Rent Index (SFRI) found that rent growth exploded in January. The increase is especially shocking compared to January 2021’s mere 3.9% annual increase. “Single-family rent growth extended its record-breaking price growth streak to 10 consecutive months in January,” said Molly Boesel, principal economist at CoreLogic. “Rents increased across the country, and the gains were highest in the Sun Belt, which also had strong population growth last year.” All metro areas analyzed by CoreLogic saw annual growth, with Sun Belt cities leading the pack. Miami once again had the highest YOY growth at 38.6%. In January 2021, Miami rents…
