Mortgage rates

Mortgage applications increased 0.5% from one week earlier, although interest rate instability affected consumers' ability to get the best price for their loan, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Sales of single-family homes in the Albany, N.Y., area fell 17.4% in August from year-earlier levels, and real estate officials are blaming a 9% drop in inventories and steep prices for newly constructed homes for the decline.

Weaker-than-expected economic data led to a decline in mortgage rates this week, although consumer attitudes remain strong, and should continue to drive increased home purchase demand, according to Freddie Mac.

Houston-area home sales increased nearly 10% in September from a year ago as buyers closed on 7,035 single-family homes, the bulk of which sold for between $150,000 and $500,000.

Mortgage applications jumped 5.2% from one week earlier as a drop in rates caused another surge in refinances, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Home bidding activity tracked by Redfin in September was weaker than a year ago but up compared to August, suggesting purchase mortgage originations haven't been subjected to a seasonal slowdown yet.

Lower mortgage rates prompted Dallas-Fort Worth builders to ramp up home starts in the third quarter.

While home affordability reached a 32-month high in September, it could continue to increase in the fall months, according to Black Knight's Mortgage Monitor.

Bankers in St. Louis weren't surprised when mortgage data released this summer showed a drop in loans made between 2017 and 2018.

Consumer confidence in the housing market remains relatively strong, but economic uncertainty is testing its resiliency, according to Fannie Mae.