Housing markets

The national median payment applied for by purchase applicants rose from $2,025 in December to $2,070 last month, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Even with the increase in business, Fidelity National Financial reported a net loss for the period, a result of the stock distribution for its life unit.

The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage dropped 8 basis points to 6.09% in the week ended Feb. 20, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday.

Nearly 14% of homes that went under contract last month were cancelled, up from 13.1% last year and the highest January share in records, according to Redfin.

Home prices edged up nationwide, but gains were modest and uneven. Major indexes agree on direction, differ on size, as 2025 posted weak growth.

A median-income household could comfortably afford a $331,483 home with a 20% down payment in January, $30,000 more than a year ago, Zillow found.

The Trump Administration proposed banning a smaller investor size than expected from purchasing more single-family houses, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Research from Andrew Davidson claims a significant number of mortgage borrowers would have a wide variance in credit score if less than three pulls are used.

The increase in borrower activity came as housing starts ended 2025 on a high note, while mortgage rates were a percentage point lower year-over-year.

An index of contract signings fell 0.8% last month to the lowest level in data from 2001, following a revised 7.4% decline in December, according to National Association of Realtors figures released Thursday.

New residential construction in the US rose to a five-month high in December, as homebuilders boosted production to take advantage of lower borrowing costs.

Residential lending remains steady in select cities as resilient housing markets, strong employment, limited supply, and migration trends shape borrower demand.

The typical homebuyer's down payment in the United States decreased 1.5% year over year to $64,000 in December, Redfin said.

Large and mega investors accounted for 5.8% of all single family-home purchases in December, up from 4.8% at the same time last year, according to Cotality.

An index of market conditions from the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo, in which below 50 means more builders see conditions as poor than good, edged down in February to 36, the lowest level since September.

Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said in a speech Monday morning that the central bank will introduce two capital proposals that she said are aimed at boosting banks' role in the mortgage market.

The mortgage broker trade group put out a white paper calling for lowering transaction costs, increasing housing supply and reducing regulatory barriers.

Mortgage delinquencies increased across loan types, and while 30-day late payments showed overall improvement, later-stage distress worsened.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.09% Thursday, down two basis points from last week, while the 15-year rate fell to 5.44%, according to Freddie Mac.

Contract closings decreased 8.4%, the biggest drop since February 2022, to a 3.91 million annualized pace in January, according to National Association of Realtors data released Thursday.