Housing markets

Shares of all 18 members in the S&P Composite 1500 Homebuilding Index fell, sending the gauge to the lowest intraday level since December 2023, after results from luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers Inc. and key construction data Wednesday indicated the residential real estate market may be in store for more turbulence. 

Meanwhile, home prices are set to grow 3 to 4% in 2025, a Fitch report predicts.

New residential construction decreased 9.8% to an annualized pace of 1.37 million last month, slipping after a nearly 16% surge in December, according to government data released Wednesday.

Gahanna, Ohio was the hottest ZIP code for the second consecutive year.

Builder confidence had surged following Trump's election win but home financing costs stuck around 7% in recent months have sapped demand and sent builder stocks tumbling.

With proposed tariffs on homebuilding materials working looming and a cloudy forecast for mortgage rates, young homebuyers are facing increased volatility.

A $1 billion assessment announced Tuesday for California's FAIR Plan, the state-mandated insurer of last resort, is expected to drive up premiums as companies will likely pass some of the costs onto homeowners.

The latest refinance surge helped lift total application activity up for a second straight week, even as purchases fell, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Similar import taxes on steel and aluminum were imposed by President Trump during his first term, albeit at a lower rate for the latter material.

West Virginia has the lowest monthly mortgage payment of $1,838.

Most participants in a monthly Wolters Kluwer survey no longer think the next short-term rate reduction will be in March.

While prices and mortgage rates are having an effect on consumers, homeownership is still more affordable than renting in much of the country, new research found.

Mortgage and housing industry groups cheered the U.S. Senate vote, which found only two Democrats crossing over to support Scott Turner's nomination.

Since the National Association of Realtors changed its commission payment rules on Aug. 17, the impact on agent compensation has varied.

Homeownership increased the most in Connecticut between 2019 and 2024.

While it is still early to see the full impact on delinquencies, 5% fewer borrowers in these areas made their monthly mortgage payment by Jan. 17.

Close to 88% of all homeowners reported staying in the same home year-over-year compared to 85.1% reported a decade ago, per U.S. Census data.

Contract signings fell 5.5% to 74.2 in December, according to a National Association of Realtors index released Thursday.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans said stubbornly high mortgage rates are keeping them from moving, so they are planning to fix up their homes, Angi found.

On an annual basis, home prices grew by 4.2% in November, FHFA's index found.