Weekly Housing Headlines

Home prices went negative for the first time in two years, down 1.4% in the last three months; mortgage credit availability increased for the fifth consecutive month in November to its highest level since 2022; mortgage applications increased 4.8% from one week earlier; home delistings in October were up 45.5% year to date and up nearly 38% from October 2024; and refinance retention climbed to its highest level in more than three years.

Home prices go negative for the first time in over 2 years — and may stay that way for a while
CNBC - 12/11/2025
Home prices have finally come down compared with last year, though just fractionally, according to daily reads from Parcl Labs. They may stay softer, though, as home prices are down 1.4% in just the last three months.

Mortgage Credit Availability Increased in November
Mortgage Bankers Association - 12/9/2025
Mortgage credit availability increased for the fifth consecutive month to its highest level since 2022, driven by a growing supply of ARM and cash-out refinance loan programs.

Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
Mortgage Bankers Association - 12/10/2025
Mortgage applications increased 4.8 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending December 5, 2025.

Home sellers are giving up at ‘unusually high rate,’ says new Realtor report
CNBC - 12/8/2025
Home delistings in October were up 45.5% year to date and up nearly 38% from October 2024, according to a new report from Realtor.com.

Falling mortgage rates revive refi race as servicers fight to keep clients
Mortgage Professional America - 12/8/2025
ICE Mortgage Technology’s latest Mortgage Monitor showed refinance retention climbing to its highest level in more than three years as borrowers with recent-vintage loans rushed to cut monthly payments or unlock equity.

Cost-Conscious Homebuyers Are Flocking To Affordable ‘Refuge Markets’ That Stretch Their Dollar
Realtor.com - 12/8/2025
"Refuge markets," predominantly concentrated in the traditionally affordable Midwest — with a few exceptions — posted some of the year's strongest price gains, fueled in part by an inflow of home shoppers on a budget.

Nearly Half of U.S. Renters Anticipate Buying a Home Within Four Years
MortgagePoint - 12/8/2025
A new study from Experian shows that nearly half (47%) of renters in America believe they’ll be ready to buy a home within the next four years; Gen Zers (48%) and millennials (50%) lead the way.

The great American reshuffle
Cotality - 12/5/2025
People will always move out of state, but they are doing so about 15% less frequently than they did five years ago. That trend is at odds with the increasing number of homes coming up for sale.

Locked-in Homeowners Face Steep Increase in Housing Costs if They Move
Realtor.com - 12/9/2025
Today’s typical mortgage holder pays roughly $1,300 in principal and interest a month. To buy in today’s market, it would require nearly $1,000 more a month, or a 73.2% increase in mortgage payments.

U.S. home equity dips further this fall
Cotality - 12/11/2025
The average U.S. homeowner lost approximately $13,400 in equity during the past year, but that still leaves the average borrower with about $299,000 in accumulated home equity.