Weekly Housing Headlines

Mortgage applications decreased 8.5% from one week earlier; national home price growth held near a standstill through March; homebuyer affordability declined in April, with the national median payment increasing to $2,152 from $2,131 in March; U.S. pending home sales fell 1.5% from a week earlier during the week ending May 24; and home prices continue a cooling trend, rising just 1.7% from the first quarter of 2025.

Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
Mortgage Bankers Association - 5/27/2026
Mortgage applications decreased 8.5 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 22, 2026.

Commentary: Case-Shiller Home Price Index: National Home Price Growth Holds Steady Through March
Realtor.com - 5/26/2026
The S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Index showed national home price growth holding near a standstill through March, with the U.S. National Index rising 0.7% year over year, down from 0.8% in February.

Mortgage Application Payments Increased in April
Mortgage Bankers Association - 5/28/2026
Homebuyer affordability declined in April, with the national median payment applied for by purchase applicants increasing to $2,152 from $2,131 in March.

Higher Mortgage Rates Push Pending Home Sales Down for Second Straight Week
Redfin - 5/28/2026
U.S. pending home sales fell 1.5% from a week earlier on a seasonally adjusted basis during the week ending May 24, the second straight decline after four weeks of increases. Mortgage-purchase applications also dropped to their lowest level since early April.

U.S. Home Prices Continue Broad Cooling Trend in First Quarter
Scotsman Guide - 5/26/2026
Rising just 1.7% from the first quarter of 2025, U.S. home price gains have continued to moderate following multiple years of double-digit increases, with a 0.1% increase from February to March, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Serious Mortgage Delinquencies Remain Elevated Despite Stable Overall Performance
National Mortgage Professional - 5/26/2026
ICE data shows overall mortgage performance remained stable in April, but late-stage delinquencies and foreclosure inventory continued rising above year-ago levels.

Sellers Are Still Slashing Home Prices in These 5 Cities
Realtor.com - 5/22/2026
In several markets, price cuts remain common, led by Phoenix, where nearly a third of listings (29%) carried a price reduction last month. Phoenix was followed by Tampa, FL (25%), San Antonio, TX (25%), Denver (24%), and Portland, OR (24%).

71% of Homeowners Say Insurance Costs Are Up
Mortgage Professional America - 5/27/2026
A Pew Research Center survey published this month found that 71% of homeowners say the cost of their home insurance has gone up over the last rising insurance costs, including 42% who say it has gone up a lot.

Home Purchase Cancellations Level Off As Buyers Re-Enter Market
National Mortgage Professional - 5/22/2026
A new report from Redfin found that just over 47,000 U.S. home-sale agreements were canceled in April, representing 13.4% of homes that went under contract during the month.

Are All-Cash Home Buyers Retreating?
Financial Advisor - 5/27/2026
Just 28.8% of U.S. home buyers purchased homes entirely in cash in March, down from 29.8% a year earlier. It's also the lowest level for cash purchasers since March 2021, according to a new report from Redfin.