Weekly Housing Headlines

There were an estimated 506,000 more home sellers than buyers in August, making it the strongest buyer’s market in more than a decade; mortgage applications increased 0.6% from one week earlier; sales of newly built homes surged to a three-year high in August; homebuyer affordability improved in August, with the national median payment decreasing to $2,100; and sales of previously owned homes were essentially flat in August, coming in 4 million units.

Redfin Reports Summer 2025 Was the Strongest Buyer’s Market in Records Dating Back Over a Decade
Redfin - 9/22/2025
There were an estimated 506,000 more home sellers than buyers in August, meaning buyers held the negotiating power. But the tables could turn if falling mortgage rates bring more buyers off the sidelines.

Mortgage Applications Increased in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
Mortgage Bankers Association - 9/24/2025
Mortgage applications increased 0.6 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending September 19, 2025.

New-Home Sales Surge in August as Builders Boost Incentives and Cut Prices
Realtor.com - 9/24/2025
Sales of newly built homes surged to a three-year high in August as homebuilders boosted their use of buyer incentives, breathing life into a sluggish summer housing market.

Mortgage Application Payments Decreased in August
Mortgage Bankers Association - 9/25/2025
Homebuyer affordability improved in August, with the national median payment applied for by purchase applicants decreasing to $2,100 from $2,127 in August.

Existing home sales stall in August amid higher mortgage rates
CNBC - 9/25/2025
Sales of previously owned homes were essentially flat in August, coming in 4 million units on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis, according to the National Association of Realtors.

10 things to know about the property market: September 2025
Cotality - 9/25/2025
Conditions are gradually shifting in favor of buyers as inventory grows. Some cities, particularly in the Midwest and Northeast where migration is attracting newcomers, are seeing solid price gains.

Weekly Housing Trends: Latest Data as of Sept. 20
Realtor.com - 9/25/2025
Although mortgage rates have drifted lower toward 6%, listing activity has not rebounded. Meanwhile, flat prices and longer days on market indicate that even 11-month-low rates have not been enough to entice buyers back.

Owners See Dip In Monthly Costs
National Mortgage Professional - 9/19/2025
The median monthly cost for homeowners 20 years ago was $961 or $1,552 adjusted for inflation. But by 2024, the median had gone down $157 to $1,395, while renters during this period saw their costs go up.

Roll Up Your Sleeves: An In-Depth Look at Fixer-Uppers on the Market
Realtor.com - 9/23/2025
A new analysis from Realtor.com shows homes marketed as “fixer-uppers” now draw 52% more page views per listing than comparable affordable homes, and searches for the term have tripled since 2021.

Housing supply posts sharpest drop in two years as sellers retreat: Redfin
Mortgage Professional America - 9/23/2025
Redfin's latest inventory stats show the U.S. housing market saw its biggest monthly drop in active listings since 2023 with August data showing a 1.4% decline in homes for sale.