Weekly Housing Headlines

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.06% for the week ending January 15, the lowest level in three years; housing starts fell in October to the lowest level since the onset of the pandemic; October new home sales jumped 18.7% annually; contract closings rose 5.1% to a 4.35 million annualized pace last month; the median sales price for new homes that went under contract in October was $392,300, down 8% from a year earlier and the lowest level since 2021; and mortgage applications increased 28.5% from one week earlier.

Mortgage rates fall to lowest level in more than three years
CNN Business - 1/15/2026
The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.06% for the week ending January 15, according to Freddie Mac. The last time home borrowing rates were this low was September 2022.

U.S. Housing Starts Fall To Lowest Level Since May 2020
Financial Advisor - 1/9/2026
Housing starts in the U.S. fell in October to the lowest level since the onset of the pandemic as data delayed by last fall’s government shutdown showed builders continued to cut back amid still-high prices and mortgage rates.

October new home sales jump 18.7% annually as median sales price falls
Mortgage Professional America - 1/13/2026
Tuesday’s latest report showed that sales of single-family homes in October were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 737,000. This was an 18.7% increase over the October 2024 number of 621,000.

U.S. Home Resales Climb To Strongest Pace Since 2023
Financial Advisor - 1/14/2026
Contract closings rose 5.1% to a 4.35 million annualized pace last month, according to figures released by the National Association of Realtors. The pace exceeded all forecasts in a Bloomberg survey of economists.

New-Home Prices Fall to 4-Year Low as Builders Deepen Discounts
Realtor.com - 1/13/2026
The median sales price for new homes that went under contract in October was $392,300, down 8% from a year earlier and the lowest level since 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau reported on Tuesday.

Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
Mortgage Bankers Association - 1/14/2026
Mortgage applications increased 28.5 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending January 9, 2026.

December New Home Purchase Mortgage Applications Increased 2.5 Percent
Mortgage Bankers Association - 1/15/2026
December purchase activity for newly built homes continued to run stronger than last year, despite cooling slightly from the prior month.

Non-QM Mortgage Production Climbs To New Heights As 2025 Ends Strong
National Mortgage Professional - 1/14/2026
Non-QM lending closed 2025 with record momentum, capturing more than 9% of total lock volume as investor demand and alternative credit programs continued to reshape origination strategies.

Florida Had the Most Foreclosures in the U.S. in 2025 as Rates Continue To Rise Across the Nation
Realtor.com - 1/15/2026
In 2025, foreclosure filings were reported on 367,460 U.S. properties, up 14% from 2024 but still 25% below 2019, before pandemic disruptions, according to year-end data from real estate analytics firm ATTOM.

Remodeling Market Sentiment Strengthens in Fourth Quarter of 2025
Eye On Housing - 1/15/2026
Most remodelers are finding reasonably strong market conditions, even with the normal seasonal slowdown during the holidays.