For many Americans, a home isn't just a place to live. Over time, it can also become one of the largest assets they own. That happens because of home equity. Every mortgage payment can help reduce the amount owed on a home, while increases in property value can add another layer of equity. Over years of homeownership, those two forces can create a substantial difference between what a homeowner owes and what the property is worth. Despite some recent cooling in the housing ma

What's really happening with the housing market right now? That's a harder question to answer than it might seem. One month, home prices are making headlines. The next month, it's mortgage rates. Then inventory rises, existing-home sales change, or new economic data suggests buyers may be preparing to return to the market. One of the better indicators for understanding where home sales could be headed next is pending home sales. The National Association of REALTORS® Pending H

For several years, homebuyers using a mortgage faced a frustrating competitor in the housing market: the all-cash buyer. During the most competitive periods of the recent housing market, sellers frequently received multiple offers within days—or sometimes hours—of listing a home. Buyers found themselves competing not only on price but also on the strength and simplicity of their offers. That's where cash buyers had a major advantage. An all-cash offer doesn't require mortgage

What are today's homebuyers actually looking for? It's tempting to assume the answer is simple: the lowest-priced home they can find. After several years of higher home prices, elevated mortgage rates, rising homeowners insurance premiums and affordability challenges, you'd expect buyers to focus almost exclusively on price. But the latest look at America's hottest ZIP codes tells a more complicated story. An annual analysis of the country's most in-demand ZIP codes found tha

For the past several years, one of the biggest frustrations for homebuyers has been the speed of the housing market. A desirable home could hit the market on a Thursday, have a packed weekend of showings, receive multiple offers, and be under contract by Monday. Buyers often felt pressured to make quick decisions, limit contingencies, increase their offers, or compete against several other people for the same property. That kind of housing market can be exhausting—especially

When homebuyers think about affordability, the conversation usually starts with home prices and mortgage rates. Those are certainly two of the biggest factors determining how much house someone can afford, but they aren't the only expenses that matter. One housing cost receiving considerably more attention is homeowners insurance. Homeowners insurance premiums have risen significantly in recent years, adding another expense for buyers already balancing mortgage rates, home pr

When homebuyers start searching for a new home, it's easy to focus on the obvious things: price, square footage, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, school district, property taxes, and the size of the yard. But increasingly, buyers are looking beyond the four walls of the house. They are asking questions like: Can I walk to a park? Are there restaurants and shops nearby? Is there a downtown area I can enjoy without getting in the car? Are there sidewalks? Can I walk my

For many home buyers, the search starts with a specific town, neighborhood or school district. But younger buyers are increasingly taking a different approach: figure out what they can comfortably afford first, then determine where that budget gives them the best opportunity. A recent NewHomeSource survey of Gen Z buyers found that 63% would be willing to relocate to another city or state to afford a home, while only 19% said they would increase their housing budget. That cou

When you're shopping for a home, it's easy to focus on the big numbers: the purchase price, down payment, mortgage rate, and estimated monthly payment. But there's another number that can have a major impact on what that home actually costs you each month: insurance. Recent housing research shows that a significant portion of homes across the country face elevated risks from events such as flooding, severe winds, hurricanes, and wildfires. And while a home in a higher-risk ar

For many people considering buying a home, one number continues to dominate the conversation: the mortgage rate. That makes sense. Your mortgage interest rate has a major impact on your monthly payment, the amount of home you can comfortably afford, and the total interest you could pay over the life of the loan. But there is an important part of the homebuying conversation that sometimes gets overlooked: The mortgage you use to purchase your home today does not necessarily ha

If you've been waiting for mortgage rates to fall before buying a home, you certainly aren't alone. But recent mortgage application data shows something interesting: many buyers aren't waiting anymore. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Applications Survey, applications for mortgages to purchase a home increased 6% in one week, even as the average rate for a conforming 30-year fixed mortgage moved up to 6.69%. So why are buyers moving forward when mortgage

For many first-time home buyers, finding an affordable starter home remains one of the biggest challenges in today’s housing market. While housing inventory has improved in some parts of the country, the supply of lower-priced homes has not fully recovered — and that continues to create competition for buyers searching for homes within a more affordable price range. Recent housing market analysis shows just how much the starter-home landscape has changed since before the pand

The luxury housing market is sending an interesting message to home buyers: prices at the high end of the market have been cooling, but luxury homes are actually selling faster. At first glance, those two trends may seem contradictory. If luxury home prices are declining, wouldn't that mean demand is weakening and homes should be sitting on the market longer? Not necessarily. Recent housing-market data shows that the luxury segment is behaving differently from much of the tra

For years, one of the biggest challenges facing the U.S. housing market has been a simple problem: there haven't been enough homes to meet demand. A prolonged housing shortage has contributed to rising home prices, intense competition among buyers, and some of the affordability challenges that today's homebuyers continue to face. But recent housing data offers a potentially encouraging sign. After years of significant growth, the nation's housing deficit appears to be stabili

For the past several years, one word has dominated conversations about the U.S. housing market: inventory. There simply haven't been enough homes available for sale in many markets. Limited housing inventory, combined with years of strong buyer demand, helped drive home prices significantly higher and created intense competition among buyers. But as we move through 2026, another important housing market trend deserves attention. Housing demand itself is changing. According to

For millions of Americans, retirement is one of those financial goals that always seems to be approaching faster than expected. You work. You pay the bills. You raise a family. You deal with unexpected expenses. You make mortgage payments, pay property taxes, cover insurance, and hopefully put some money away for the future. Then, suddenly, retirement doesn't seem so far away. Recent survey data highlights just how common retirement anxiety has become. An overwhelming 86% of

The U.S. housing market continues to send an important message to prospective homebuyers: while home prices are no longer rising at the rapid pace seen during the housing boom, they also are not experiencing the dramatic nationwide decline that some buyers have been waiting for. According to the latest S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, one of the most closely watched measures of residential real estate values in the United States, national home prices remain relatively fla

For generations, homeownership has been closely tied to the American Dream. Owning a home can provide stability, the opportunity to build equity, and the freedom to make a property truly your own. But over the past several years, higher home prices, elevated mortgage rates, limited housing inventory, and affordability concerns caused many Americans to question whether buying a home still made sense. Now, that sentiment appears to be changing. For the first time since 2023, a

If you’ve been waiting for mortgage rates to fall before buying a home, you’re certainly not alone. Higher interest rates, home prices, limited inventory, and uncertainty about the economy have caused many potential buyers to wonder whether they should purchase a home now or wait. But new mortgage application data provides an interesting look at what buyers are actually doing. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Applications Survey, overall mortgage applica

For many years, moving out of your parents' home was viewed as a major milestone on the path to adulthood. Today, however, that milestone is happening much later for millions of Americans. According to recent housing data, approximately 25 million adults in the United States are currently living with their parents, highlighting just how challenging today's housing market has become. While many assume this trend is driven by unemployment or financial irresponsibility, the data