Erika Lasker

May Jobs Report Shows 172,000 Gains But Rising Claims — Labor Market Strength Concentrated in Few States, Masking Regional Weakness

Min 1 The May jobs report released early June looked solid on the surface. The economy added 172,000 jobs, well above economist expectations of 80,000. Unemployment held steady at 4.3%, unchanged from April. Wage growth remained solid. At first glance, this is the kind of labor market

Pending Home Sales Show Cautious Optimism in April — Year-Over-Year Gains Suggest Buyer Momentum Building

Min 1 The National Association of Realtors released pending home sales data for April on May 19, and there's genuinely encouraging news buried in the numbers. Pending sales increased 1.4% month-over-month and jumped 3.2% year-over-year. The regional breakdown shows where momentum lives:

Mortgage Rates Hit Highest Level Since August as Spring Buying Season Peaks — But Early Sales Data Shows Surprising Resilience

Min 1 As June kicked off, mortgage rates climbed back up to levels we haven't seen since last August. Freddie Mac's June 1 report showed 30-year rates averaging 6.53%. By mid-week they'd spiked higher — some data showing 6.60%+ with Zillow

Massachusetts Offers Up to $30,000 Interest-Free Down Payment Help — But State Programs Can't Fill Affordability Gap

Min 1 Massachusetts is making a real effort to help first-time homebuyers. Governor Healey announced April 28 that the state will provide up to $30,000 in interest-free down payment assistance for eligible buyers locking in mortgages between April 27 and July 31, 2026. The program covers borrowers

Oregon Leads Migration Boom While Florida's Appeal Fades — Affordability Drives Americans to Unlikely Places

Min 1 The migration patterns from 2025 tell a story that's getting clearer by the week. United Van Lines tracked household moves across the country and found Oregon leading the nation with 65% inbound migration. West Virginia came in second at 62%, followed by South Carolina at 61%

Home Insurance Cost Growth Finally Slowing — But Affordability Crisis Remains After Years of Double-Digit Increases

Min 1 After years of watching homeowners insurance premiums spike at double-digit rates, there's finally some good news. National Mortgage News reported May 26 that the rapid acceleration of home insurance costs appears to be hitting an inflection point. The average premium increased 9.2% in 2025,

National Apartment Vacancy Hits Record 7% — Rents Down Year-Over-Year Despite Spring's Strongest Month

Min 1 Apartment List released its May 2026 National Rent Report and the headline numbers tell a story of a market tilting decisively in renters' favor. National vacancy just hit 7% — the highest reading in their entire history dating back to 2017. Meanwhile, the national median rent sits at

Mortgage Rates Stabilize in Mid-6% Range — 55 Basis Point Increase Since February as Iran War Drives Volatility

Min 1 After weeks of watching rates bounce around like a pinball, we finally got some stability. Freddie Mac's latest survey shows 30-year rates settling around 6.51-6.53%. That sounds calm, right? Except here's the thing: that calmness came after a brutal climb.

Colorado Property Taxes Soar 20-40% in May 2026 Notices Despite Home Values Leveling — Temporary Relief Expires

Min 1 Colorado county assessors began mailing 2026 property valuation notices in early May 2026 showing residential property taxes increasing 20-40% for many homeowners despite home values remaining stagnant since 2022. The spike reflects two policy changes: expiration of temporary tax relief measures and rate increases implemented by state

April Building Permits Jump 5.8% Monthly But Flat Year-Over-Year — Single-Family Permits Down as Rate Spike Kills Momentum

Min 1 The U.S. Census Bureau and HUD jointly announced April 2026 new residential construction statistics on May 21 showing privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits at seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,442,000. This represents 5.8% increase from revised March rate of 1,363,

Banks Finally Cutting Losses on Troubled CRE Loans After Years of Extensions — Maturity Crisis Unavoidable

Min 1 CRE Daily reported on May 20, 2026 that banks and lenders are finally cutting losses on troubled commercial real estate loans after years of extensions and forbearance programs. The shift represents fundamental market recognition that problem CRE properties cannot be extended indefinitely or restructured at favorable terms. Lenders

Refinance Applications Down 3.7% as Rate Spike to 6.51% Closes Narrow Opportunity Window

Min 1 Fannie Mae's Refinance Application-Level Index for week ending May 15, 2026 showed dollar volume of all refinance applications decreased 3.7% week-over-week. Total RALI count decreased 3.5% from prior week. However, year-over-year comparisons remain strong with total RALI dollar volume