Erika Lasker

Builder Sentiment Plummets to 14-Month Low While Resorting to Desperate Price Cuts — Bifurcated Market Becomes Impossible to Ignore

Min 1 The National Association of Home Builders released June 2026 builder sentiment data on June 15 and the numbers tell story of genuine desperation. Builder confidence fell 2 points to 35, marking 14th consecutive month below the 40 breakeven level. This streak of 14 months below 40 represents the

Existing-Home Sales Rise 3.2% Despite Historic Consumer Pessimism — Affordability, Not Optimism, Driving Transactions

Min 1 The National Association of Realtors released May 2026 existing-home sales data on June 9 and the headline defied the narrative everyone's been following. Sales increased 3.2% month-over-month and 3.2% year-over-year despite consumer confidence sitting near historic lows. The stock

Fannie Mae Crushes Rate Hopes — June Forecast Abandons 5.7% Target, Predicts 6.3-6.5% Through Year-End

Min 1 Fannie Mae released its June 2026 Housing Forecast on June 11 and the message was blunt: don't expect mortgage rates to improve meaningfully. The massive revision downward from the May forecast eliminated the 5.7% year-end target that had given buyers hope. Instead, Fannie Mae

Consumer Financial Anxiety Hits 2.5-Year High in May — Households Fear Job Loss While Inflation Persists Despite Weak Sentiment

Min 1 The New York Fed released its Survey of Consumer Expectations for May on June 8, and the numbers reveal genuine economic anxiety Americans aren't always expressing in headline data. Households reporting their financial situation as worse hit the highest level since January 2023. That's

Student Debt Has Added 9 Years to First-Time Buyer Age — 86% of Renters Want Homes But Can't Afford Entry

Min 1 Here's a story that doesn't get told when people talk about the housing affordability crisis: student debt has delayed homeownership by roughly a decade. Freedom Mortgage's May 2026 analysis shows the median age of first-time homebuyers has climbed from 29 in

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