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

Mortgage Rates Spike to 6.51% — Highest Since September as 10-Year Treasury Surges to 4.66%

Min 1 Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey for week ending May 21, 2026 showed the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage jumped to 6.51%, up from 6.36% the prior week. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 5.85% from 5.71%. The 15-basis-

Mortgage Rates Fall to 6.36% But Spring Season Feels Like "Groundhog Day" — Sales Stuck at 4M Pace for Three Years

Min 1 Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey released May 14, 2026 showed the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.36%, down from 6.37% the prior week and down from 6.81% one year ago. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.71%, compared with

Retail Sales Rose 0.5% in April to $757.1 Billion — But Building Materials Down 0.3% Signals Housing Weakness

Min 1 The U.S. Census Bureau announced on May 14, 2026 advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for April showing $757.1 billion, up 0.5% from previous month and up 4.9% from April 2025. The figures are adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday/

Seller-Buyer Gap Narrows to 46.5% in April as Buyer Demand Surges — First Meaningful Shift in 13 Months

Min 1 Redfin released data on May 14, 2026 showing there were 46.5% more sellers than buyers in April, down from 47.5% in March and down from recent high of 48.9% in December 2025. Asad Khan, Redfin Senior Economist, stated homebuyer demand has been dwindling for months

Mortgage Delinquencies Surge to 4.44% in Q1 2026 — Up 40 Basis Points Year-Over-Year as FHA Loans Deteriorate

Min 1 The Mortgage Bankers Association released its Q1 2026 National Delinquency Survey on May 14 showing the delinquency rate for mortgage loans on one-to-four-unit residential properties increased to seasonally adjusted 4.44% of all loans outstanding at quarter-end. The delinquency rate rose 18 basis points

Existing-Home Sales Fall Below 4 Million Despite Median Price Hitting All-Time April Record of $417,700

Min 1 The National Association of Realtors released April 2026 existing-home sales data showing sales fell to 3.97 million seasonally adjusted annual rate, down from March and short of the 4.12 million pace economists expected according to FactSet. Sales have hovered near 4-million annual pace since

Equity-Rich Homeowners Fall to 43.3% — Lowest Level Since Q4 2021 as Sun Belt Wealth Erodes

Min 1 ATTOM's Q1 2026 U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report shows just 43.3% of mortgaged residential properties nationwide were equity-rich, down from 44.6% in Q4 2025. This marks the lowest equity-rich rate since Q4 2021 and signals sustained erosion of homeowner wealth