Weekly Housing Headlines

Sales of previously owned homes rose 4.2% in February; mortgage rates increased for the second week in a row to 6.67%; mortgage applications decreased 6.2% from one week earlier; home prices were flat year over year for the first time since October; loans in forbearance decreased slightly to 0.38%; and mortgage applications and home tours have increased, although home sales remain sluggish due to economic uncertainty from home buyers.

U.S. home sales rose in February as mortgage rates eased and more homes put up for sale
AP News - 3/20/2025
Sales of previously owned homes in February rose 4.2% from January to 4.26 million units on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Mortgage Rates Rise For A Second Week, Climbing To 6.67%
Financial Advisor - 3/20/2025
Mortgage rates in the U.S. increased for the second week in a row. The average for 30-year loans was 6.67%, up from 6.65% last week, Freddie Mac said in a statement.

Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
Mortgage Bankers Association - 3/19/2025
Mortgage applications decreased 6.2 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending March 14, 2025.

Weekly Housing Trends View — Data for Week Ending March 15, 2025
Realtor.com - 3/20/2025
Prices were flat year over year for the first time since October. The persistent housing supply gap means that despite recent progress, the home supply remains well below healthy levels, preventing prices from falling significantly.

Homebuying activity heats up as rates drop - but sales are stuck in neutral
Mortgage Professional America - 3/14/2025
According to a new Redfin report, mortgage applications and home tours have increased as borrowing costs ease, yet pending home sales remain sluggish as buyers remain cautious about economic uncertainty.

Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Decreases Slightly to 0.38% in February
Mortgage Bankers Association - 3/17/2025
Despite February’s monthly decline of loans in forbearance, the estimated number of forbearances and loan workouts increased compared to one year ago.

Home Price Growth Slows Nationwide
National Mortgage Professional - 3/18/2025
National home price growth has decelerated to its slowest rate since March 2012, according to the February 2025 Home Price Index report by First American Data & Analytics.

Redfin Reports U.S. Home Prices Grew 0.4% in February, the Slowest Pace Since July
Redfin - 3/18/2025
Eight of the 50 most populous U.S. metros — including seven in Florida and Texas — recorded a drop in home prices year over year, led by Tampa (-6%).

Housing Starts Jumped 11.2 Percent in February But Homebuilder Sentiment Remains Low
MortgageOrb - 3/18/2025
Housing starts took a significant jump in February, surging 11.2% on an unadjusted basis compared with January to reach an annual rate 1.501 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Falling Mortgage Rates Could Jumpstart The Housing Market
National Mortgage Professional - 3/17/2025
With 1.04 million homes on the market in February — the highest inventory for this time of year since 2020 — buyers have more options than they’ve seen in years, according to Zillow's latest market report.