Existing Home Sales and Oil’s Influence
30 Second Market Update
March 16, 2026
U.S. existing home sales rose 1.7% in February to an annual rate of 4.09 million, beating expectations as lower mortgage rates and slower home-price growth helped bring buyers back into […]
Weak Labor Market overshadowed by Rising Oil Prices
30 Second Market Update
March 09, 2026
Recent employment reports show signs that the labor market is weakening. The Challenger, Gray & Christmas Job Cut Report showed nearly 50,000 job cuts in February. While that was lower […]
Waiting on Rates Could Cost You
30 Second Market Update
March 02, 2026
One of the biggest challenges right now is that many people want to wait for interest rates to go down before buying a home. But it’s important to explain why […]
Cash Home Purchases Declined in 2025
30 Second Market Update
February 23, 2026
According to Redfin, in December 2025, 29% of U.S. homebuyers paid all cash, down from 30.3% a year earlier and the lowest level the month of December has seen since […]
Winter Chill Slows Home Sales, but Improving Affordability Signals Opportunity Ahead
30 Second Market Update
February 16, 2026
The housing market began 2026 at a slower pace. Existing home sales fell 8.4% in January from December and 4.4% compared to last year, according to the National Association of […]
Labor Market Weakens and Mortgage Rates Improve
30 Second Market Update
February 09, 2026
ADP’s latest data indicates the labor market was much weaker in 2025 than previously reported, and the slowdown is continuing into early 2026. For 2025, ADP now shows 398,000 jobs […]
More Gen Zers Are Buying Homes
30 Second Market Update
February 02, 2026
Those born between 1997 – 2012 known as Gen Z saw homeownership rise slightly in 2025, with 27.1% of Gen Z–headed households owning a home, up from 26.1% in 2024, […]
Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest Mortgage Bankers Association Survey
30 Second Market Update
January 26, 2026
Mortgage applications jumped 14.1% for the week ending January 16, 2026, according to the MBA, driven mainly by a surge in refinancing as interest rates moved lower. The Refinance Index […]
NAMB Urges FHA to Eliminate Lifetime Mortgage Insurance Requirement
30 Second Market Update
January 19, 2026
The National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) is urging the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to end its policy requiring lifetime mortgage insurance on FHA loans. NAMB argues the rule is […]
A Major Turning Point in U.S. Mortgages
30 Second Market Update
January 12, 2026
By Q3 2025, more homeowners had mortgages with rates 6% or higher than those below 3%, based on federal mortgage data analyzed by MarketWatch. 21.2% of active residential mortgages were […]
2026 Housing Market Shows Signs of Positive Turn
30 Second Market Update
January 05, 2026
Homebuyers are beginning to see modest relief as mortgage rates fall and home price growth slows, setting the stage for a more buyer-friendly market in 2026. The 30-year fixed mortgage […]
National Association of Realtors Outlook for 2026
30 Second Market Update
December 29, 2025
The National Association of Realtors provided their national outlook for the housing market in 2026. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said, “After three years of flat home sales, a solid […]
