New-home sales rose 6.4% in August as builders cut prices, offered incentives, and sold more lower-priced homes. Now mortgage rates are moving against buyers again
Realtor.com projects more inventory, less competition, and lower listing prices next week, giving originators a short window to revisit sidelined borrowers
New homes sold in 2025 were nearly 12% smaller than a decade earlier, while their average price per square foot climbed 72%
Average payments for first-time buyers have climbed 57% since 2019, while serious delinquency is becoming concentrated among lower-scoring borrowers
Only 19% would stretch their housing budget, signaling that the next generation of buyers may expect originators to search across markets — not merely across loan products
Realtor.com finds the median city risks losing only about $84,000, although the policy could carry more weight in supply-starved Northeast and Midwest markets
Principal-and-interest payments reached $1,522 for lower-payment purchase applicants in June, just $9 below the national median asking rent
Truework finds 85% consider refinancing important to their financial health, revealing a highly motivated but financially vulnerable future borrower pool
Redfin’s index rose 3% annually in June, with luxury demand and limited move-in-ready inventory supporting prices despite elevated mortgage rates
Contract signings fell 5.4% from May as elevated borrowing costs and record home prices continued to pressure affordability, particularly for first-time buyers