Tag Archives: Danielle Hale

"With a record number of new units coming onto the market driving rent prices down, those who may have given up hope of homeownership may be able to leverage more affordable rental options—including downsizing to a smaller unit or considering a roommate for the near term—to help build savings for a future home," said Jiayi Xu, Economist at Realtor.com.

Why did NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun state that "the Federal Reserve simply cannot keep raising interest rates”? Check out the latest housing market data breakdown from the Existing-Home Sales Report.

"An uptick in homes with reduced prices is a small break for buyers on top of the usual seasonal factors that align to make this first week in October the best week to buy. Yet, the larger context remains challenging. Buyers still struggle with the triple threat of rising listing prices, record-high mortgage rates, and limited inventory, making affordability a continued concern," said Danielle Hale, Chief Economist for Realtor.com.

Freddie Mac reports that mortgage rates reached levels last seen in December 2000, as the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose 12 basis points week-over-week and low supply continues to create affordability challenges for prospective buyers.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index trended upward in July, with 19 of the 20 major U.S. metro markets reported month-over-month price increases.

Mortgage rates gained just one basis point week-over-week according to Freddie Mac, marking the sixth consecutive week that the 30-year rate exceeded the 7% mark, pushing down home builder sentiment nationwide.

As challenges persist for first-time homebuyers, mortgage rates trended upward yet again, rising six basis points week-over-week and remaining above the 7% mark for the fifth straight week.

Although mortgage rates remain above 7%, the first week of October has historically been the best time to buy a home due to a drop in demand and reduced home prices.

“The housing market appears to be stuck heading into autumn, with sales activity likely to stay stagnant until housing inventory increases, and mortgage rates decline to more affordable levels,” said MBA President and CEO Bob Broeksmit. Click through to read more on this week's mortgage rates.

“While the uptick in new listings is good news for home shoppers, inventory remains persistently low, even with record-high mortgage rates putting a damper on demand," said Danielle Hale, Chief Economist for Realtor.com.