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Economy & Housing
Team With Vision
Economic News
Welcome to our comprehensive and up-to-date financial news blog. Here, we strive to provide you with the latest information on global markets, the economy, investments, and financial technology. Stay informed with us.
Homebuilder sentiment improves on late spring surge in demand
May 18 2026
Higher mortgage rates, rising gas prices and continued economic uncertainty over the war with Iran are all still weighing on potential homebuyers. Builders, however, are feeling slightly better about their businesses, seeing a potential late spring surge.
After a sharp drop in April, homebuilder sentiment in the market for single-family homes rose 3 points in May to a readout of 37 on the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index.
Real Estate April home sales disappoint as higher mortgage rates weigh on buyers
May 11 2026
Sales of previously owned homes in April were essentially flat compared with March, rising just 0.2% to 4.02 million units on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis, according to the National Association of Realtors. Housing analysts were expecting a gain of more than 3%.
April sales were unchanged year-over-year. This count is based on closings, so contracts likely signed in late February and March. The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage ended March in the high 5% range, according to Mortgage News Daily, and then shot up sharply, due to the start of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.
Population Growth and Housing Supply Dynamics at the County Level in 2025
Apr 21 2026
U.S. population growth slowed notably in the latest Vintage 2025 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, with the nation expanding by just 0.5% in 20251, roughly half the pace of the prior year. The deceleration was primarily driven by a sharp decline in net international migration (NIM), which dropped from 2.7 million to 1.3 million, while natural change remained relatively stable.
As mentioned in a previous blog post, population gains remain concentrated in the South and parts of the West, while many areas in the Midwest and Northeast experienced slower growth or population declines.
Mortgage rates just dropped below 6%, matching lowest level since 2022
Feb 23 2026
A stock market sell-off had investors rushing to the relative safety of the bond market Monday morning, causing yields to drop and mortgage rates to follow.
The average rate on the popular 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 5.99% on Monday, according to Mortgage News Daily, matching its lowest levels since 2022. Last year at this time the rate was 6.89%.
Trump says he will seek to ban institutional investors from buying single-family homes
Jan 07 2026
President Trump said on Wednesday that he will take steps to prevent institutional investors from buying single-family homes, claiming the move would help make housing more affordable for Americans.
In a social media post, Mr. Trump said that the dream of home ownership has become increasingly out of reach for many Americans, and that action is needed to allow more people to reach the milestone of owning a residence.
“I am immediately taking steps to ban large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes, and I will be calling on Congress to codify it,” Mr. Trump wrote. “People live in homes, not corporations.”
Mortgage rates move higher after the Fed rate cut, causing loan demand to drop
Dec 17 2025
The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate last week, and just as happened the last two times, mortgage rates rose. That caused demand for home loans and refinances to drop.
Total mortgage application volume fell 3.8% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index.
“Mortgage rates inched up last week following the FOMC meeting, as investors interpreted the comments to signal that we are near the end of this rate cutting cycle. As a result, mortgage applications declined slightly,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s SVP and chief economist in a release.
