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Each month, Fannie Mae conducts a survey of Americans to gauge perception of the housing market and overall economy. The survey asks participants whether they believe mortgage rates and home prices will go up or down over the next year, how secure they feel in their jobs, whether their income has increased or decreased, and whether they believe now is a good time to buy or sell a home. The resulting Home Purchase Sentiment Index is a measure of how consumers feel about today’s market. According to the most recent release, Fannie Mae found sentiment improved in April, with the index up 1.1 points from the month before. Among the highlights, the survey found that, though participants still feel cautious, the share who believe it’s a good time to buy a home increased 1 percent from the month before. The number of respondents who say it’s a good time to sell, on the other hand, fell from the previous month. Also, Americans say they think home prices will increase over the next year but mortgage rates will stay about the same. (source)

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates fell last week from one week earlier. Rates were down or unchanged for 30-year fixed-rate loans with both conforming and jumbo balances, loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration, and 15-year fixed-rate loans. Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s senior vice president and chief economist, says economic news led to the decline. “The economic news last week included a negative reading for first-quarter GDP growth and further signs of a contraction in the manufacturing sector, mixed with a solid employment report for April,†Fratantoni said. “The net impact on mortgage rates was mostly downward but just back to levels from early April.†As a result, conventional purchase application volume was up 13 percent week-over-week and 9 percent higher than last year at the same time. Overall, demand for mortgage loan applications increased 11 percent last week. The MBA’s weekly survey has been conducted since 1990 and covers 75 percent of all retail residential mortgage applications. (source)

Everybody’s had buyer’s remorse at one time or another. It’s a fairly common phenomenon. It’s especially common among home buyers. After a such a large financial transaction, it’s hard not to look back and wonder what you could have done differently. But what about sellers? Do they also have regrets? Well, according to one new analysis, the answer is yes. Recent home sellers were just as likely to express regret after closing on the sale of their house as buyers. In fact, the vast majority said they had some regrets. The report found 84 percent of recent sellers said they’d change something about the sale of their house if they could do it over again, and 49 percent said they didn’t get everything they wanted out of the experience. That’s a significant share. The top regret among sellers, of course, was wishing they’d priced their home differently – not doing enough to prep their home came in second. (source)

If you’re a prospective home buyer who is concerned about affordability levels, the Mortgage Bankers Association has some good news for you. Its monthly Purchase Applications Payment Index – which measures the typical mortgage payment based on loan amounts applied for by borrowers – found mortgage payments fell to start the spring. In fact, the typical payment decreased to $2,173 in March, down from $2,205 the month before. For borrowers applying for lower-payment mortgages, payments fell to $1,499. Edward Seiler, MBA’s associate vice president, Housing Economics, and executive director, Research Institute for Housing America, says the improvement was due to lower mortgage rates. “Home buyer affordability conditions improved slightly in March, as lower mortgage rates spurred renewed activity in the housing market,” Seiler said. “Despite improving conditions in March, the outlook in the upcoming months is cloudier.” Seiler says economic uncertainty is making home buyers more hesitant and could affect conditions in the months ahead. (source)

The S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index is among the most closely followed measures of U.S. home prices. It covers all nine census divisions and has been tracking values for nearly three decades. According to the most recent release, home price increases continue to slow. Data through the end of February shows annual gains of 3.9 percent, down from 4.1 percent the previous month. Nicholas Godec, head of fixed income tradeables & commodities at S&P Dow Jones Indices, says growth has slowed but is now more sustainable. “Even with … affordability challenges lingering, home prices have shown notable resilience,†Godec said. “Buyer demand has certainly cooled compared to the frenzied pace of prior years, but limited housing supply continues to underpin prices in most markets. Rather than broad declines, we are seeing a slower, more sustainable pace of price growth.†Regional differences persist, though. For example, home prices in Tampa were down 1.5 percent year-over-year, while in New York they rose nearly 8 percent. (source)

In March, pending home sales saw the largest month-over-month increase in almost a year and a half, according to new numbers from the National Association of Realtors. The 6.1 percent gain was the biggest since December 2023 and included improvements in the Midwest, South, and West. Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, says lower mortgage rates were likely behind the increase. “Home buyers are acutely sensitive to even minor fluctuations in mortgage rates,†Yun said. “While contract signings are not a guarantee of eventual closings, the solid rise in pending home sales implies a sizable build-up of potential home buyers, fueled by ongoing job growth.†In addition to lower rates and job growth, the start of the spring sales season was likely also a contributing factor driving the influx of interested buyers. According to the NAR’s numbers, pending sales are now just 0.6 percent lower than last year at the same time. (source)

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates saw little change last week from the week before. Rates were mostly flat across all loan categories, including 30-year fixed-rate loans with both conforming and jumbo balances, loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration, 15-year fixed-rate loans, and 5/1 ARMs. Flat rates weren’t enough to spark mortgage demand, though. Joel Kan, MBA’s vice president and deputy chief economist, says home buyers are feeling hesitant. “Mortgage application activity, particularly for home purchases, continues to be subdued by broader economic uncertainty and signs of labor market weakness, dropping to the slowest pace since February,†Kan said. “Even with the spring home buying season underway, purchase applications decreased, as conventional and VA applications saw declines of 6 percent and 4 percent, respectively.†But despite the declines, demand for loans to buy homes remains 3 percent higher than the same week last year at this time. The MBA’s weekly survey has been conducted since 1990 and covers 75 percent of all retail residential mortgage applications. (source)

New home sales represent a relatively small percentage of total home sales but are still an important component of housing market health. After all, when new homes are selling, builders are more likely to build more homes, which results in additional supply, stable prices, and better overall conditions for home buyers. That’s why the latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development could be a positive sign. In March, new home sales increased 7.4 percent from the month before and 6 percent from last year at the same time. Buddy Hughes, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders, says the improvement is proof buyers remain interested. “The March new home sales data shows that demand continues to be present in the market, provided affordability conditions permit a purchase,†Hughes said. “An increase in economic certainty would be a big boost to future sales conditions.†(source)

Home sellers are seeing a smaller profit than they were last year but continue to do well, according to ATTOM Data Solutions’ 2025 U.S. Home Sales Report. The report found homeowners made, on average, a 50.2 percent profit selling single-family homes and condos during the first quarter of this year. The median raw profit was $119,000. Rob Barber, ATTOM’s CEO, says those are strong numbers by historical standards. “Sellers may not be enjoying quite the same windfall they were a few years ago but by historical standards profits are strong, both in terms of margins and raw dollar value,†Barber said. “The first quarter also tends to be the weakest of the year, so don’t be surprised to see profits regain ground during the summer months.†As it stands, the average profit fell 3.2 percent from the final quarter of 2024, when home sellers were making a median raw profit of about $124,000. (source)

Sales of previously owned homes fell in March, according to new numbers from the National Association of Realtors. The group found sales down 5.9 percent from the month before and 2.4 percent lower than last year at the same time. Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, says the housing market remains strong despite a sluggish March. “In a stark contrast to the stock and bond markets, household wealth in residential real estate continues to reach new heights,†he continued. “With mortgage delinquencies at near-historical lows, the housing market is on solid footing.†Still, regional results show only the West posting a year-over-year increase in sales, with the Northeast unchanged and the South and Midwest both down from year-before levels. Also in the report, the median price for existing homes was $403,700 in March, up 2.7 percent from one year ago. Inventory also increased, up 8.1 percent month-over-month. (source)