Current Market Data

Harvard report: Home remodeling growth expected to slow

The pace of growth in home improvement spending could soon slow to a crawl. That’s according to a new estimate by the Remodeling Futures Program at Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, which projects that spending on remodeling will

Housing starts were sluggish in June

Housing starts around the country were sluggish in June, with single-family starts registering below year-ago numbers for a fifth consecutive month. In all, housing starts were down 0.9 percent from the previous June, and were on pace for a

Boston home prices rising faster than incomes

It’s often said by economists that housing costs have risen faster than wages in recent decades, but just how wide is the gulf between income growth and gains in property values? We now have a better sense of that,

More first-time buyers facing budget constraints this year

New data from realtor.com shows that while 42 percent of home shoppers this past spring were first-time buyers, the group, consisting mostly of millennials, had trouble finding homes due to budget constraints — a higher proportion than just two

Mortgage application activity remains high as rates stabilize

Weekly mortgage applications fall; activity remains high Mortgage application activity fell during the week ending July 5 compared to the previous week, although overall volume remained above levels seen at the same time last year. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s

For-sale inventory trends lower as homebuyers hold out for deals

Just when many housing markets were seeing some relief in their scant inventory of for-sale housing, there are now fresh signs afoot that supply levels may return to a trend of tightening. A new report on the housing market from

Homeowners and appraisers agree more on value

July marked the second consecutive month of tightening margins between owners’ estimates of home values and the professional opinions of appraisers, according to Quicken Loans’ National Home Price Perception Index. Appraised values were only 0.71 percent lower nationwide than

Mortgage update for the week of June 24

Mortgage application activity remains strong The number of mortgage applications submitted during the week ending June 21 grew 1.3 percent compared to the prior week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey. Growth in refinance applications was somewhat

May pending sales report adds to positive summer housing forecasts

Less than a week after the National Association of Realtors reported stronger than expected existing-home sales for the month of May, there’s more good news for the U.S. housing market. NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index for May came in

Massachusetts home prices hit new highs in May

The median sales price for single-family homes and condos sold in May broke $400,000, with condo prices hitting a new all-time high, according to the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.  Single-family home sales across the state were up 6.2 percent

High-end home sales decline nationwide

In March, the luxury home market saw the largest drop in sales since 2010 with an 8.3 percent year-over-year decrease in closings, according to data gathered by Realtor.com. There were just 8,343 sales in excess of $1 million across

Mortgage update for the week of June 17

Weekly loan applications decline marginally The number of applications filed for a new home loan fell from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, which was perhaps unsurprising considering the earlier report’s record-high levels. In the week

May home sales improve as market forces stabilize

Existing-home sales finally grew in May after two months of downbeat reports, according to the latest monthly snapshot of U.S. housing activity from the National Association of Realtors. Closed sales of previously-owned homes increased by 2.5 percent over April’s

NAR survey adds to bullish case for home sales

Optimism struck in the second quarter of 2019 with 73 percent of Americans saying they believe now is a good time to sell a home, an increase from 65 percent in the first quarter based on a consumer survey

Housing starts tick down while building permits increase

Numbers released June 18 by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development show that housing starts fell during the month of May, although building permit issues increased. Privately-owned housing starts dropped by 0.9

Lender sentiment turns positive as low rates spur demand

The trend toward lower mortgage rates doesn’t appear to be a short-lived phenomenon, and has already boosted loan application activity to historically high levels. As a result, lending industry executives are responding with their most optimistic outlook on the

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