Mortgage rates jump as inflation reality sets in
With no end in sight for the war in Iran, investors are growing increasingly nervous about how sky-high energy prices are impacting the U.S. economy.
May 15, 2026
By the Numbers
Making sense of the data that impacts residential real estate.
- Are homebuyers ready to look past current market conditions?Rising pending sales and loan activity suggests some buyers have “shrugged off the current economic and mortgage rate uncertainties and returned to the market.”May 14, 2026
- Inflation data deals ‘a double-blow’ to housing affordabilityConsumer confidence and purchasing power are weakening, with inflation jumping 3.8% in April amid rising energy prices.May 12, 2026
- Home sales disappoint as consumer confidence hits a 70-year lowApril existing sales were flat year-over-year despite improving affordability, with an annual pace of just 4.02 million — below analysts’ expectations.May 11, 2026
More in By the Numbers
- Jobs report encouraging, but consumers remain pessimisticApril employment numbers were better than expected, but for buyers and sellers, “positive momentum matters more than any single month of data,” economists say.May 8, 2026
- Pending sales data brings ‘good news’ to lagging housing marketWhile economic uncertainty persists amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, “the math has shifted in favor of buyers,” according to Zillow’s chief economist.May 7, 2026
- Rise in new home sales shows demand exists — but it’s ‘fragile'Sales of new single-family homes climbed 3.3% year-over-year in March as builders continued offering incentives, giving buyers “some serious purchasing power.”May 5, 2026
- ChatGPT’s impact on Bay Area luxury home pricesIn the wake of the popular chatbot’s launch, home sale prices in San Francisco’s poshest ZIP codes saw an outsized surge compared to the market overall.May 5, 2026
- Many homebuyers held back by financing misconceptionsA recent survey found that many prospective buyers are in possession of incorrect or outdated information. It’s up to agents to set the record straight.May 4, 2026
- ‘April delivered’ as spring homebuying season picks up momentumNew data shows increases in pending sales, new listings and touring activity — but geopolitical and job market concerns continue to challenge the spring market.April 30, 2026
- A third of homeowners won’t give up sub-6% rate ‘for any reason’More than 40% say rates would have to fall below 4% before they’d consider selling, but 10-20% do intend to move in the next five years, two surveys suggest.April 27, 2026
- Average monthly mortgage payments top $2K — a new recordOver the past five years, the average payment has jumped 44% — and breached $2,000 per month for the first time late last year, according to Realtor.com data.April 24, 2026
- ‘Crisis of confidence’ holding buyers back despite lower ratesMortgage rates fell again, but economic uncertainty remains a stubborn headwind. A bump in purchase applications may signal a shift — if buyers don’t back out.April 23, 2026
- Mortgage rates less of a factor for buyers, sellers this yearA third of sellers listing this spring have sub-5% mortgages, while most buyers aren’t waiting for rates to drop — spurring market activity, a new survey found.April 23, 2026
- Pending home sales lift, but momentum could be ‘cut short’Though mortgage rates climbed in March, pending sales increased 1.5% compared to February — but what happens next will depend on how the war in Iran progresses.April 21, 2026
- Pandemic ‘permanently transformed’ land market, new study saysLot inventory has fallen nearly 24% since 2019, just before the Covid-era construction boom began, Realtor.com found — “and the market is still paying for it.”April 21, 2026
- Buyers have an advantage this spring — but will they show up?Sellers outnumber buyers nationally, but with mortgage rates and inflation up from February, the “spring housing market is still a bit of a toss-up.”April 20, 2026
- Homeownership varies by job type — but affordability still a factorWhile business professionals and people in management still have the highest rates of homeownership, service occupations have seen big gains in recent years.April 17, 2026
- ‘Increasingly worse vibes’ hampering spring housing marketThough mortgage rates are ticking down and home price appreciation has dropped year-over-year, widespread economic uncertainty continues sapping demand.April 16, 2026
- Builder confidence wanes as material costs riseNAHB’s April survey found that higher construction material costs — stemming from surging fuel prices — and the slow housing market are weighing on builders.April 15, 2026
- Share of first-time buyers sinks to record lowOnly 21% of recent homebuyers were first-timers, according to a new NAR report, with younger millennials accounting for the biggest year-over-year drop.April 15, 2026
- Nearly 1 in 10 home shoppers open to renting or buyingAbout 8% of Zillow users search for rental and for-sale listings simultaneously, with the share increasing in many of the country’s priciest metros.April 14, 2026
- Spring market ‘fragile’ as existing home sales hit 9-month lowThe rise in mortgage rates seen since the war in Iran began prompted NAR to revise its 2026 forecast, with only a 4% uptick in existing home sales now expected.April 13, 2026
- Housing market in a ‘psychological freeze’ as confidence fallsInflation rose 3.3% in March and consumer confidence has hit a new low. Plus, judge upholds quashed Fed subpoenas; White House pitches $10.7B cuts to HUD; more.April 10, 2026
