Jeff Ostrowski

January home sales weren't as bad as originally thought: @nardotrealtor revised up from 3.91M to 4.02M. And February prices set a record, just barely.

Car payments are near record levels, and a growing share of Americans are taking on payments north of $1,000. That can mess up your mortgage application. bankrate.com/mortgages/car-…

Mortgage rates fell to 6.09% this week, per @Bankrate's weekly survey, lowest since September 2022. Homebuyers' reaction? Meh. @nardotrealtor says pending sales were down for January. linkedin.com/posts/jeff-ost…

Lumber prices infamously spiked during the pandemic, but they're back to pre-pandemic levels, says Robert Dietz of @NAHBhome. #IBS2026

New acronym for a turning housing market, per @AliWolfEcon: FOBATT, fear of buying at the top. With prices falling in Austin, Tampa and elsewhere, a pertinent concern. #IBS2026

Rob Dietz of @NAHBhome tells #IBS2026 that Kevin Warsh is a surprising choice of Fed chair by a president who wants rate cuts: "He was a notorious hawk."

Robert Dietz of @NAHBhome expects no ‘sustained’ sub-6% mortgage rates until 2027. #IBS2026

January home sales back below 4 million -- they were 3.91 million, down 4.4% from a year ago and 8.4% from a month ago, @nardotrealtor reports. Median price eked out a new record for January, at $396,800.

Never a good sign when Lawrence Yun uses the phrases "crisis" and "big bummer" to describe @nardotrealtor home sales release. linkedin.com/posts/jeff-ost…

Austin home prices are off 11% from their peak @odetakushi, tells @HousingWire summit. But fret not: Austin prices soared 65% before that.

Isaac Boltansky of PENNYMAC expects a flurry of proposals during President Trump's State of the Union Feb. 24. “There's a moment here where they're thinking about big ideas, they're thinking about new ideas. Some of them aren't great. Some of them could be great.” @HousingWire

Accomplishment of the day: Getting through this live shot with an LA TV station without dropping any Tribe Called Quest references. ("I Left My Wallet in El Segundo")

Mortgage rates are down to 6.18%, their lowest level since September 2022, according to @Bankrate's weekly national survey of #mortgage lenders. bankrate.com/mortgages/anal…

There's a nationwide housing shortage -- so why are some local markets experiencing gluts? I chalk it up to two types of supply. There's the long-term number of housing units, and the short-term supply of homes available for purchase now. bankrate.com/mortgages/hous…

Mortgage rates averaged 6.7% in 2025, they're likely to average 6.0% in 2026, Lawrence Yun of @nardotrealtor says.

Yes, NAR's data series for median first-time homebuyers should be taken with a grain of salt That said... EACH GENERATION IS TAKING A LITTLE LONGER TO MOVE INTO HOMEOWNERSHIP Analysis via @ApartmentList

DR Horton's mortgage arm is wooing reluctant buyers with mortgage rates as low as 0.99%. A tempting offer, but not a perfect one. $DHI $LEN $PGM bankrate.com/mortgages/buil…

The median age of first-time homebuyers just hit 40 — the oldest on record, per @nardotrealtor. And first-timers as a share of the overall market just hit a record low. High prices, low inventory and the lock-in effect are thwarting younger buyers. bankrate.com/mortgages/age-…

If you're shopping for a mortgage, here are three potential traps you should know how to avoid. bankrate.com/mortgages/firs…

A new @Bankrate survey finds 1 in 6 aspiring homeowners have given up on buying over the past five years. Today, just 7% are actively shopping, with high home prices posing the biggest barrier. bankrate.com/mortgages/home…