by Calculated Risk on 10/31/2025 01:58:00 PM

From BofA:

Since our last weekly publication, 3Q GDP tracking remains unchanged at 2.8% q/q saar. [October 31st estimate]
emphasis added

From Goldman:

we estimate that GDP has grown about 2.2% annualized so far this year and 3.3% in Q3. [October 15th estimate]

And from the Atlanta Fed: GDPNow

The GDPNow model estimate for real GDP growth (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the third quarter of 2025 is 3.9 percent on October 27, unchanged from October 16 after rounding. After last Thursday’s existing-home sales release from the National Association of Realtors, the nowcast for third-quarter annualized real residential investment growth increased from -4.6 percent to -4.4 percent.[October 27th estimate]

by Calculated Risk on 10/31/2025 10:10:00 AM

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Freddie Mac House Price Index Up 1.0% Year-over-Year in September

A brief excerpt:

Freddie Mac reported that its “National” Home Price Index (FMHPI) decreased 0.04% month-over-month (MoM) on a seasonally adjusted (SA) basis in September. This is the sixth consecutive with a small MoM SA decline.

On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, the National FMHPI was up 1.0% in September, down from up 1.3% YoY in August. The YoY increase peaked at 19.2% in July 2021, and for this cycle, and previously bottomed at up 1.1% YoY in April 2023. The YoY change in September is a new cycle low. ...

As of September, 19 states and D.C. were below their previous peaks, Seasonally Adjusted. The largest seasonally adjusted declines from the recent peaks are in New Mexico (-3.8%), Arizona (-3.6%), Florida (-2.8%), and Texas (-2.6%).

For cities (Core-based Statistical Areas, CBSA), 182 of the 387 CBSAs are below their previous peaks.

Here are the 30 cities with the largest declines from the peak, seasonally adjusted. Punta Gorda has passed Austin as the worst performing city. Note that 6 of the 9 cities with the largest price declines are in Florida.

Florida has the largest number of CBSAs on the list and Texas has the 2nd most.

There is much more in the article!

by Calculated Risk on 10/31/2025 08:11:00 AM

What this means: On a weekly basis, Realtor.com reports the year-over-year change in active inventory, new listings and median prices. On a monthly basis, they report total inventory. For October, Realtor.com reported active inventory was up 15.3% YoY, but still down 13.2% compared to the 2017 to 2019 same month levels. 

Here is their weekly report: Weekly Housing Trends: Latest Data as of Oct. 25

• AActive inventory climbed 14.6% year over year

The number of homes active on the market climbed 14.6% year-over-year, marking the 103th consecutive week of annual gains in inventory. There were about 1.1 million homes for sale last week, marking the 26th week in a row over the million-listing threshold. Active inventory is growing significantly faster than new listings, an indication that more homes are sitting on the market for longer, and homeowners aren’t eager to sell.

• New listings—a measure of sellers putting homes up for sale—up 5.9% year over year

New listings were up 5.9% last week compared with the same period a year ago, extending the streak of accelerating growth to three weeks.

• The median listing price was flat year over year

The median list price remained flat compared to the same week one year ago. Adjusting for home size, the price per square foot fell 0.8% year over year, dropping for the eighth consecutive week. The price per square foot grew steadily for almost two years, but the weak sales activity has finally caught up and shaken underlying home values despite stable prices.

by Calculated Risk on 10/30/2025 07:20:00 PM

Note: Mortgage rates are from MortgageNewsDaily.com and are for top tier scenarios.

Thursday:
• At 8:30 AM ET, Personal Income and Outlays for September.

• At 9:45 AM: Chicago Purchasing Managers Index for October. The consensus is for a reading of 42.0, up from 40.6 in September.

by Calculated Risk on 10/30/2025 02:25:00 PM

Hotel occupancy was weak over the summer months, due to less international tourism.  The fall months are mostly domestic travel and occupancy is still under pressure! 

From STR: U.S. hotel results for week ending 25 October

The U.S. hotel industry reported negative year-over-year comparisons, according to CoStar’s latest data through 25 October. ...

19-25 October 2025 (percentage change from comparable week in 2024):

• Occupancy: 66.6% (-3.6%)
• Average daily rate (ADR): US$166.36 (-1.7%)
• Revenue per available room (RevPAR): US$110.78 (-5.3%)

Among the Top 25 Markets, Tampa reported the steepest occupancy drop (-24.2% to 63.7%), due to the elevated displacement demand period that followed Hurricane Milton in 2024.

New Orleans posted the largest decreases in ADR (-35.3% to US$195.39) and RevPAR (-41.9% to US$132.94). The market’s performance was affected by a comparison against Taylor Swift’s 2024 Eras Tour dates.

Overall, 21 of the Top 25 Markets saw an occupancy decline.
emphasis added

The following graph shows the seasonal pattern for the hotel occupancy rate using the four-week average.

Click on graph for larger image.

The red line is for 2025, blue is the median, and dashed light blue is for 2024.  Dashed black is for 2018, the record year for hotel occupancy. 

The 4-week average of the occupancy rate is tracking behind both last year and the median rate for the period 2000 through 2024 (Blue).

Note: Y-axis doesn't start at zero to better show the seasonal change.

The 4-week average will decrease seasonally until early next year.

On a year-to-date basis, the only worse years for occupancy over the last 25 years were pandemic or recession years.

by Calculated Risk on 10/30/2025 11:47:00 AM

From the Las Vegas Visitor Authority: September 2025 Las Vegas Visitor Statistics

Driven largely by slower midweek volumes, the destination saw a ‐8.8% YoY decrease in visitation, hosting approximately 3.1M visitors.

Las Vegas convention attendance reached roughly 428k in September, down ‐18.7% YoY, reflecting in part the absence of the quadrennial MINExpo (45k attendees) that was held last September, and the calendar shift for Oracle CloudWorld (30k attendees) which took place in October this year vs. September last year.

Hotel occupancy of 78.7% (down ‐5.2 pts) and ADR of $191 (‐2.9% YoY) translated to monthly RevPAR of $150 (‐9.0% YoY).
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.

The first graph shows visitor traffic for 2019 (Black), 2020 (dark blue), 2021 (light blue), 2022 (light orange), 2023 (orange), 2024 (dark orange) and 2025 (red).

Visitor traffic was down 8.8% compared to last September.  Visitor traffic was down 11.1% compared to September 2019.

Year-to-date (YTD) visitor traffic is down 9.3% compared to the same period in 2019.

The second graph shows convention traffic.

Convention traffic was down 18.7% compared to September 2024 and down 6.7% compared to September 2019.  

YTD convention traffic is down 12.3% compared to 2019.

by Calculated Risk on 10/30/2025 08:52:00 AM

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Inflation Adjusted House Prices 2.8% Below 2022 Peak

Excerpt:

It has been 19 years since the housing bubble peak, ancient history for many readers!

In the August Case-Shiller house price index released Tuesday, the seasonally adjusted National Index (SA), was reported as being 77% above the bubble peak. However, in real terms, the National index (SA) is about 9.6% above the bubble peak (and historically there has been an upward slope to real house prices). The composite 20, in real terms, is 1.0% above the bubble peak.

People usually graph nominal house prices, but it is also important to look at prices in real terms. As an example, if a house price was $300,000 in January 2010, the price would be $446,000 today adjusted for inflation (49% increase). That is why the second graph below is important - this shows "real" prices.

The third graph shows the price-to-rent ratio, and the fourth graph is the affordability index. The last graph shows the 5-year real return based on the Case-Shiller National Index.
...
The second graph shows the same two indexes in real terms (adjusted for inflation using CPI).

In real terms (using CPI), the National index is 2.8% below the recent peak, and the Composite 20 index is 3.1% below the recent peak in 2022.

Both the real National index and the Comp-20 index decreased in August. The real National index has decreased for 8 consecutive months.

It has now been 39 months since the real peak in house prices. Typically, after a sharp increase in prices, it takes a number of years for real prices to reach new highs (see House Prices: 7 Years in Purgatory)

There is much more in the article!

by Calculated Risk on 10/29/2025 07:51:00 PM

Note: Mortgage rates are from MortgageNewsDaily.com and are for top tier scenarios.

Thursday:
• At 8:30 AM ET, The initial weekly unemployment claims report will not be released.

• Also at 8:30 AM, Gross Domestic Product, 3rd quarter 2025 (advance estimate) will not be released.

by Calculated Risk on 10/29/2025 02:00:00 PM

Fed Chair Powell press conference video here or on YouTube here, starting at 2:30 PM ET.

FOMC Statement:

Available indicators suggest that economic activity has been expanding at a moderate pace. Job gains have slowed this year, and the unemployment rate has edged up but remained low through August; more recent indicators are consistent with these developments. Inflation has moved up since earlier in the year and remains somewhat elevated.

The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run. Uncertainty about the economic outlook remains elevated. The Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate and judges that downside risks to employment rose in recent months.

In support of its goals and in light of the shift in the balance of risks, the Committee decided to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/4 percentage point to 3-3/4 to 4 percent. In considering additional adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate, the Committee will carefully assess incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks. The Committee decided to conclude the reduction of its aggregate securities holdings on December 1. The Committee is strongly committed to supporting maximum employment and returning inflation to its 2 percent objective.

In assessing the appropriate stance of monetary policy, the Committee will continue to monitor the implications of incoming information for the economic outlook. The Committee would be prepared to adjust the stance of monetary policy as appropriate if risks emerge that could impede the attainment of the Committee's goals. The Committee's assessments will take into account a wide range of information, including readings on labor market conditions, inflation pressures and inflation expectations, and financial and international developments.

Voting for the monetary policy action were Jerome H. Powell, Chair; John C. Williams, Vice Chair; Michael S. Barr; Michelle W. Bowman; Susan M. Collins; Lisa D. Cook; Austan D. Goolsbee; Philip N. Jefferson; Alberto G. Musalem; and Christopher J. Waller. Voting against this action were Stephen I. Miran, who preferred to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/2 percentage point at this meeting, and Jeffrey R. Schmid, who preferred no change to the target range for the federal funds rate at this meeting.
emphasis added

by Calculated Risk on 10/29/2025 10:50:00 AM

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Fannie and Freddie: Single Family Delinquency Rate Increased in September

Excerpt:

Multi-Family Delinquency Rate Highest Since Housing Bust (ex-pandemic)

Freddie Mac reported that the Single-Family serious delinquency rate in September was 0.57%, up from 0.56% August. Freddie's rate is up year-over-year from 0.54% in September 2024, however, this is below the pre-pandemic level of 0.60%.

Freddie's serious delinquency rate peaked in February 2010 at 4.20% following the housing bubble and peaked at 3.17% in August 2020 during the pandemic.

Fannie Mae reported that the Single-Family serious delinquency rate in September was 0.54%, up from 0.53% in August. The serious delinquency rate is up year-over-year from 0.52% in September 2024, however, this is below the pre-pandemic lows of 0.65%.

The Fannie Mae serious delinquency rate peaked in February 2010 at 5.59% following the housing bubble and peaked at 3.32% in August 2020 during the pandemic./blockquote>

There is much more in the article.

by Calculated Risk on 10/29/2025 10:00:00 AM

From the NAR: NAR Pending Home Sales Report Shows No Change in September

Pending home sales in September showed no change from the prior month and fell 0.9% year over year, according to the National Association of REALTORS® Pending Home Sales Report. The report provides the real estate ecosystem, including agents and homebuyers and sellers, with data on the level of home sales under contract. ...

Month-Over-Month
No change in pending home sales
Gains in the Northeast and South; declines in the Midwest and West

Year Over Year
0.9% decrease in pending home sales
Gains in the Northeast and South; declines in the Midwest and West
emphasis added

Note: Contract signings usually lead sales by about 45 to 60 days, so this would usually be for closed sales in October and November.

by Calculated Risk on 10/29/2025 07:00:00 AM

From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey

Mortgage applications increased 7.1 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending October 24, 2025.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 7.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 7 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 9 percent from the previous week and was 111 percent higher than the same week one year ago. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 5 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index increased 4 percent compared with the previous week and was 20 percent higher than the same week one year ago.

“Mortgage rates decreased for the fourth consecutive week, with the 30-year fixed rate down to 6.3 percent, its lowest level since September 2024. This recent decline in rates spurred the second consecutive week of increased refinance activity, driven mainly by conventional refinance applications,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “The ARM share of applications, which had been trending higher, dipped below 10 percent last week, as lower rates prompted more borrowers to choose fixed rate loans. Additionally, the average loan size of a refinance application remained elevated at $393,900, as borrowers with larger loan sizes continue to be sensitive to rate movements. Purchase applications increased compared to a holiday-shortened week across most loan types. However, USDA applications fell more than 26 percent, impacted by the ongoing government shutdown.”
...
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($806,500 or less) decreased to 6.30 percent from 6.37 percent, with points decreasing to 0.58 from 0.59 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans.
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.

The first graph shows the MBA mortgage purchase index.

According to the MBA, purchase activity is up 20% year-over-year unadjusted. 

Red is a four-week average (blue is weekly).  

Purchase application activity is still depressed, but above the lows of 2023 and slightly above the lowest levels during the housing bust.  

The second graph shows the refinance index since 1990.

The refinance index has increased from the bottom as mortgage rates declined.

by Calculated Risk on 10/28/2025 07:23:00 PM

Note: Mortgage rates are from MortgageNewsDaily.com and are for top tier scenarios.

Wednesday:
• At 7:00 AM ET, The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) will release the results for the mortgage purchase applications index.

• At 10:00 AM, Pending Home Sales Index for September. 

• At 2:00 PM, FOMC Meeting Announcement. The Fed is expected to cut rates 25bp at this meeting.

• At 2:30 PM, Fed Chair Jerome Powell holds a press briefing following the FOMC announcement.

by Calculated Risk on 10/28/2025 02:03:00 PM

Another update ... a few key points:
1) There is a clear seasonal pattern for house prices.
2) The surge in distressed sales during the housing bust distorted the seasonal pattern.  This was because distressed sales (at lower price points) happened at a steady rate all year, while regular sales followed the normal seasonal pattern.  This made for larger swings in the seasonal factor during the housing bust.

3) The seasonal swings have increased recently without a surge in distressed sales.

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows the month-to-month change in the NSA Case-Shiller National index since 1987 (through August 2025). The seasonal pattern was smaller back in the '90s and early '00s and increased once the bubble burst.

The seasonal swings declined following the bust, however the pandemic price surge changed the month-over-month pattern.  

The peak MoM increase in NSA prices this year was the smallest since 2008!

The second graph shows the seasonal factors for the Case-Shiller National index since 1987. The factors started to change near the peak of the bubble, and really increased during the bust since normal sales followed the regular seasonal pattern - and distressed sales happened all year.   

The swings in the seasonal factors were decreasing following the bust but have increased again recently - this time without a surge in distressed sales.

by Calculated Risk on 10/28/2025 10:04:00 AM

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Case-Shiller: National House Price Index Up 1.5% year-over-year in August

Excerpt:

S&P/Case-Shiller released the monthly Home Price Indices for August (”August” is a 3-month average of June, July and August closing prices). June closing prices include some contracts signed in April, so there is a significant lag to this data. Here is a graph of the month-over-month (MoM) change in the Case-Shiller National Index Seasonally Adjusted (SA).

The MoM decrease in the seasonally adjusted (SA) Case-Shiller National Index was at 0.21% (a +2.5% annual rate). This followed five consecutive MoM decreases in the seasonally adjusted index.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, prices increased month-to-month in 11 of the 20 Case-Shiller cities. San Francisco has fallen 8.2% from the recent peak, Phoenix is down 5.7% from the peak, Tampa down 4.2% and Miami down 3.6%.

by Calculated Risk on 10/28/2025 09:00:00 AM

S&P/Case-Shiller released the monthly Home Price Indices for August ("August" is a 3-month average of June, July and August closing prices).

This release includes prices for 20 individual cities, two composite indices (for 10 cities and 20 cities) and the monthly National index.

From S&P S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Index Records Annual Gain in August 2025

• The S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index posted a 1.5% annual gain for August, down from a 1.6% rise in the previous month.

• Housing wealth eroded in real terms for the fourth consecutive month, with the 1.5% national gain falling well short of 3% inflation.

• Nineteen of 20 metros declined month-to-month in August, with only Chicago posting a gain, signaling broad weakness beyond typical seasonal patterns.

The S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index, covering all nine U.S. census divisions, reported a 1.5% annual gain for August, down from a 1.6% rise in the previous month. The 10-City Composite showed an annual increase of 2.1%, down from a 2.3% increase in the previous month. The 20-City Composite posted a year-over-year increase of 1.6%, down from a 1.8% increase in the previous month.

New York again reported the highest annual gain among the 20 cities with a 6.1% increase in August, followed by Chicago and Cleveland with annual increases of 5.9% and 4.7%, respectively. Tampa posted the lowest return, falling 3.3%. ...

The pre-seasonally adjusted U.S. National, 10-City Composite, and 20-City Composite Indices continued to report negative month-over-month change in August, posting -0.3% for U.S. national index and -0.6% for both 10-City and 20-City Composite indices.

After seasonal adjustment, all three indices posted a month-over-month increase of 0.2%.
...
"August's data shows U.S. home prices continuing to slow, with the National Index up just 1.5% year- over-year," said Nicholas Godec, CFA, CAIA, CIPM, Head of Fixed Income Tradables & Commodities at S&P Dow Jones Indices. "This marks the weakest annual gain in over two years and falls well below the 3% inflation rate. For the fourth straight month, home values have lost ground to inflation, meaning homeowners are seeing their real wealth decline even as nominal prices inch higher.

"The National Index rose 1.5% over the past year, with most of that gain coming in the recent six months (up 1.5%) while the prior six months were essentially flat. The 20-City Composite gained 1.6% annually and the 10-City rose 2.1%, both continuing their deceleration from earlier in the year.
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.

The first graph shows the nominal seasonally adjusted Composite 10, Composite 20 and National indices (the Composite 20 was started in January 2000).

The Composite 10 index was up 0.2% in August (SA).  The Composite 20 index was up 0.2% (SA) in August.

The National index was up 0.2% (SA) in August.

The second graph shows the year-over-year change in all three indices.

The Composite 10 NSA was up 2.1% year-over-year.  The Composite 20 NSA was up 1.6% year-over-year.

The National index NSA was up 1.5% year-over-year.

Annual price changes were below expectations.  I'll have more later.

by Calculated Risk on 10/27/2025 07:21:00 PM

From Matthew Graham at Mortgage News Daily: Mortgage Rates Perfectly Flat to Start The Week

Mortgage rates fell to the lowest levels in a month last Tuesday and barely budged through the rest of the week. Now, at the start of the new week, the average lender is perfectly unchanged from last Friday. This means there are only a small handful of days with meaningfully lower rates going all the way back to late 2022.

As the government shutdown continues, the bond market (which dictates rates) continues missing out on the bulk of relevant economic reports that normally help guide momentum throughout the month. [30 year fixed 6.19%]
emphasis added

Tuesday (RED will not be released due to government shutdown):
• At 9:00 AM ET, S&P/Case-Shiller House Price Index for August.  The consensus is for the National index to be up 1.9% year-over-year.

• Also at 9:00 AM, FHFA House Price Index for August. This was originally a GSE only repeat sales, however there is also an expanded index.

• At 10:00 AM, The Q3 Housing Vacancies and Homeownership report from the Census Bureau.

• Also at 10:00 AM, Richmond Fed Survey of Manufacturing Activity for October.  This is the last regional Fed survey for October.

by Calculated Risk on 10/27/2025 02:41:00 PM

From J.D. Power: October New-Vehicle Sales Decline as EV Pull-Ahead Reverses; EV Share Falls to 5.3% Following Incentive Expiration Brief excerpt:

Total new-vehicle sales for October 2025, including retail and non-retail transactions, are projected to reach 1,249,800, a 6.9% decrease year-over-year, according to a joint forecast from J.D. Power and GlobalData. October 2025 has 27 selling days, the same as October 2024.

The seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) for total new-vehicle sales is expected to be 15.1 million units, down 1.1 million units from October 2024.
...
Thomas King, president of the data and analytics division at J.D. Power:

“October’s results reflect a notable, but expected decline in the new-vehicle sales pace, due almost entirely to sales of electric vehicles.

“The expiration of federal EV credits on Sept. 30 caused EV shoppers to pull ahead their purchases, driving a significant increase in EV sales and inflating the overall industry sales pace. In September, EVs accounted for 12.9% of new-vehicle retail sales, the highest ever, and well above the 8.5% recorded a year earlier. Now that the federal EV credit has expired, the industry is dealing with the consequences of those accelerated purchases. In October, EVs represent just 5.2% of new-vehicle retail sales. On a volume basis, EVs account for 1.0 million of the 1.2 million-unit decline in the industry sales pace compared with a month ago.
emphasis added

From Haig Stoddard at Omdia (pay site): Forecast Decline in October US Light Vehicle Sales Likely to Continue in November, December

US light vehicle sales are forecast to decline 3.6% year-over-year in October, only the second downturn this year. However, downturns are forecast to continue due to lean inventory, a rising mix of higher priced vehicles, and the end of the EV credit.

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows actual sales from the BEA (Blue), and J.D. Power's forecast for October (Red).

On a seasonally adjusted annual rate basis, the J.D. Power forecast of 15.1 million SAAR would be down 7.9% from last month, and down 6.3% from a year ago.

All of Q4 will likely be difficult for vehicle sales.

by Calculated Risk on 10/27/2025 11:40:00 AM

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Final Look at Housing Markets in September and a Look Ahead to October Sales

A brief excerpt:

After the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) releases the monthly existing home sales report, I pick up additional local market data that is reported after the NAR. This is the final look at local markets in September.

There were several key stories for September:

• Sales NSA are down 0.2% YoY through September, and sales in 2024 were the lowest since 1995!

• Sales SAAR (seasonally adjusted annual rate) have bounced around 4 million for almost 3 years.

• Months-of-supply is above pre-pandemic levels (this is the highest level for the month of September since 2015).

• The median price is up 2.1% YoY, and with the increases in inventory, some regional areas will see further price declines - and we might see national price declines later this year or in 2026.

Sales at 4.06 million on a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) basis were at the consensus estimate.

Sales averaged close to 5.32 million SAAR for the month of September in the 2017-2019 period. So, sales are about 24% below pre-pandemic levels.
...
In September, sales in these markets were up 7.8% YoY. The NAR reported sales NSA were up 8.2% year-over-year in September (close).

Important: There were one more working days in September 2025 (21) as in September 2024 (20). So, the year-over-year change in the headline SA data was lower than the NSA data suggested (there are other seasonal factors).
...
More local data coming in November for activity in October!

There is much more in the article.

by Calculated Risk on 10/27/2025 08:11:00 AM

Altos reports that active single-family inventory was up 1.0% week-over-week.  Inventory usually starts to decline in the fall and then declines sharply during the holiday season.

The first graph shows the seasonal pattern for active single-family inventory since 2015.

Click on graph for larger image.

The red line is for 2025.  The black line is for 2019.  

Inventory was up 17.9% compared to the same week in 2024 (last week it was up 16.2%), and down 6.5% compared to the same week in 2019 (last week it was down 8.1%). 

Inventory started 2025 down 22% compared to 2019.  Inventory has closed more most of that gap, but it appears inventory will still be below 2019 levels at the end of 2025.

This second inventory graph is courtesy of Altos Research.

As of October 24th, inventory was at 868 thousand (7-day average), compared to 859 thousand the prior week.   This is a new high for 2025!

Mike Simonsen discusses this data and much more regularly on YouTube

by Calculated Risk on 10/26/2025 06:11:00 PM

Weekend:
• Schedule for Week of October 26, 2025

• FOMC Preview: 25bps Rate Cut Expected

Monday:
• (will not be released due to government shutdown) At 8:30 AM ET, Durable Goods Orders for September from the Census Bureau.

• (will not be released) At 10:00 AM, New Home Sales for September from the Census Bureau.

• At 10:30 AM, Dallas Fed Survey of Manufacturing Activity for October.

From CNBC: Pre-Market Data and Bloomberg futures S&P 500 are up 48 and DOW futures are up 320 (fair value).

Oil prices were mixed over the last week with WTI futures at $61.50 per barrel and Brent at $65.94 per barrel. A year ago, WTI was at $68, and Brent was at $72 - so WTI oil prices are down about 10% year-over-year.

Here is a graph from Gasbuddy.com for nationwide gasoline prices. Nationally prices are at $3.01 per gallon. A year ago, prices were at $3.09 per gallon, so gasoline prices are down $0.08 year-over-year.

by Calculated Risk on 10/26/2025 08:21:00 AM

Most analysts expect the FOMC to reduce the Fed Funds rate by 25bps at the meeting this week to a target range of 3-3/4 to 4 percent.    Market participants currently expect the FOMC to also cut rates an additional 25bps at the December meeting.

From BofA:

The Fed has indicated that it will cut rates by 25bp to 3.75-4.0% at its October meeting. We also expect the FOMC to announce an end to balance sheet runoff. We think the Fed will acknowledge the recent strength of economic activity. But the broader shift in focus toward the labor mandate probably won’t change. Powell is also unlikely to offer much guidance beyond this meeting given the lack of official sector data and the current labor-consumption conundrum.
...
Our base case is that there will again be only one dissent, a dovish one from Governor Miran, who indicated that he would favor a 50bp cut in a recent interview. But we see meaningful risks of at least one hawkish dissent as well.
emphasis added

Projections will NOT be released at this meeting. Here are the September projections.  

The BEA's estimate for first half 2025 GDP showed real growth at 1.6% annualized. Most estimates for Q3 GDP are around 2.8%.  That would put the real growth for the first three quarters at 1.9% annualized - above the top end of the September projections.

GDP projections of Federal Reserve Governors and Reserve Bank presidents, Change in Real GDP1
Projection Date	2025	2026	2027
Sept 2025	1.4 to 1.7	1.7 to 2.1	1.8 to 2.0
Jun 2025	1.2 to 1.5	1.5 to 1.8	1.7 to 2.0

¹ Projections of change in real GDP and inflation are from the fourth quarter of the previous year to the fourth quarter of the year indicated.

The unemployment rate was at 4.3% in August.  The unemployment rate will likely increase further this year.  There was no data for September due to the government shutdown.

Unemployment projections of Federal Reserve Governors and Reserve Bank presidents, Unemployment Rate2
Projection Date	2025	2026	2027
Sept 2025	4.4 to 4.5	4.4 to 4.5	4.2 to 4.4
Jun 2025	4.4 to 4.5	4.3 to 4.6	4.2 to 4.6

² Projections for the unemployment rate are for the average civilian unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of the year indicated.

As of August 2025, PCE inflation increased 2.y% year-over-year (YoY), up from 2.6% YoY in July. 

Inflation projections of Federal Reserve Governors and Reserve Bank presidents, PCE Inflation1
Projection Date	2025	2026	2027
Sept 2025	2.9 to 3.0	2.4-2.7	2.0 to 2.2
Jun 2025	2.8 to 3.2	2.3-2.6	2.0 to 2.2

PCE core inflation increased 2.9% YoY in August, unchanged from 2.9% YoY in July.  There will likely be further increases in core PCE inflation, although CPI measured inflation was below expectations in September.

Core Inflation projections of Federal Reserve Governors and Reserve Bank presidents, Core Inflation1
Projection Date	2025	2026	2027
Sept 2025	3.0 to 3.2	2.5-2.7	2.0 to 2.2
Jun 2025	2.9 to 3.4	2.3-2.6	2.0 to 2.2

by Calculated Risk on 10/25/2025 02:11:00 PM

At the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter this week:

Click on graph for larger image.

• NAR: Existing-Home Sales Increased to 4.06 million SAAR in September

• NMHC on Apartments: Market conditions "Soften" in Q3

• Lawler: Early Read on September Existing Home Sales, and Update on MBS Yields and Spreads

• 2nd Look at Local Housing Markets in September

• California Home Sales Up 6.6% Year-over-year SAAR in September

This is usually published 4 to 6 times a week and provides more in-depth analysis of the housing market.

by Calculated Risk on 10/25/2025 08:11:00 AM

Boo!

The FOMC meets this week and is expected to cut rates 25bp.

The key economic reports that will be released this week include the Case-Shiller house price index for August, and October ISM manufacturing and services indexes.

Items in Red will not be released due to the government shutdown.

----- Monday, October 27th -----
8:30 AM: Durable Goods Orders for September from the Census Bureau.

​10:00 AM: New Home Sales for September from the Census Bureau.

This graph shows New Home Sales since 1963. The dashed line is the sales rate for last month.

10:30 AM: Dallas Fed Survey of Manufacturing Activity for October.

----- Tuesday, October 28th -----
9:00 AM ET: S&P/Case-Shiller House Price Index for August.  The consensus is for the National index to be up 1.9% year-over-year.

This graph shows the year-over-year change in the nominal seasonally adjusted National Index, Composite 10 and Composite 20 indexes through the most recent report (the Composite 20 was started in January 2000).

9:00 AM: FHFA House Price Index for August. This was originally a GSE only repeat sales, however there is also an expanded index.

10:00 AM: The Q3 Housing Vacancies and Homeownership report from the Census Bureau.

10:00 AM: Richmond Fed Survey of Manufacturing Activity for October.  This is the last regional Fed survey for October.

----- Wednesday, October 29th -----
7:00 AM ET: The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) will release the results for the mortgage purchase applications index.

10:00 AM: Pending Home Sales Index for September. 

2:00 PM: FOMC Meeting Announcement. The Fed is expected to cut rates 25bp at this meeting.

2:30 PM: Fed Chair Jerome Powell holds a press briefing following the FOMC announcement.

----- Thursday, October 30th -----
8:30 AM: The initial weekly unemployment claims report will be released.

8:30 AM: Gross Domestic Product, 3rd quarter 2025 (advance estimate).

----- Friday, October 31st -----
8:30 AM ET: Personal Income and Outlays for September.

9:45 AM: Chicago Purchasing Managers Index for October. The consensus is for a reading of 42.0, up from 40.6 in September.

by Calculated Risk on 10/24/2025 04:00:00 PM

From Intercontinental Exchange: ICE First Look at Mortgage Performance: Mortgage Performance Remains Strong as FHA Foreclosures Emerge

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) ... today released the September 2025 ICE First Look at mortgage delinquency, foreclosure and prepayment trends.

The data shows that overall mortgage performance remains historically strong, with both delinquencies and foreclosure activity remaining below long-term averages. While some shifts are emerging among government-backed loan segments, these trends largely represent a normalization of market dynamics rather than broad-based weakness.

“The mortgage market remains remarkably resilient, with mortgage performance continuing to hold up well,” said Andy Walden, Head of Mortgage and Housing Market Research at ICE. “Delinquency rates improved in September, and even as we see increases in activity among FHA loans, we’re largely returning to more typical levels following several years of artificially low foreclosure volumes.”

Key takeaways from this month’s findings include:

• Delinquencies remain well below pre-pandemic norms: The national delinquency rate fell by 2 basis points (bps) in September to 3.42%, down 6 bps from the same time last year and 58 bps below its September 2019 pre-pandemic level.

• Strength across delinquency bands in September: Both early-stage (30-day) and late-stage (90+ day) delinquencies improved month-over-month, as the vast majority of borrowers remain current on their mortgage payments.

• Non-current rates improved for most investors: The non-current rate (delinquencies plus active foreclosures) declined year-over-year among GSE (-3 bps), VA (-4 bps) and portfolio-held loans (-17 bps). FHA loans were the notable exception, rising by 44 bps from last year’s levels.

• Foreclosure activity is returning to normal ranges: There were 103,000 foreclosure starts in Q3 2025, a 23% increase from the same period last year, but 18% below Q3 2019’s pre-pandemic levels.

• Improving efficiency in resolution: The number of loans in active foreclosure rose modestly year-over-year (18%), yet overall foreclosure volume remains historically low, with Q3 foreclosure sales (21,000) at roughly half of 2019 levels. FHA loans account for the majority of that rise, making up 38% of active foreclosures, roughly half of the annual rise in foreclosure starts and 80% of the rise in active foreclosures. The resumption of VA foreclosure activity following last year’s moratorium is largely responsible for the remainder.

• Prepayments are edging higher: Prepayments rose by 8 bps in September to a 0.74% single month mortality (SMM) rate, a 15% increase from the prior year, as interest rates began to ease in August.
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.

Here is a table from ICE.

by Calculated Risk on 10/24/2025 01:03:00 PM

The Cleveland Fed released the median CPI and the trimmed-mean CPI.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the median Consumer Price Index rose 0.2% in August. The 16% trimmed-mean Consumer Price Index increased 0.2%. "The median CPI and 16% trimmed-mean CPI are measures of core inflation calculated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland based on data released in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) monthly CPI report".

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows the year-over-year change for these four key measures of inflation. 

On a year-over-year basis, the median CPI rose 3.5% (down from 3.6% YoY in August), the trimmed-mean CPI rose 3.2% (down from 3.3%), and the CPI less food and energy rose 3.0% (down from 3.1%). 

Core PCE is for August was up 2.9% YoY, unchanged from 2.9% in July.  

by Calculated Risk on 10/24/2025 10:36:00 AM

Today, in the CalculatedRisk Real Estate Newsletter: NMHC on Apartments: Market conditions "Soften" in Q3

Excerpt:

From the NMHC: Borrowing Conditions Continue to Improve While Most Respondents Report an Unchanged Market

Market Tightness Index (31) came in well below the breakeven level of 50 this round, indicating lower rent growth and higher vacancies compared to July, while the Sales Volume Index (59), Equity Financing Index (57), and Debt Financing Index (78) signaled improved market conditions.

“A softening labor market combined with high levels of new apartment supply is resulting in slowing rent growth in many parts of the country,” noted NMHC’s Chief Economist, Chris Bruen. “This continues to be most pronounced in sunbelt markets, many of which are currently seeing falling rents.”

“We’ve seen a modest decline in long-term interest rates over the past three months—the 10-Year Treasury Yield is currently down 28 basis points (bps) from July—resulting in improved conditions for debt financing and an uptick in apartment deal flow.”
...
• The Market Tightness Index came in at 31 this quarter, indicating looser market conditions. Only 9% of respondents thought market conditions were tighter compared to three months ago, 47% of respondents thought conditions had become looser, while 43% reported unchanged market conditions relative to July.

There is much more in the article.

by Calculated Risk on 10/24/2025 09:00:00 AM

With the release of the CPI report this morning, we now know the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), and the contribution base for 2026.

From Social Security: Social Security Announces 2.8 Percent Benefit Increase for 2026

The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced today that Social Security benefits, including Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for 75 million Americans will increase 2.8 percent in 2026. On average, Social Security retirement benefits will increase by about $56 per month starting in January.
...
Other adjustments that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) is slated to increase to $184,500 from $176,100.

Currently CPI-W is the index that is used to calculate the Cost-Of-Living Adjustments (COLA). Here is a discussion from Social Security on the current calculation (2.8% increase) and a list of previous Cost-of-Living Adjustments.

The contribution and benefit base will be $184,500 in 2026.

The National Average Wage Index increased to $69,846.57 in 2024, up 4.84% from $66,621.80 in 2023 (used to calculate contribution base). 

by Calculated Risk on 10/24/2025 08:30:00 AM

From the BLS:

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in September, after rising 0.4 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.0 percent before seasonal adjustment. Note that September CPI data collection was completed before the lapse in appropriations.

The index for gasoline rose 4.1 percent in September and was the largest factor in the all items monthly increase, as the index for energy rose 1.5 percent over the month. The food index increased 0.2 percent over the month as the food at home index rose 0.3 percent and the food away from home index increased 0.1 percent.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent in September, after rising 0.3 percent in each of the 2 preceding months. Indexes that increased over the month include shelter, airline fares, recreation, household furnishings and operations, and apparel. The indexes for motor vehicle insurance, used cars and trucks, and communication were among the few major indexes that decreased in September.

The all items index rose 3.0 percent for the 12 months ending September, after rising 2.9 percent over the 12 months ending August. The all items less food and energy index also rose 3.0 percent over the last 12 months. The energy index increased 2.8 percent for the 12 months ending September. The food index increased 3.1 percent over the last year.
emphasis added

The change in CPI was slightly below expectations. I'll post a graph later today after the Cleveland Fed releases the median and trimmed-mean CPI.

by Calculated Risk on 10/23/2025 08:17:00 PM

Note: Mortgage rates are from MortgageNewsDaily.com and are for top tier scenarios.

Friday:
• At 8:30 AM ET, The Consumer Price Index for September from the BLS. 

The consensus is for a 0.4% increase in CPI, and a 0.3% increase in core CPI.  The consensus is for CPI to be up 3.1% year-over-year (up from 2.9% in August) and core CPI to be up 3.1% YoY (unchanged from 3.1% in August).

by Calculated Risk on 10/23/2025 02:49:00 PM

Hotel occupancy was weak over the summer months, due to less international tourism.  The fall months are mostly domestic travel and occupancy is still under pressure!

From STR: U.S. hotel results for week ending 18 October

The U.S. hotel industry reported mixed year-over-year comparisons, according to CoStar’s latest data through 18 October. ...

12-18 October 2025 (percentage change from comparable week in 2024):

• Occupancy: 68.5% (-2.4%)
• Average daily rate (ADR): US$173.14 (+1.7%)
• Revenue per available room (RevPAR): US$118.65 (-0.7%)
emphasis added

The following graph shows the seasonal pattern for the hotel occupancy rate using the four-week average.

Click on graph for larger image.

The red line is for 2025, blue is the median, and dashed light blue is for 2024.  Dashed black is for 2018, the record year for hotel occupancy. 

The 4-week average of the occupancy rate is tracking behind both last year and the median rate for the period 2000 through 2024 (Blue).

Note: Y-axis doesn't start at zero to better show the seasonal change.

The 4-week average will decrease seasonally until early next year.

On a year-to-date basis, the only worse years for occupancy over the last 25 years were pandemic or recession years.

Here are some Hotel executive comments from a recent conference: 'Uncertainty is bad for business': Hotel executives express discontent with unpredictability

"What's tough on our industry always is uncertainty," said Joe Berger, president and CEO of BRE Hotels & Resorts. "It's been a tough year to navigate."

Leeny Oberg, chief financial officer and executive vice president of development at Marriott International, said there's frequently a new tariff announcement or comment made toward another country that is affecting the planning process. That process is very sequential, so the timing of some of these announcements can really throw off the execution of hotel projects midway through, she said.

"You've got all these people trying to make plans about their cutbacks and what they're trying to do with their properties, and it's literally every week or every day there's a new announcement. 'Oh, it's furniture today,' or, 'Oh, it's this country today.' From a planning perspective, it makes it extremely difficult," she said.

One of the larger subplots of the year has been the decline in Canadian travel to the U.S., due in large part to comments made from President Donald Trump on America's neighboring country. In August, Tourism Economics projected a 20.2% decline in Canadian travel to the U.S. on the year.

by Calculated Risk on 10/23/2025 11:04:00 AM

Today, in the CalculatedRisk Real Estate Newsletter: NAR: Existing-Home Sales Increased to 4.06 million SAAR in September

Excerpt:

The fourth graph shows existing home sales by month for 2024 and 2025.

Sales were up 4.1% year-over-year compared to September 2024. This was the easiest year-over-year comparison.
...
On an NSA basis for the month of September, this was 11% above the low for housing bust for the month of September that happened in September 2010. Year-to-date, sales are down 0.2% NSA.

There is much more in the article.

by Calculated Risk on 10/23/2025 10:00:00 AM

From the NAR: NAR Existing-Home Sales Report Shows 1.5% Increase in September

Month-over-month

• 1.5% increase in existing-home sales – seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.06 million in September

• 1.3% increase in unsold inventory – 1.55 million units equal to 4.6 months' supply

Year-over-year

• 4.1% increase in existing-home sales

• 2.1% increase in median existing-home sales price to $415,200
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows existing home sales, on a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) basis since 1994.

Sales in September (4.06 million SAAR) were up 1.5% from the previous month and were up 4.1% compared to the September 2024 sales rate.  

The second graph shows nationwide inventory for existing homes.

According to the NAR, inventory increased to 1.55 million in September from 1.53 million the previous month.

Headline inventory is not seasonally adjusted, and inventory usually decreases to the seasonal lows in December and January, and peaks in mid-to-late summer.

The last graph shows the year-over-year (YoY) change in reported existing home inventory and months-of-supply. Since inventory is not seasonally adjusted, it really helps to look at the YoY change. Note: Months-of-supply is based on the seasonally adjusted sales and not seasonally adjusted inventory.

Inventory was up 14.0% year-over-year (blue) in September compared to September 2024.

Months of supply (red) was unchanged at 4.6 months in September from 4.6 months the previous month.

I'll have more later. 

by Calculated Risk on 10/22/2025 07:49:00 PM

Note: Mortgage rates are from MortgageNewsDaily.com and are for top tier scenarios.

Thursday:
• At 8:30 AM ET, The initial weekly unemployment claims report will be released. (WILL NOT BE RELEASED)

• At 8:30 AM, Chicago Fed National Activity Index for September. This is a composite index of other data.

• At 10:00 AM, Existing Home Sales for September from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). The consensus is for the NAR to report sales of 4.06 million SAAR. Last year, the NAR reported sales in September 2024 at 3.90 million SAAR. 

Housing economist Tom Lawler expects the NAR to report sales of 4.00 million SAAR for September.

• At 11:00 AM, Kansas City Fed Survey of Manufacturing Activity for October.<

by Calculated Risk on 10/22/2025 03:46:00 PM

Note: This index is a leading indicator primarily for new Commercial Real Estate (CRE) investment including multi-family residential.

From the AIA: ABI September 2025: Weakness persists at architecture firms

The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score of 43.3 for the month is the softest reading since April and represents an increase in the share of firms reporting a decrease from August. In addition, inquiries into new projects remained flat for the second consecutive month, following growth over the summer, and the value of newly signed design contracts decreased for the 19th consecutive month. All of these indicators mean that the soft conditions that many architecture firms have been experiencing since late 2022 are likely to persist for the foreseeable future.

Recent revisions to work in the pipeline continue to erode as well. In the aftermath of the pandemic-induced downturn in 2020, architecture firm backlogs reached the highest levels we have seen since we started collecting that data regularly 15 years ago. Backlogs have gradually declined since the third quarter of 2022 and currently stand at an average of 6.1 months, down from 6.5 months at the beginning of the year. Backlogs are averaging just five months at firms with multifamily residential and commercial/industrial specializations, but stand at an average of eight months at firms with an institutional specialization. But despite the recent decrease in backlogs at firms, they still stand at levels nearly comparable to those before the pandemic.

Billings declined at firms in all regions of the country in September, except for firms located in the Midwest, where billings were essentially flat. Billings were softest at firms located in the West for the fourth consecutive month, where they have weakened the most over the last year. By firm specialization, business conditions were weakest at firms with an institutional specialization this month and continued to soften at firms with a commercial/industrial specialization, which reported conditions approaching growth over the summer.
...
The ABI serves as a leading economic indicator that leads nonresidential construction activity by approximately 9-12 months.
emphasis added

• Northeast (43.8); Midwest (49.8); South (47.9); West (40.6)

• Sector index breakdown: commercial/industrial (46.6); institutional (44.3); multifamily residential (47.2)

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows the Architecture Billings Index since 1996. The index was at 43.3 in September, down from 47.2 in August.  Anything below 50 indicates a decrease in demand for architects' services.

This index has indicated contraction for 34 of the last 36 months.

Note: This includes commercial and industrial facilities like hotels and office buildings, multi-family residential, as well as schools, hospitals and other institutions.

This index usually leads CRE investment by 9 to 12 months, so this index suggests a slowdown in CRE investment throughout 2025 and into 2026.

Multi-family billings have been below 50 for 38 consecutive months.  This suggests we will some further weakness in multi-family starts.

by Calculated Risk on 10/22/2025 02:27:00 PM

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: 2nd Look at Local Housing Markets in September

A brief excerpt:

The NAR is scheduled to release September Existing Home sales on Thursday, October 23rd at 10:00 AM. The consensus is for the NAR to report sales of 4.06 million SAAR. Last year, the NAR reported sales in September 2024 at 3.90 million SAAR.

Housing economist Tom Lawler expects the NAR to report sales of 4.00 million SAAR for September.

September sales will be mostly for contracts signed in July and August, and mortgage rates averaged 6.72% in July and 6.59% in August (lower than for closed sales in July).

In September, sales in these markets were up 8.2% YoY. Last month, in August, these same markets were down 2.5% year-over-year Not Seasonally Adjusted (NSA).

Important: There were one more working days in September 2025 (21) as in September 2024 (20). So, the year-over-year change in the headline SA data will be lower than the NSA data suggests (there are other seasonal factors).
...
More local markets to come after the NAR release.

There is much more in the article.

by Calculated Risk on 10/22/2025 07:00:00 AM

From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey

Mortgage applications decreased 0.3 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending October 17, 2025.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 0.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 0.2 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 4 percent from the previous week and was 81 percent higher than the same week one year ago. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 5 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index decreased 5 percent compared with the previous week and was 20 percent higher than the same week one year ago.

“The lowest mortgage rates in a month spurred an increase in refinance activity, including another pickup in ARM applications. The 30-year fixed rate decreased to 6.37 percent and all other loan types also decreased,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “The refinance index increased 4 percent, driven by a 6 percent increase in conventional refinances and a 12 percent increase in FHA refinance applications, as borrowers remain attentive to these opportunities to lower their monthly mortgage payment. VA refinances bucked the trend and were down 12 percent.”

Added Kan, “ARM applications increased 16 percent over the week, which pushed the ARM share to 11 percent, with the ARM rate more than 80 basis points lower than the 30-year fixed rate. Purchase applications were down over the week but remained 20 percent higher than a year ago.”
...
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($806,500 or less) decreased to 6.37 percent from 6.42 percent, with points decreasing to 0.59 from 0.61 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans.
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.

The first graph shows the MBA mortgage purchase index.

According to the MBA, purchase activity is up 20% year-over-year unadjusted. 

Red is a four-week average (blue is weekly).  

Purchase application activity is still depressed, but above the lows of 2023 and slightly above the lowest levels during the housing bust.  

The second graph shows the refinance index since 1990.

The refinance index has increased from the bottom as mortgage rates declined.