Pending home sales return to year over year growth as the spring market heats up
Pending home sales return to year over year growth as the spring market heats up - Analyzing the Shift: Understanding the Return to Year-Over-Year Growth
It feels like for ages we've been scratching our heads, wondering when the housing market would finally catch its breath, right? And think about it, the old "lock-in effect"—you know, where everyone felt stuck with their super-low mortgage rates—that’s really starting to fade. It’s pretty wild, but nearly forty percent of today’s sellers are homeowners who snagged those incredible rates back in 2020 and 2021, yet they’re still making a move now. We’re also seeing a solid twelve percent increase in new listings, especially in that mid-tier price range, which is totally fueling this spring's sales momentum. Take a market like Los Angeles, for example; active listings there have actually jumped by fifteen percent, leading to the first sustained positive growth in pending sales we've seen in over three years. But it’s not just more homes available; the national median home price growth has settled into a much more sustainable two to three percent range, which really eases the pressure on folks trying to purchase. Plus, institutional buyers have pulled back by eight percent, leaving a bigger slice of the pie for traditional first-time homebuyers… and that, to me, is incredibly promising.
Pending home sales return to year over year growth as the spring market heats up - The Rate Catalyst: How Easing Mortgage Costs are Fueling Spring Demand
Look, we’ve finally hit a point where the numbers actually make sense again, and seeing the 30-year fixed rate settle at an average of 5.85% feels like a massive weight has been lifted. It’s the first time in four years we’ve seen rates stay under that big 6% psychological barrier for a whole quarter, and you can really feel the shift in energy out there. Think about it this way: that small dip has basically handed the average buyer an extra $42,000 in spending power compared to those rough peaks we saw back in 2024. We’re also seeing people ditch those risky adjustable-rate mortgages, with 5/1 and 7/1 ARMs dropping to just 4% of new
Pending home sales return to year over year growth as the spring market heats up - Inventory Dynamics and Regional Trends Shaping the Current Market
Look, it’s a bit of a "tale of two markets" situation depending on where you’re looking on the map right now. If you’re down in Florida or Texas, things feel surprisingly roomier because inventory levels there have actually shot up 22% past where they were back in 2019. I think a huge part of that is the builders finally catching up; brand-new homes now make up about a third of everything on the market, which is triple what we’re used to seeing historically. But then you look at the Midwest and it's a totally different story. Places like Columbus and Indy are still incredibly tight, holding onto less than a two-month supply, which makes for a pretty stressful weekend for
Pending home sales return to year over year growth as the spring market heats up - Looking Ahead: What the Great Housing Reset Means for the Rest of 2025
We’re looking at a situation where the "where" of work is suddenly dictating the "how much" of your mortgage again. Honestly, those strict return-to-office mandates have been a total game changer, creating a 9% price premium for homes within ten miles of major corporate hubs. But it’s not just about the commute; we’ve got to talk about the elephant in the room—property insurance premiums jumping 18% nationwide last year. That spike is really starting to mess with debt-to-income ratios, making "affordable" homes feel a lot heavier on the monthly budget than they used to. I find it fascinating that Gen Z has stepped up as the fastest-growing buyer segment, making up nearly 28% of entry-level sales