Category: Home Buying

A house key resting beside mortgage paperwork and a calculator on a table

Mortgage Rates Climb to a Three Week High as MBA Says Applications Slip and Refinance Demand Falls Further in a Cooler U.S. Purchase Market

 Joshua Adkins  August 27, 2026

The Mortgage Bankers Association said higher borrowing costs pushed total applications down 1% last week, with refinance demand taking the biggest hit.

A suburban home in Salt Lake County with mountains in the background

Salt Lake County Homebuyers Need $186,000 in Income to Afford the Median Priced Single Family Home, a Two Year High in the Second Quarter of 2026

 Joshua Adkins  August 27, 2026

A new housing report says the income needed to buy a typical home in the county climbed to its highest level in two years.

A homeowner reviewing refinance paperwork next to a calculator and house keys

Bankrate Says Most Refinance Borrowers Still Pay Above the Best Available Rate in 2025 as Closing Costs and Break-Even Math Shape Savings

 Joshua Adkins  August 27, 2026

A Bankrate explainer says refinancing can still help some homeowners, but shopping, fees and loan terms matter as much as the headline rate.

New single-family homes under construction with a partially finished subdivision in the background

July New Home Sales Fell 10.5% to a Seasonally Adjusted 607,000 as Builders Kept Permits Cautious and Completed Homes Held Near 117,000 Nationwide

 Joshua Adkins  August 26, 2026

Census and HUD said July sales were down from June and a year earlier, while builders kept a tight grip on new construction plans.

A house key and mortgage paperwork beside a calculator and rising rate chart

Mortgage Rates Climb Near 7 Percent as Treasury Buyback Plan Fails to Lower Borrowing Costs and Jumbo Loans Jump Sharply in Late August

 Joshua Adkins  August 26, 2026

HousingWire says long-term Treasury purchases have not translated into cheaper home loans, even as jumbo rates posted the week’s biggest increase.

A row of suburban homes with a for-sale sign and overcast sky

U.S. Home Prices Rose 2.1% in June as Chicago Led Large Metro Gains and 30-Year Mortgage Rates Stayed Near 6.5%

 Joshua Adkins  August 26, 2026

The latest Case-Shiller data showed another yearly increase, but high borrowing costs kept the housing market under strain.

A suburban home represents borrowing options tied to home equity and mortgage rates

Homeowners With Low Mortgage Rates Face a Bigger Choice as Bankrate Compares Helocs, Home Equity Loans and Cash-Out Refinances Against Today’s Higher Borrowing Costs

 Joshua Adkins  August 26, 2026

Borrowing against home equity can protect an old low mortgage rate, but it can also reset a loan at today’s higher rate and add closing costs.

Capitol dome with a graphic showing the U.S. national debt crossing $40 trillion

U.S. National Debt Tops $40 Trillion in Washington as CBO Warns Rising Interest Costs Could Push Federal Borrowing Higher Through 2036 and Beyond

 Joshua Adkins  August 26, 2026

The CBO says the debt milestone does not equal an immediate crisis, but it does raise costs that can ripple through the economy.

A Denver-area house exterior with a for-sale sign and a mortgage rate theme

Why a Denver-Area Homebuyer Swapped a 2.8 Percent Mortgage for 6.99 Percent and Still Says the Move Made Sense in a Slower Market

 Joshua Adkins  August 26, 2026

A Colorado homebuyer says higher rates brought less competition, more room to negotiate, and a path to refinance later.

Row houses in a residential neighborhood with a housing market data graphic overlay

Minnesota Leads the Nation as Seriously Underwater Mortgages Rise to 3.2 Percent in Attom’s Second Quarter Count Across Upper Midwest States

 Joshua Adkins  August 25, 2026

ATTOM says underwater loans are still a small share of the market, but they are concentrated in several Midwestern states and the District of Columbia.