Data & Visuals

Housing affordability challenges steepen in Q3

The housing market showed faint signs of near-term affordability improvement in late 2025, but it remains dramatically worse than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research from Oxford Economics. In the third quarter, a household needed to earn $110,100 a year to afford to own a single-family home, including taxes and insurance. […]

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Cooling home prices, stable inventory as buyers gain leverage

The U.S. housing market continues to show signs of cooling as listing prices ease and inventory levels remain steady, according to most recent HousingWire data. As of Nov. 14, the median list price stood at $429,900, while new listings are entering the market at a median of $395,000. Homes are spending an average of 118

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The Optimal Blue lawsuit: Data transparency or market manipulation?

Mortgage-pricing data has gone digital. But when does transparency turn into coordination? In early October 2025, mortgage-technology provider Optimal Blue and three major lenders were sued in a proposed class-action alleging price-fixing and market manipulation in U.S. mortgage rates. At the center of the case is a question that goes well beyond one software firm:

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US home flipping profits hit lowest level since 2008

The share of U.S. homes flipped by investors fell in the second quarter of 2025 while profit margins dropped to levels not seen in more than 15 years, according to new data from ATTOM. Flippers resold 78,621 single-family homes and condominiums between April and June, or 7.4% of all sales.That was down from 8.3% in

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$67K to sell a home? Consumers drastically underestimate the costs

Home sellers expect to spend about $18,500 on expenses, but the actual cost is more than $67,000, according to a new report from Clever Offers, a platform owned by Clever Real Estate. The report found that on average, recent sellers spent: $21,024 on pre- and post-listing repairs and improvements $14,204 on seller’s agent commission $13,691

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Household income climbs in some big cities, outweighed by inflation in others

Household income in the U.S. rose slightly in 2024, but the picture looks very different depending on where you live. The national median income reached $83,730 last year, up 1.3% from 2023, according to a new report from online fintech company SmartAsset. That modest increase failed to keep pace with the roughly 3% inflation rate,

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Home equity levels remain high even as price appreciation has cooled

The average U.S. mortgage holder has more than $300,000 in home equity, a figure that’s up significantly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as national equity levels now stand at $17.5 trillion. That’s according to Cotality’s second-quarter 2025 home equity report released on Friday. The report noted that the average homeowner with a mortgage

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Fannie Mae: Consumer housing sentiment slips in August

Americans grew slightly less confident about the housing market in August, as more consumers expressed concerns about job stability, selling conditions and future home prices, according to Fannie Mae’s monthly National Housing Survey. The agency’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) fell 0.4 points to a reading of 71.4 — with four of its six components

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US housing market value hits record $55T, but growth is slowing

The total value of U.S. homes has climbed to a record $55.1 trillion, although growth has cooled in the past year amid high housing costs. That figure represents a $20 trillion increase since early 2020 and an $862 billion gain over the past year, according to an analysis released Monday by Zillow. But while the

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Gen Z offers its thoughts on the renter vs. homeowner debate

Homeownership has long been seen as a marker of stability and success. But for many in Generation Z — the youngest group entering the housing market — that dream feels increasingly out of reach. Rising mortgage rates, high home prices, student debt and career uncertainty are reshaping what housing looks like for this generation —

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