Pending home sales are down and new listings are flat during a time of year when they typically rise. But this week’s softer-than-expected inflation report sent mortgage rates down, which could bring back some homebuyers and sellers.

rates down, which could bring back some homebuyers and sellers.

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- (NASDAQ: RDFN) —Pending home sales fell 4.3% from a year earlier during the four weeks ending May 12, the biggest decline in roughly three months. That’s according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. Pending home sales also posted a week-over-week decline, unusual for early May.

Inventory is losing momentum, too, as would-be sellers stay put to hang onto their low mortgage rate. New listings rose 10% year over year, but they were essentially flat from a week earlier, which is significant because listings typically increase this time of year.

The housing market slumped because of sky-high housing costs. The median U.S. home-sale price is up 4.7% year over year to a record $386,951, and the median monthly mortgage payment is sitting at $2,858, just $26 shy of the all-time high set in April. But affordability is starting to improve a bit: Daily average mortgage rates have steadily declined since the start of May, and this week’s slightly softer-than-expected inflation report sent rates below 7% for the first time in over five weeks. And 6.3% of home sellers are dropping their price, on average, the highest share in a year and a half, which may mean price growth loses momentum soon.

“High prices and rates are challenging, but there are ways for buyers to take advantage of the somewhat slow market,” said Marsha McMahon-Jones, a Redfin Premier agent in Palm Springs, CA. “Sellers know that high mortgage rates mean they should expect negotiations, expect offers to come in under list price, and be ready for some back and forth on things like repairs and closing costs. Buyers may not be able to get a lower mortgage rate, but they’re often getting homes for slightly less than the asking price. It’s also a good time to buy a fixer-upper at a lower price point because those aren’t selling as quickly.”

For Redfin economists’ takes on the housing market, including more on how current financial events are impacting mortgage rates, please visit Redfin’s “From Our Economists” page.

Leading indicators

Key housing-market data

To view the full report, including charts, please visit:
https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-mortgage-rates-dip-sales-decline

Despite low buyer demand, home prices remain steep throughout the U.S. Owing to this, many homeowners have seen the amount of equity they’ve built into their houses increase.

When a homeowner utilizes the LendingTree marketplace to shop around for a home equity loan lender, they select one of five reasons for why they’re seeking the money. By analyzing borrowers’ home equity loan requests in the first quarter of 2024, we determined why homeowners across the 50 states are thinking about tapping into their home equity. Here's what we found.

• Across the 50 states, 40.58% of those seeking a home equity loan cited paying for home improvements as their primary reason.
• 33.78% of homeowners considered tapping their home’s equity to help consolidate debt. This was the second most commonly cited reason among LendingTree users. However, in some states like Wyoming, Idaho and South Dakota, it was the most commonly cited. 
• Using a home’s equity for investment purposes — other than home improvements — was the main goal for 7.68% of homeowners. Examples of investments include buying a property to rent or purchasing shares of a company via the stock market.
• Only 2.56% of homeowners considered using their home’s equity as retirement income. 

You can check out our full report here: https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/reasons-for-home-equity-study/

LendingTree's Senior Economist and report author, Jacob Channel, had this to say:

"While a home equity loan can be a good idea for some, getting one isn’t something to take lightly. As is virtually always the case when borrowing money, getting cash via a home equity loan isn’t without risk. In a worst-case scenario, defaulting on a home equity loan can result in a person losing their house. Owing to this, homeowners considering a home equity loan should tread carefully and be sure that they’re in a position to pay back whatever they borrow without serious financial strain."